Rowing Terms and Terminology

What are the different boat sizes?

The number of rowers in a boat is either 1, 2, 4, or 8. Traditionally, the 8 person boats are the heart of the sport, as they are the fastest and require the most teamwork. The larger boats will also feature a Coxswain (pronounced Cox-un), who steers the boat and leads the rowers through the race, determining tactics and synchronizing their effort.

The priority at St. Ignatius is to have fast 8+ boats. That’s 8 rowers + one coxswain. Although we may row other types of boats such as 4+ and 4x (4 rower scullers), having fast 8+ boats is the goal of the program. It is the standard by which rowing programs are measured.

What is “Sweep” and what is “Scull”?

A sweep boat has rowers that each have an oar on one side only, and they alternate. A sculler has an oar on both sides of them. Also, the boats for sweep are referred to as “Pairs” (2), “Fours” (4), and “Eights” (8). Sculls are “Singles” (1), “Doubles” (2), and “Quads” (4)

Break down these labels at a regatta please, what is a “WJV8+”?

First is M = Men or W = Women. Then it’s V = Varsity or JV = Junior Varsity or F = Freshman. You may also see LTW for Lightweight (Under 130 lbs). 8 is the number of rowers, and + means it has a coxswain. A - or x means it does not. There might also be a number before the V to indicate a #2 Varsity boat or #3, etc.

What does U17 or U15 mean, then?

In a non-scholastic setting, things like Varsity or JV don’t apply, so categories are determined by age. A U17 boat then is made up of athletes who are younger than 17 for the entire calendar year in which they are competing. Similarly for U15 and so on.

What about “Novice”?

Generally, a “Novice” is an athlete participating in their first year of rowing.

What is a “2K” and why does everyone care so much about it?

2K is shorthand for 2,000 meters, which is the standard race distance in the sport. It’s also the standard distance for the ERG test, which is a key measuring statistic of a rower’s endurance and fitness. ERG stands for “Ergometer”, or rowing machine. Lowering one’s ERG score is a common personal goal of rowers.

Rowing Stroke Phases

Catch - The beginning of the rowing stroke where the oar blade is set in the water
Drive - The part of the stroke where the blade is pulled through the water.
Finish - The final part of the stroke where the blade comes out of the water.
Recovery - The part of the stroke where the rower comes slowly up the slide to return to the catch

What is “Catching a Crab”?

“Catching a Crab” is a common rowing error where a rower gets out of sync with the boat with improper timing or technique. This can result in the oar being pulled into/under the water and can be difficult to recover in a moving boat. The oar handle can also be forced into the rower, potentially so violently as to eject them. Since recovery might require the boat to stop and lose valuable speed, catching a crab in a race situation can be very damaging to a crew’s result.

Positions in the Boat

How are the rowing positions numbered?

The rower in the nose of the boat, at the front, or “bow” is #1. Then they are numbered back to the rower directly in front of the Coxswain at #8.

Do the rowers have different jobs?

The crew’s first job is to row hard as a unit, but the positions do tend to have specific qualities:

• The #8, or Stroke turns the Coxswain’s instructions into action. They set the pace and stroke for the whole team. They don’t need to be the strongest in the crew, but need to be technically excellent and have unstoppable drive and will to win, since their energy ripples through the boat.

• The #7 is critically important, as they need all the qualities of #8, but also have to follow the Stroke’s lead and make what they’re doing followable for everyone else. Since their oar is on the opposite side from the stroke, they are also setting the example for the rowers on the same side as theirs.

• The middle four in positions 6-5-4-3 are sometimes known as the “engine room” and typically bring the most power to the equation.

• The #2 and #1 positions, or “bow pair” are the stabilizer in the front of the boat and need to have smooth and proficient technique, since the boat is narrower and less stable where they are, and their actions will influence the boat more.
  

  All the rowers have equally important jobs!

Do rowers trade seats and roles?

BOAT LINEUPS AND PLACEMENTS CHANGE AND ARE NEVER GUARANTEED

Really. What if my kid is really good?

Really. Coaches will constantly experiment with lineups to assemble the boats that work together best as a team. Being excellent in one boat may not guarantee excellence in another and no one is entitled to their seat based on having had it previously.

Scholastics vs. Clubs

What are the differences between school teams and clubs?

A High School having their own crew team is rare, and S.I. is very lucky to have one with such a tradition of excellence. Most athletes in the sport participate through private clubs. The primary difference between them is that clubs are frequently year around and pull athletes from a wide area, while school teams officially have a spring season and are naturally athletes from only that school.. There are also school only (‘scholastic”) regattas and regattas that feature both. Each proceed to their own regional and national championships. S.I. is proud to bring its competitive performance to both scholastic and club events.

Regattas

What’s a regatta day like?

Regattas are all-day events, or sometimes multiple days. Your rower may be in one event or more, and each event may have a time trial or multiple heats over multiple days. It’s likely these events will be spread out over hours to allow for recovery. The facilities and availability of food and shade may vary at different venues, so come prepared. Depending on the event, we may have hospitality set up and there will be opportunities to get involved.

Can Athletes leave after their race is finished?

Athletes can only leave once they are dismissed by their coaches. Count on the whole team staying to support their teammates who progress to later heats and to help de-rig or load boats at the end of competition.

How does transportation to regattas work?

Transportation depends on the location of the regatta. Typically athletes will journey together on a bus to regattas, with families supplying their own return transportation. For fly-away regattas, teams will meet at the airport and be responsible for transportation to and from the airport. Athletes are not permitted to drive themselves to regattas.

What’s the difference between “Head” races and “Sprint” races?

Head races typically take place in the fall, are longer distance, and are done with a staggered start rather than all at once, in a time-trial format. Races are typically three miles long, with crews starting at intervals where crews may or may not overtake others, maybe 20 seconds. The course is rarely straight, so the Coxswain’s role of steering and racecraft strategy becomes extra important. Head races are also rowed at a lower rate to preserve energy over the longer distance.

Sprint races typically happen in the spring season. They are a shorter distance, 1500-2000 meters, and competed directly side by side by 4-8 boats. They are rowed at a much higher rate than head races, The Coxswain’s aim is to keep the boat as straight as possible to minimize the distance and maximize the crew’s performance vs. the other crews which are visible next to them.