An Introduction to Rowing The purpose of this document is to give you all the basics for learning to row a gig and what you can expect when you get involved in our sessions. We want you to feel more confident as soon as possible and hopefully want to join our club and progress at your pace. Payment Details All rowers are asked to pay £2 per row to help towards the maintenance of the gigs, oars and insurance etc. Important Health & Safety information Please complete the medical form at the bottom of this document and return it with full contact details. It’s important for us to know any medical information that is relevant to taking up this physical sport. Health and Safety – this will be covered at the beginning of the first session and will continue to be reiterated during the three weeks. This will include capsize drill, feeling unwell or getting injured in the boat, manoeuvrability of the boat, getting in and out of the boat and launching and retrieving. Q&A – What You Need to Know Before You Start Q: Where do I go to? A: You will be informed of the location and time of the session. Q: How long will the sessions be and what can I expect? A: The sessions will last about one and a half hours – this will allow time to go through important information off the water, such as how to handle the oars and get in/out of the gig, as well as at least 40 minutes on the water. You can expect to row in short bursts initially with plenty of stops for a rest and a drink of water. Following your initial rows, you will learn all the basic techniques from the coxswain/coach and experienced club rowers, as well the expectation that you will work on your own fitness outside the boat, specifically designed to improve your fitness in the boat. Q: I’ve never rowed before – will I be ok? A: Yes – lots of people who row with us now had never rowed before they came to the club! You will have experienced coxswains and rowers in the boat with you so that you can learn from them. Remember – we all started this way! If you are suffering from minor ailments, particularly musculoskeletal problems (pulled muscles, back ache etc), please discuss them with whoever is running the session at least the morning before, so that there is plenty of time to arrange a substitute if required. Q: What should I wear? A: General: Clothing should be snug fitting so that it doesn’t get caught up with the handle of your oar, but not so much so that it restricts movement. Bottoms: Rowing gigs correctly inevitably results in a sliding movement across the seat. Over an hour this can cause a degree of discomfort. Everyone has their own way of protecting against this, but the more common methods include using lycra shorts (to reduce friction with your skin) as underwear or even lycra padded cycling shorts, and a more resistant shorts/leggings/trousers on top to provide protection to the lycra, and for those that are worried about it, more modesty. Tops: Rowing is rarely affected by the weather. Therefore, it is important that you have a good weather-proof jacket just in case, and a shirt which won't chaff you under the arms. Shoes: Both in the boat & launching/recovering the boat you may well get your feet wet. Therefore, wear a pair of shoes which are strong enough to be able to push against the edge of the foot supports without hurting your feet, but that you are happy to stand in water in, maybe an old pair of training shoes, some used Croc-like shoes or wellies. Gloves: Again, an area much talked about with some preferring gloves and others not. If you do wish to use gloves, we suggest that fingerless ones are a better option. Foot Straps: We will be following the rowing technique as developed by our sport’s governing body & British Rowing which needs at least one of your feet to be securely attached to the foot support. You will develop your own way of securing your foot/feet, but our boats have stretchers with ropes but several; of our members use nylon straps which they purchased themselves. Q: I can’t swim – does this matter? A: No, but ideally it is useful if you can swim between 50-100 meters, but the club can provide lifejackets if required. Please be assured that gigs are very stable boats, built to withstand the conditions and are regularly maintained. Q: Is there anything else I need to know in advance? A: Water – please bring a plastic bottle of water as you will need to keep hydrated. Q: Is rowing very strenuous? A: Rowing is a physically demanding activity, even if you are not planning on developing to racing standard and wish to row socially. So that you can give it your best without feeling unduly tired during the session or the day after and want to increase your enjoyment you might want to consider the following exercises: 1. Sit ups: The correct rowing action includes doing half sit-ups for extended periods, so build up on the sit-ups. 2. Leg exercises: The power for rowing is developed from your legs (not your back or arms), so squats (for the more athletic), or power walking up steep hills (for the less so) is good practice. Most importantly do enjoy learning to gig row – one of the fastest growing sports in the South West! Basic Introduction to Gig Rowing and Seamanship There are some basic points about being in a gig and being on the water that all new rowers need to be aware of. Obviously some newcomers to gig rowing may have different knowledge of aspects of various types of rowing and being on the water – this is to provide you all with the basics to being in a gig. The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oared rowing boat built of Cornish narrow leaf elm, 32 feet (9.8 m) long with a beam of four feet ten inches. The coxswain (cox) sits at the stern (back) end and steers the gig by holding a rope in each hand - the ropes being attached to the rudder. There are six rowers – each rowing one oar. So there are three oars in the water on both the port (left) side of the gig, and the starboard (right) side of the gig. The oars that are over the port side are called BOW oars – those over the starboard side are STROKE oars. Each rower has their own seat and sit at the furthest distance away from the side that their oar goes over. The oars are placed between two wooden sticks (PINS) on the edge (GUNWALE) of the gig, and rest on a piece of plastic (MARZIPAN) so that the gunwale is not damaged. The rower’s feet rest on a long piece of wood (STRETCHER) – the position of which can be altered as necessary. The oars are numbered 1-6. Oar 6 is called the STROKE oar (as well as it being an oar that goes over the stroke side!) – it is this oar that sets the timing of the oars – it is the one that all the other oars have to follow (i.e. all oars should enter and exit the water at the same time!) The actual process of rowing will be explained throughout the teaching sessions. There are some basic commands that the cox will use that all rowers should be aware of: “Forward to row” – the rower leans forward with straight arms and back, head up, knees bent, the position of the handle of the oar being directly above the feet – no further – in the position ready to drop their oar into the water. “Row” – the rower puts the blade in the water and pulls a stroke- following the timing of the 6 (STROKE) oar. “Easy oars” – stop rowing, and hold your blade out of the water. “Bow side, one up” – all the oars that are out on the bow side are required to pull one stroke together through the water, hopefully at the same time! “Hold water” – keep or put the blade of your oar in the water and hold it firmly at 90 ° so that the boat slows down and stops moving – this is in fact an EMERGENCY STOP! Beware that if the boat is moving at speed the handle of the oar can be difficult to keep in position, and may come towards your chest area with force. “Stroke side, dig in” – all oars on stroke side put their blade in the water at 90°, whilst sitting upright – in order to keep that side of the gig in position. “Back water” – this command is to move the gig backwards – so you in fact reverse the action of going forward, but do not alter the position of the face of the blade (i.e. do not turn the oar around). “Lift your oars” – this command is to get all oars in a vertical position – the end of the handle resting on the floor boards, between your legs, with the blade straight up in the air. You will need to reach your arms up and hold onto the shaft of the oar quite high up, to keep it steady. The cox will instruct you by your oar number – so “number one oar – up one “ will only require only that oar to pull one stroke forwards.