“We Don’t Just Talk About Rowing
We Actually Row!”
“We Don’t Just Talk About Rowing – We Actually Row!”
Written by Petra Amara - RowingCrazy.com
CEO & Founder of RowingCrazy, National Rower, Coxswain Womens Eight Team, Rowing Coach & Writer
Petra is a Mother of two and owner of Rowingcrazy.com. Petra lives and breathes rowing, she also has a passion for writing which lead her to start RowingCrazy.com to share her rowing experience and expertise with others.
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Hi friends! It’s Petra, and today, I want to discuss a subject that isn’t discussed frequently but I suspect we might be seeing/hearing more of it in the future.
What Is German Rigging In Rowing & What Is Its Purpose? Read More »
As a passionate rowing enthusiast, I am often asked about the optimal crew size for a rowing team.
It’s a question that many newcomers and even seasoned rowers have, and the answer can vary depending on various factors.
Hi there, I’m Petra, and in today’s article, I want to delve into the world of rowing and explore the dynamics of team size.
Whether you’re a coach looking to build a competitive crew or a rower seeking to understand how many teammates you need to maximize performance, this comprehensive guide will provide you with valuable insights.
I hope you will join me on this journey to unravel the secrets behind the perfect rowing team size for success on the water. Let’s set sail on the path to rowing excellence!
The number of people on a rowing team can vary from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9, depending on the boat category and the specific event or competition in question.
As I’ve mentioned in related articles, there are two types of rowing- sculling and sweep rowing. Each type has several boat classes, and each class varies in terms of team size.
Generally, rowing teams are in even numbers, except in the case of single sculling or when the boat is accompanied by a coxswain (or cox) who is responsible for steering and coordinating the crew.
Let’s see how the number of people on a rowing team varies between sweep rowing and sculling boat categories.
Let’s talk about sculling first, which has several boat classes:
| Sculling Boat Category |
No. of Rowers |
| Single scull | One rower |
| Doubles | Two rowers |
| Coxless Quad | Four rowers |
| Coxed Quad | Four rowers and one coxswain |
| Octuple | Eight rowers and is always coxed |
In rare events, there’s the Octuple, which seats eight rowers and is always coxed – so nine people in a team.
Please take note that in sculling, each rower has two oars. In the smallest boat category (singles), you row solo, so it’s practically a one-man team.
In sweep rowing, each rower has only one oar. There has to be an even number of rowers (and oars) for the boat to be balanced, so unlike sculling, there is no single-rower category in sweep rowing.
The smallest size of a sweep rowing team is two rowers. Here are the different sweep boat classes and their respective team size:
| Sculling Boat Category |
No. of Rowers |
| Coxless Pair | Two rowers |
| Coxed Pair | Two rowers and one coxswain |
| Coxless Four | Four rowers |
| Coxed Four | Four rowers and one coxswain |
| Eight | Eight rowers and always with one coxswain |
Rowers in seats 1 and 2 of an Eight racing shell are called the bow pair, while those in seats 7 and 8 are the stern pair, each athlete holding specific responsibilities that are critical to their race.
Ultimately, the specific number of people on a rowing team is determined by the type of race and the boat category, making rowing a versatile sport that accommodates a range of team sizes.
The number of people on an Olympic rowing team can vary from 2, 4, and 9, for the coxless Pairs, coxless Doubles, coxless Fours, and the coxed Eights, including lightweight rowing categories.
An Olympic rowing team consists of a set number of rowers and boats that can compete in various categories, each with a different crew size.
The most common boat category in Olympic rowing and World Championships is the Eight, known as the Men’s and Women’s Eight, consisting of eight rowers and a coxswain, for a total of nine team members.
Additionally, there are the Men’s and Women’s Coxless Pairs (two rowers), Coxless Fours (four rowers), and Double Sculls (two rowers), which are also featured in the Olympic program.
Finally, the lightweight men and lightweight women double sculls include two rowers each. So, the exact number of people on an Olympic rowing team depends on the categories they compete in.
Some rowers may compete in multiple categories, while others may focus on a single event. In essence, the composition of an Olympic rowing team is dynamic. Teams field the appropriate rowers for each boat category as they aim for Olympic gold medals and success on the Olympic Games and World Rowing Championships.
The short answer here is that everyone rows except the coxswain and the coach.
The number of people actively rowing on a rowing team typically ranges from one to eight, depending on the boat category and the type of race.
For example, in a single scull, there is just one rower who operates both oars.
For a double scull, there are two rowers, each with their own set of oars.
The crew size increases to four for a coxless four, and in an eight-oared boat, there are eight rowers, plus a coxswain who steers the boat and coordinates the team but does not row.
The crew size may vary within these categories for different events, making rowing a versatile sport that accommodates different team sizes, from individual scullers to larger teams of rowers.
My first thought was to say “A rowing team consists of a group of masochists who like the water” but perhaps that wouldn’t be entirely fair, LOL.
Let me put it this way: a rowing team generally consists of the rowers and a coxswain. It is a group of individuals working collectively to propel a rowing boat efficiently through the water. The team’s composition, and whether it is coxed or coxless, depends on the boat category and the type of rowing event.
For example, in sweep rowing, each rower handles one oar. The most common sweep boat is the coxed eight, which consists of eight rowers (each with one oar) and a coxswain who steers and directs the crew.
Other sweep boat categories include the coxed pair (team of 3), coxless pair (team of 2), coxed four (team of 5), and coxless four (team of 4).
When talking about sculling, each rower manages two oars. Sculling categories include the single scull (one rower), double scull (two rowers), and quadruple scull (four rowers).
A rowing team is not only about the rowers themselves but also the coxswain who provides guidance, motivation, and race strategy, ensuring the boat moves swiftly and smoothly through the water.
This combination of rowers and coxswain constitutes the core of a rowing team. Their teamwork and synchronized body movements are vital for success in this demanding sport.
That sounds like serious business, doesn’t it? If you want more laughs, check out my article with some rowing humor.
Summing up, the number of individuals on a rowing team varies widely, from a solitary sculler navigating the waters to a nine-person coxed Eight powering through the waves in perfect harmony.
The diversity of boat categories and rowing events within the sport allows for a range of team sizes, accommodating both solo athletes and larger synchronized squads.
It’s not just about the numbers; it’s also about the teamwork, dedication, and synchronized effort that rowing demands.
Every rower, whether in a small agile boat or a powerful eight-oared vessel, plays a crucial role in the success of the team. The coxswain, too, deserves special recognition for their leadership and guidance.
In the world of rowing, team dynamics, discipline, and a shared passion for the sport come together to create the essence of what a rowing team truly is. They’re a group of individuals bound by their love for the water, pursuit of excellence, and dedication to rowing as one.
Stay positive and happy rowing!
How Many People Are On A Rowing Team: Does Size Really Matter? Read More »
Hi everyone! It’s your favorite rowing blogger Petra.
Are the words crewing and rowing the same thing? If you’re interested in learning to row or watching rowing events but find the terminology confusing ( learn more on rowing terms and phrases ), don’t worry! No one is born knowing these things! We all had to learn at one time!
“Rowing” and “crewing” are often used interchangeably, referring to the same thing—the action of propelling a boat using oars. However, rowing is a general term used in both sport and non-sport contexts, while crewing refers to the rowing sport and is the term often used in American schools and colleges.
If you’ve seen or heard the words crewing, rowing, sculling, shells, or regattas and wondered what they all mean, I’m going to clear up all the confusion.
Give me just a few minutes of your time, and I will bring you up to speed and sounding like a real sculler the next time you attend a racing event!
This seems more complicated than it really is, and it’s because of the way we talk and how words evolve.
A crew is actually the people who are in the boat. However, over the years, we’ve made it a habit to call the rowing sport “crewing,” and so the word caught on.
In nautical terms, the crew is the team rowing the boat, but it’s not uncommon, especially at regattas in the USA, to hear announcers talk about crewing when they mean rowing.
This slang probably got started because we actually have two types of rowing.
One is sweep rowing, which is when each member in the boat is holding one oar. The other is sculling, which is when each member (called a sculler) in the boat (called a scull) is holding two oars (also called sculls).
One reason we call them scullers and not rowers is to distinguish them from sweep rowing athletes.
If you hear announcers talking about crewing, they are usually referring to the rowing sport itself.
Pretty much, yes, they are.
The more you become involved in the sport, you will become accustomed to hearing some terms being used that can mean more than one thing, but it will soon become obvious to you which they are talking about.
For example, if you hear an announcer at a regatta saying that crews should be ready to take their positions, you know that they are talking about the actual people who are going to be racing.
However, if you should hear someone talking about their last split while crewing, they are talking about their 500- meter time when they were rowing.
It sounds more confusing than it actually is. Once you join a rowing club or attend international rowing events, it won’t take you very long to understand what people are talking about.
Related Post: Where Did Rowing Originate From?
I hate to say it, but yes and no.
Regattas and head races are both rowing competitions, but they are different from each other.
Yes, a head race is a race, but it is much longer and more of an obstacle course type of race. The most popular head race in the USA is the Head of the Charles Race, which is held each fall in Boston.
Most regattas are held during the spring and summer months. There may be several races going on during each regatta, with each race being 1,000 or 2,000 meters.
Head races are usually held in the fall, and they involve a 3-to-4-mile race where crews need to pass under bridges, go around rocks or statues, and avoid trees or bushes that may have grown.
You might also hear a regatta being called a sprint race. Sprint races are not head races.
Yes, generally, rowing teams are called crews.
If the crew is doing sculling, then don’t be surprised to hear these people being called scullers.
In my experience, I often hear teams of people who are in sculling boats called scullers and those who are doing sweep rowing as crew (read more on rowing vs sculling ), but the term crew and rowers are fairly interchangeable.
If you are watching events sponsored by the United States rowing association, you will hear the term crew used much more often than in international events or by announcers who are from other countries.
American schools and colleges, especially, like to use the term “crew” for rowing. Side Note: If you are thinking about joining Crew check out an article I wrote about how much does a crew boat cost so you fully understand all the costs involved
Rowing is extremely taxing, and it uses every major muscle in your body. This includes the arms, legs, glutes, core muscles, and even your hands and fingers! Every movement and every muscle counts!
Rowers must push with their legs as hard as possible, pull with their arms, and remain strong and steady through their core muscles.
Every little thing matters in rowing! A simple but sudden tilt of your head can offset the boat and cause it to dip to one side.
Working with a crew means that you not only need strength and speed but also must learn to coordinate with everyone else on the boat.
Sculling is the same, but it requires a tremendous sense of balance! Each shell (which is what racing boats are called) can be as small as 10 inches wide! This means you need to have a great sense of balance and still do everything mentioned above in sweep rowing. Side Note: Learn the difference between rowing lightweight vs heavyweight
Believe it or not, it’s similar to modeling!
The perfect crew member is quite tall, very thin, with long arms and legs. Regardless of your rowing experience, those with this type of body are often the ones you see at regattas and even in Olympic rowing clubs.
Taller is usually preferred because the taller the athlete the more potential there is for a greater stroke length. When you combine this with stroke frequency you can get greater efficiency and, therefore, greater speed across the water.
Most professional rowers have very low body fat levels. Men may have body fat as low as 8 percent and women about 10 percent. To put this in context, the average population has body fat levels between 18 and 25 percent.
Deadweight, such as excess body fat, is detrimental in regattas. The less weight a shell carries, the easier it is to get it across the finish line first!
When all is said and done, it doesn’t matter whether you call someone rowing a boat a sculler, a crew, or a rower. What matters is that the boat crossing the finish line first wins the race!
When speaking of professional regattas, such as the famous Henley Royal Regatta, or world rowing championships, only the tall, strong, powerful, well-conditioned athlete will compete. Imagine the training and conditioning that goes into winning a gold medal at the World Championships!
You can call the rowers a crew or scullers, you can call the event crewing or rowing (learn more on crew rowing positions ), it really doesn’t matter. A rose is still a rose no matter what name you give it, right?
Enjoy rowing and rocking, crew!
Crewing Vs Rowing – What Is the Difference? Read More »
Hi friends! My name is Petra, and if you’re interested in rowing then you’ve come to the right place.
We do so much more than just sell indoor rowing machines. Every member of our team actually rows! It’s our passion, and we love to share it with our readers!
If you’re new to on-the-water rowing, there might be a few terms you aren’t familiar with, and you might have a few questions.
Not a problem! The team here at RowingCrazy is more than happy to guide you along.
Today’s question is about the positions in the rowing boat. You might wonder if they actually have numbers or names, and are they all equally important?
Let’s talk about those rowing crew positions and their respective roles and importance.
Let’s talk about the largest row boat, Coxed 8, and use it to illustrate the crew positions in rowing.
Coxed 8 refers to sweep rowing, rather than sculling boats, and there are 8 people in the boat, each holding only one oar with both hands. Coxed means that there is a coxswain on board to navigate the boat and give directions to the crew.
First off, if you are really new to all things nautical, let me remind you that the bow of the boat is considered the front and the stern is the back of the boat.
Now when speaking of rowing, the bow is the part that crosses the finish line first, but the rowers themselves won’t see that since they are facing the stern!
If you’d like to learn a bit more terminology, you’ll find this article very helpful.
Back to our Coxed 8 rowing boat.
The bow (front) starts the seat numbers, with the seat closest to the bow labeled as #1.
The numbering system continues to the stern with the last seat in the boat being number 8, other than the coxswain who sits on the rearmost part of the boat.
Traditionally, the boat has alternate rowers on the port and starboard so that the boat moves in a straight line.
Oh, and don’t forget that the coxswain (pronounced cox-in) doesn’t have a seat number.
Of course, every single person on the crew is important, and each pair has its own job to do.
If someone were to slack off, it affects everyone on board, so no slackers are allowed!
While it seems as if all crew members have a favorite position and a favorite mate, it is the job of the coaches to determine who is strongest and most effective in which position.
Is each rower seat just a number?
No, there are names for each pair of seats. When speaking of eight rowers (the Coxed 8, remember?), you will hear them called:
It’s fairly easy to remember who is who once you know the bow from the stern!
This is a very good question, and the answer is one of the more interesting aspects of rowing.
The answer is both the Stroke and the Coxswain. Let me tell you how this works.
It is vital that the Stroke and the Coxswain get along. Nothing screams “loser” louder than a crew whose Cox and Stroke are at odds with one another.
This pair must work together for the good of the crew.
Similar to the way that a catcher and a pitcher in baseball will agree beforehand that certain gestures will mean that a pitch will be thrown one way or another, the Cox and the Stroke want to avoid having other boats hear or see what their race plan is. The pair will decide on some very subtle “signs”, hand signals, head nods, etc., to determine what strokes will be used and their overall strategy, and this should be a huge asset when it comes to winning.
Now I would be lying if I said that a Stroke would never ignore the sign given by the Coxswain, but this is pretty rare.
Some Strokes think that the Coxswain steers the boat while they direct the crew, but this shouldn’t be true.
Yes, the other crew members will do the Stroke’s bidding, believing that it came from the Cox, but crews work best in teams, and there is no “I” in the word team.
In the majority of cases, the Stroke and the Cox work in tandem to the benefit of the rest of the crew.
If the Stroke should ignore the signs of the Coxswain, I can tell you that they better have a good reason, and there will be, shall we say “loud words” in the clubhouse later on.
While everyone may have their own favorite boat position, the fact remains that it’s the decision of the coach where a rower ultimately ends up.
Not everyone can be the Stroke, and not everyone is suited to be in the bow seat. A smooth and fluid technique can be achieved when coaches know every rower’s strengths and weaknesses and use this to the team’s advantage.
I hope this article provided you with a better understanding of the rowing positions and the responsibilities of the crew.
Happy rowing to a healthy, active life!
In an Eight boat, the stroke is seat number 8, the last rower at the stern facing the coxswain. In a Four sweep rowing boat, the stroke is seat number 4.
Here’s what your rowing seat says about you. If you’re a stroke or one of the stern pair, it means that you’re the most competitive and most decisive. Your coach must find you very reliable. If you’re in the middle crew, it means that you’re one of the heaviest and most powerful rowers in the team. If you’re the bow or one of the bow pair, you must be the smallest, lightest, and most agile in your crew. More importantly, your coach trusts your ability to keep the boat balanced and stable.
Crew Rowing Positions – Who Sits Where? Read More »
Hi friends! Are you new to rowing? I’m betting you are or you wouldn’t be reading this!
Whether you are thinking of buying your own shell and have no idea what a shell is, or you’re just looking for general information, you’ve come to the right place.
I have decades of experience in this subject, and I want to help newbies feel more grounded in their new sport.
If you feel like everyone is speaking another language when you go to the club boathouse, don’t fret. Every sport has its own lingo, and rowing is no different.
Grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and let’s have a discussion about shells, rowing, and what the heck sweep rowing is.
A rowing shell, frequently called a racing shell or just a plain old shell, is what rowers call the boat that they sit in.
Rowing shells are very lightweight and narrow but usually quite long. Oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks to keep them in place and prevent them from falling into the water or sliding.
Rowing shells are designed for racing. These boats were developed for speed, evolving from their ancestors—like the canoes or other transport boats.
Rowing shells can be used for either sweep rowing or sculling.
You may have thought that there was only one type of rowing, but there are actually two variations.
Sweep rowing is probably what you’ve seen at the Olympics or on television. This is where one person holds one oar with both hands. To keep the boat running in a straight line, each side needs one rower. That’s why you will never see a single sweep rower.
On the other hand, sculling is where each person in the boat holds two oars, one in each hand. With an even number of oars on both sides of the boat, the scull can now go in a straight line, and for this reason, you can have a single scull.
If you attend a regatta (a boat racing event) you usually hear about scullers, but rarely will you hear the word “sweep” rowing. If the race doesn’t involve sculling, you will usually just hear it announced as rowing.
Originally made from different types of wood, nearly all rowing shells today are made from composite materials.
Believe it or not, the first composite shells were made from paper mache in the 1870s. I don’t know how they didn’t get wet and sink, but I imagine that a boat builder coated them with tar or wax.
Later, manufacturers tried using a honeycomb-shaped cardboard surrounded by very thin plywood, later adding a thin fiberglass outer hull.
Today, nearly all racing shells are made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic which has a honeycomb structure covered by a thin sheet of reinforced plastic for the composite hull.
The more rigid the shell, the better the shell is since less movement—such as twisting or flexing—means more energy is going towards moving the boat.
Rowing shells have many classifications. As I mentioned earlier, boat classification will depend on how many people are in the boat and whether you are sweep rowing or sculling.
First, let’s talk about sculling, where one person has two oars, one in each hand.
Boat classifications for this include:
There are different qualifications for weight and age, but let’s focus on these numbers for now.
When it comes to sweep rowing, you have more boat classifications, including:
In a written program, you can tell what type of race it will be simply by seeing the numbers (4+ or 2X, for example)
This person (and it can be male or female) is the person you see in the boat who isn’t rowing! They try to keep their head down, but they may be shouting encouragement or directions to the other rowers.
The coxswain is very important, and while they may not be actively rowing, they are steering the shell so it doesn’t hit other boats or run into anything, such as a buoy.
There is a definite pecking order to boats when it comes to speed, and it goes like this (from fastest to slowest):
| Crew Shell (from Fastest to Slowest) | |||||||
| 8+ (fastest) |
4X | 4- | 4+ | 2X | 2- | 1X | 2+ (slowest) |
Crew Shell (from Fastest to Slowest)
Crew Shell Classes 101: What to Know about Single, Double & Quad Shells Read More »
Hi everyone my name is Rachael Taylor. Today and today I want to talk to those of you who are thinking of joining a rowing club or perhaps taking up rowing in school but think you don’t have the perfect body type.
Successful rowers typically have a tall, lean physique with long arms and legs that allow for powerful, efficient strokes. They also tend to have lower body fat levels and greater muscular development, particularly in the back, core, and lower body.
If you have a short torso, that is also helpful as this means that you have a short sitting height and don’t create as much wind resistance.
However, the truth is that there is a place for nearly everyone in the row boat. Yes, some people make better rowers because they have the perfect body type, but that doesn’t mean you should give up your dreams.
Let’s face it, not everyone is cut out for professional rowing or the Olympic Games, but that doesn’t mean you can’t row!
In this article, I want to talk about what the perfect rower body type is so you can take a good look at yourself and be realistic.
If you have it, why not use it?
Imagine Britney Griner not playing basketball? Or Michael Phelps not swimming? Some people have the perfect body, but even those with less than perfect body can still be successful!
Do you have the ideal rower body type? Let’s see.
The short answer here is that most professional rowers are tall and lean, with long upper and lower limbs but short torso. These physical traits enable them to do those powerful strokes while sitting low on the boat. They have well-developed muscles in the back, core, and legs and a low body fat percentage.
The ideal body type for a rower is finely tuned to balance strength and endurance. Rowers require a physique that maximizes power output while minimizing resistance and weight.
As a general rule, rowers are tall, typically between 6 feet (183 cm) and 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm), with long arms and legs that allow for a greater reach (power) during each stroke.
Muscular development is also crucial, particularly in the upper body, core, and legs. Strong back, shoulders, and arms are essential for generating force in the oar strokes, while a robust core provides stability and power transfer from the legs to the upper body.
Take note, however, that excessive muscle can add unnecessary weight, which is why lean muscle mass is preferred. It’s a slight catch-22 situation where you want muscle but not too much. You want to be tall but not excessively tall, you want to be thin but also need muscle.
See how this works?
A rower’s body should also possess excellent cardiovascular endurance to sustain high-intensity efforts over extended periods. Most rowers achieve this through cross-training, resistance training, and countless hours on the erg or indoor rowing machine, which uses the same muscles as those used in on-water rowing.
Having lower-than-normal body fat is important as well since it enhances the power-to-weight ratio.
Let’s not forget that while certain physical characteristics may be helpful to succeed in this endurance sport, equally critical are the person’s dedication, technique, and mental strength.
UFC Women’s Rowing Team
What Is The Ideal Rower Body Type For Rowing? Read More »
Hi everyone! My name is Rachael Taylor, and I’m a professional rower. I’ve been in the Olympics so I know what it takes to get there. You can read more about my life here.
The truth is that not everyone wants to be a professional rowing champion. Heck, there are days when I wonder why I went this route, but there isn’t a single day that passes that I regret picking up that oar!
I always recommend that young people, especially women, take up rowing in high school and college. Even if you never row again, you will learn so much from this sport, and I mean more than just how to row!
Let me explain my reasons for encouraging young people to take up rowing. (Even seniors should consider rowing, but that’s an article for another day.)
Aussie Women’s 8 Crew with Our Oars – 1998
Professional Rowing & Why You Should Choose to Row! Read More »
Hi there. My name is Rachael Taylor, and if my name sounds familiar, that’s because I was a silver medal winner in the 2000 Olympic Games, and I’ve won two bronze medals in national events.
I wouldn’t be entirely truthful if I said that rowing was so much fun that training full-time wasn’t all that much work.
Let me tell you, rowing is perhaps one of the most punishing sports you’ll ever try. For an Olympic rowing team, you not only have to be in the best shape of your life, but you also have to work with others who may not be your best buddy.
However, if you’re the type who is a bit obsessive, loves physical workouts and getting sweaty, if you enjoy a bit of pain when you know that it will take you to the next level, and if you can ignore bad weather, aches, and having no real life outside of rowing for a few years, then you might qualify to be an Olympic rower ( read more on famous rower here).
In this article, I’m going to let the spray hit the fan and tell you what it really takes to be one of the elite rowers who make up an Olympic team.
There is a qualification process that all teams must go through.
First, there will be a total of 336 athletes who will compete in the World Rowing Championships. That may sound like a lot, but thousands of people will try to qualify for this event.
You will start the qualification process one year before the games. Your rowing club can give you all the information you need.
The place and days for qualifying will be listed online well before, so you will have time to prepare and make your travel arrangements if necessary.
The highest-ranking crews according to the qualification quota in each event will qualify the boats for their National Olympic Committee.
Out of these 336 rowing hopefuls, only 64 will be chosen to compete. There will be Continental Qualification Regattas to narrow the selection down to 64 athletes for each continent. The four Continental Qualification Regattas are Asia/Oceania, Africa, Americas, and Europe.
The final Olympic Qualification Regatta is usually held in May of the same year as the Olympic Games, which usually start in July. This regatta will further reduce the number of rowers to 48 for each continent.
It’s an exciting but grueling set of races that you must complete to have a chance at competing in the Olympics.
Even for those who don’t win a medal, just knowing that out of thousands of people who tried out and didn’t make it, you were selected as part of the final 48 competitors.
I can tell you from firsthand experience that participating in the Olympics was the highlight of my life (so far, anyway!)
Everyone wants to know this one, right? You would think that Olympic rowers, or any Olympic athlete, would make big money, but that isn’t really true.
I think the real money comes after the Olympics. If you make the team, you hope to get sponsors and get paid to promote breakfast cereal, swimwear, rowing gear, shoes, etc.
Rachael Taylor Olympic Rower
How to Become an Olympic Rower: Our Ultimate Guide from an Olympian Read More »
Hi, my rowing friends! OK, Hi to all my “considering rowing” friends as well!
I’m Petra, and today, I want to talk about rowing on the water and the terminology we use.
We use various names for different types of rowing boat, depending on the type of rowing a person will be doing and how many people are in the boat.
Whether you are only interested in watching races, considering taking up rowing, or have an indoor rowing machine but you like it so much you’re thinking of rowing on the water, this article will be of interest to you.
Let’s dive in head first and get our feet wet, so to speak.
First, let’s clarify the difference between “rowing” and “sculling”.
Rowing is the general term for the sport that involves propelling a boat using oars, and there are two ways to do it—sweep rowing and sculling.
Sweep rowing involves at least two people, each holding one oar, to keep the boat balanced and moving in the right direction.
Sculling is when one person holds two oars. This means that you can have just one person in the boat (there can be more).
The most common name for the boat itself is the shell. However, you might also hear the word scull or sculling boats used.
Don’t let these terms confuse you. The people rowing are also sometimes referred to as sculls, especially if they are racing or sculling.
There are lots of different terms, but the most common ones you will hear for the boat is the shell or the scull.
The names for sculling boats will depend on how many rowers there are in the boat and the number of oars each rower is using.
As I mentioned above, a boat designed for sculling that holds just one person with two oars is often referred to as a shell, but it can also be called a scull. The person doing the sculling is also called a scull or a rower, or even a racer or participant.
This sounds confusing since the same name is used for several different rowing boats and people, but it’s not as bad as it may sound at first.
Once you start listening to the announcers at a race, you will hear the same words over and over.
Many times, the sport of rowing (with a single rowing boat) is called sculling, and the boat itself is called the shell.
Related Post: What is Sculling in Rowing?
Now when it comes to sweep rowing (where each rower has only one oar), there are similar names for the rowing boats or sweep boats used:
These terms are fairly self-explanatory once you remember the difference between a coxless and coxed boat. Read more here on what does a rowing coxswain do and say.
Actually, there isn’t usually any difference between the racing shells used in national or state races and the Olympic games. Olympic rowing boats are still called shells, generally. They can also be called sculls for sculling events.
What actually changes is the type of rowing race that is being run on any given day and how many people are in each racing shell. So you will also hear the racing boats called single scull, double scull, quad, pair, four, and eight, depending on the event.
Remember that you can have sweep boats (sweep rowing) where one person holds one oar, or you can have sculling races, where one person holds two oars.
Shells come in many different lengths, with the largest being the Eight, which is about 62 feet and weighs 200 pounds or more.
Don’t be shocked, however, if you should see a single scull that is a mere 10 inches across! Balance is the key to using these tiny shells!
Shells were originally made of wood, but the type of wood and design varied over the years to be sure. In the 1870s, a type of papier-mâché was tried. Then, a fine plywood was used inside of a fiberglass shell.
Today, nearly all modern racing shells are made from carbon-fiber, reinforced plastics using a honeycomb-type structure.
The best shells are known for how stiff they are. The less that a shell flexes means that more power is directed to moving the boat rather than twisting the frame.
Great question.
A sweep oar is typically 12 or 13 feet long, while sculling oars are only about 9-10 feet long.
I know this may seem like a great deal of new terminology, but if you can take a look at a shell and the oars in person, I bet you will have no problem naming almost every single thing we have discussed here.
Rowing stroke rates help determine how fast the shell is going, and a good coxswain can use this information to help their crew win the race.
If you’ve ever watched rowing races on television, you might have seen the stroke rate for a particular boat shown on the screen.
This information comes from a small electronic device on the boat that the coxswain can see.
For example, if the coxswain already knows that the maximum number of strokes per minute (SPM) that their crew can do is 16 and sees that they are only halfway through the race, the cox might call for their team to cut back for a minute so they don’t wear themselves out and slow down near the finish line.
Conversely, if they’re near the finish line doing 18SPM, the coxswain, knowing the team can do a bit better (or at least hope the rowers still have some strength in them!), can call out for a Power10. This is to motivate the rowers to give 10 of their best, fastest, most powerful strokes possible.
So if you are watching a race on television and see numbers like 20SPM and another boat that says 18SPM, don’t be surprised if the second boat crosses the finish line first because it’s totally possible.
Going fast isn’t everything, but it is a vital part of any sprint race. Side Note: You might also like to learn tips on how to balance your rowing training from our expert rower Rebecca.
This isn’t a complete list, but I hope it will give you a quick reference in case you forget what something is called. Bookmark this page so you can refer to it quickly. Maybe you can even win a bet at your local pub when it comes to rowing trivia!
There are quite a few more, but these are some of the most common terms that you will hear in rowing.
If you hang around long enough, you will become familiar with some of the other slang and local terms that people use in your part of the country. Side Note: Learn the difference between rowing heavyweight vs lightweight
I’ve tried to cover everything that I think a newbie will want to learn. There is so much more to rowing than just who crosses the finish line first!
If you’ve enjoyed this article and found it informative, feel free to pass it along to your friends or others who may find it helpful.
Rowing is such an exciting sport even for spectators. Everyone loves a winner, so don’t be surprised to find the coxswain on the winning team being tossed in the water. This isn’t an insult but a fun way rowers express their fondness for the sport and their crew.
Stay happy and keep rocking and rowing!
What Is the Boat Called in Rowing? Read More »
If you’re reading this, chances are that you are thinking about getting started with rowing.
That’s a great choice! Rowing is the nearly perfect sport for everyone since it’s very low impact and it offers a houseful of health and fitness benefits.
How do you get started?
That would depend on what your goals are. Are you in high school and thinking of joining a college team?
Are you a seasoned rower but want to join a club?
Maybe you just want to start an indoor rowing program.
Depending on your goals, you can start rowing tomorrow. Well, OK, perhaps I should say you can start rowing sooner than you think.
Check out my complete guide for getting into rowing and make the jump just a little bit easier.
The answer to this would be that it depends on what you want to do and what your rowing background is.
For example, for many high school rowers or those who have been rowing with a youth league, getting into a college program just takes a little exposure.
If you’re fairly new to rowing and you’d like to learn/do more, you can join a local club with very little effort.
If you’re thinking of buying an indoor rower and rowing for fitness or pleasure, or maybe you have dreams of competing in the indoor championships, you can start the day you receive your rowing machine!
Let’s talk about each one of these rowing goals and how you can accomplish your dreams.
Indoor rowers, frequently referred to as an erg, are a great way to get fit and compete at the same.
Side view of my Erg at home
How to Get into Rowing for Fun, Clubs, College and Erging Read More »
If you’re anything like me, you’re fascinated by the Olympic games. I can’t imagine anyone who isn’t!
For instance, I have often wondered –
The current world record shows that the fastest rowing boat is a Men’s Eight (sweep rowing). The USA team registered the fastest time of 5:19.85 for 2,000 meters during the semifinal rounds at the 2004 Rowing Summer Olympic Games in Athens, beating the world’s best time recorded for this category.
These elite rowers eventually won the gold in the final round, with an amazing time of 5:42.44, the first win for the USA team since 1964.
The last 500 meters in the semifinals showed the Americans pulling ahead of the Canadian team, who were undefeated since 2001. This time, the tide turned in favor of the US rowers, which goes to show that many factors can affect how fast Olympians row.
I applaud the Olympians who go for the gold, and in the next few sections, I want to tell you all about this exciting game.
The speed of rowers in modern Olympic games ( learn how to become an Olympic Rower ) depends on the skills of the rowers, the number of people in the boat, the distance, and the type of rowing that they’re doing.
This can be surprising for those of you who are new to rowing, but there are two different types of competitive rowing, and each requires different rowing skills.
Olympic games and world rowing championships have both sculling and sweep rowing events (read more on rowing vs sculling ). Each type of rowing gets its own division or class.
Men and women row separately. Unlike many regattas which have classes set by age, the Olympics have only lightweight and regular competitions.
So, for example, a lightweight men’s double scull (LM2x), meaning two men in a coxless boat, will compete against the same type of boat and rowers.
A women’s coxless pair (W2-) means that there are two women in the boat, there is no coxswain, and they are not in the lightweight division for sweep rowing.
This is the most equitable way that competitive rowers can compete against one another in the Olympics.
Now there is a question I can answer! Let’s look at the current world record.
There is no doubt that the coxed 8 (sweep rowing) is the fastest rowing boat on the water.
The fastest Olympic winner to this day is the USA’s Men’s Eight (M8+). They won the gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, with an amazing time of 5:19.85 for their semifinal round and 5:42.44 for the final race.
The fastest time for women came from the Romanian team during the repechage for the Women’s Eight in the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics, with the best time of 5:52.99. The gold was won by Canada in the final round with a time of 5:59.13.
Please take note that, often in Olympic rowing events, the best/fastest times are made during the semifinals, heats, and repechage rounds, instead of the final round, which is understandable considering how spent the athletes must be in the final phase of the racing event.
Let’s start with the Men’s Division.
Other Men’s rowing best times include:
| Division/Class | Rower /Rowing Team | Olympic Event (Year & Host City) |
Best Times |
| Men’s single sculls (M1x) | Mahé Drysdale from New Zealand | 2016 Rio | 6:31.34 |
| Men’s double sculls (M2x) | Netherlands | 2020/2021 Tokyo | 6:08.38 |
| Men’s quadruple scull (M4x) | Netherlands | 2020/2021 Tokyo | 5:32.03 |
| Men’s coxless pair (M2-) | New Zealand | 2012 London | 6:08.50 |
| Men’s coxless four (M4-) | Australia | 2020/2021 Tokyo | 5:42.76 |
| Men’s single sculls (M1x) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | Mahé Drysdale from New Zealand |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2016 Rio |
| Best Times | 6:31.34 |
| Men’s double sculls (M2x) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | Netherlands |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2020/2021 Tokyo |
| Best Times | 6:08.38 |
| Men’s quadruple scull (M4x) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | Netherlands |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2020/2021 Tokyo |
| Best Times | 5:32.03 |
| Men’s coxless pair (M2-) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | New Zealand |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2012 London |
| Best Times | 6:08.50 |
| Men’s coxless four (M4-) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | Australia |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2020/2021 Tokyo |
| Best Times | 5:42.76 |
Currently, none of these times have been broken, but the next Olympic record-breaking winner could be just 2 years away!
Women’s best times at the Olympic games include:
| Division/Class | Rower/Rowing Team | Olympic Event Year & Host City)( |
Best Times |
| Women’s single sculls (W1x) | Emma Twigg from New Zealand | 2020/2021 Tokyo | 7:13.97 |
| Women’s double sculls (W2x) | Great Britain | 2012 London | 6:44.33 |
| Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x) | China | 2020/2021 Tokyo | 6:05.13 |
| Women’s coxless pair (W2-) | New Zealand | 2020/2021 Tokyo | 6:47.41 |
| Women’s coxless four (W4-) | Australia | 2020/2021 Tokyo | 6:15.37 |
| Women’s single sculls (W1x) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | Emma Twigg from New Zealand |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2020/2021 Tokyo |
| Best Times | 7:13.97 |
| Women’s double sculls (W2x) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | Great Britain |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2012 London |
| Best Times | 6:44.33 |
| Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | China |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2020/2021 Tokyo |
| Best Times | 6:05.13 |
| Women’s coxless pair (W2-) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | New Zealand |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2020/2021 Tokyo |
| Best Times | 6:47.41 |
| Women’s coxless four (W4-) | |
| Rower / Rowing Team | Australia |
| Olympic Event (Year & Host City) | 2020/2021 Tokyo |
| Best Times | 6:15.37 |
These are all amazing accomplishments that I can barely wrap my head around. The fitness level of the athletes who won gold medals must be incredible.
To all Olympic rowers- I salute you!
Many factors will considerably affect the MPH or boat speed, including the number of people in the boat, wind direction, wind speed, water conditions, whether you’re sculling or sweep rowing, the fitness and skill of each rower, and many others.
The current world rowing record shows that the fastest boat on the water is the 8+ or Coxed Eight. These elite rowers can push the boat as fast as 18MPH.
While more people in an Eight (Imagine 9 people in the boat including the cox!) means more weight, it also means more power.
A coxless four (4-) may take off from a dead start faster than a coxed eight (8+), but the 8+ will overpower the 4- and win the race.
To make the boat go faster, they tend to be very thin, very fragile, and very light. They can also be quite expensive, with a racing shell (what the rowboat is called in racing) made for 8 costing upwards of $54,000!
The Olympic Games are 2,000 meters in length, and in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the US team consistently led the final round and showed that it’s possible for Olympic rowers (M8+) to row as fast as:
These are amazing numbers no doubt! If you’ve done any rowing yourself, you are probably shaking your head at these numbers. I know I am!
A very good rowing speed for most men would be a split time (500 meters) of 1:34.5. Now this would be for an average man who is about 25-30 years of age with an intermediate skill level.
For women, a good split time would be about 1:58.4. Again, this would be for an average woman about 25-30 years of age who has an intermediate skill level.
If you find yourself well behind those rowing times, don’t worry. Everything can affect your split time, including age, water temperature, the wind, and even the wake from other boats.
Just the fact that you are rowing your best is a big accomplishment, so give yourself a high five!
Olympic rowers who want to break world rowing championship titles and times work their butts off at some of the world’s toughest gym facilities and the roughest training conditions on the water.
Unless you have been training since you were a child and spending up to 40 hours a week rowing, don’t feel bad if you can’t come close to Olympic times.
I think anyone who does their best rowing is a champion in their own right. Give yourself credit where credit is due!
That you are rowing is reward in itself, so keep on rowing!
How Fast Do Olympic Rowers Row? Read More »
Hello friends! It’s Petra again, and today, I thought I would help those who have a lot of questions regarding the terminology used in rowing. Words like bow pair, bow coxed boat, and many others can be quite confusing.
For instance, a rowing team is called a “crew” in most parts of the world. However, in the USA, the people in the boat are called a team or a rowing team. Americans use the word crew or crewing to refer to the sport of rowing.
I understand. This sounds like a lot if you’re new to rowing, but don’t worry. With today’s article, I’m going to help get you up to speed with the terminology used in the rowing world.
Let’s be honest, not everyone grows up in a family that is into rowing. I’ve known many people who didn’t even consider rowing until they were in their 50s or 60s and had retired from their jobs!
Even if you have no plans to jump in a rowboat yourself, you may like watching regattas, so I’m sure you’ll find today’s piece interesting and helpful.
Grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and let’s get down to brass tacks!
Before we start, I want to explain that other countries, even English-speaking countries like Australia, use some rowing terms that are different from those used in the USA.
For the most part, I’m going to focus on the terminology used in the USA. If I talk about terms that other countries use, I’ll be sure to tell you what country it is that I’m talking about.
First, let’s clear the air by talking about the two types of rowing.
If you are holding two oars, then what you are doing is called sculling. It doesn’t matter if you are alone or with others in the boat, you are sculling.
If you are holding one oar blade, and another rower is holding another oar on the opposite side of the boat, you are doing sweep rowing, sometimes called sweeping. Sweeping involves at least two people in the boat.
While nearly everyone else in the English-speaking world calls the people in a rowboat a crew, American schools frequently intermix the terms rowing and crew or crewing (read more on rowing team positions ).
Yes, for Americans, a crew and/or crewing is the same thing as the act of rowing. Therefore, in the US, the people in the boat aren’t a crew, but a team sometimes referred to as a rowing team.
Don’t let this confuse you. If you hear an announcer at a regatta saying, for example, that the next crew is about to begin, they simply mean that the next rowing race is about to start. If the announcer asks for Poseidon’s team to meet at the dock, they are asking for team members from a particular boat to meet somewhere.
The United States Rowing Association uses the term crew for rowing, while in most parts of the world, the term crew refers to the people in the boat.
Don’t worry, once you’ve watched the sport of rowing for a season or two, you’ll become familiar with these terms and you won’t think twice about their meaning.
Rowing is a team sport, so it needs a leader. The leader, if you will, is called the coxswain.
Some people refer to the coxswain as the coach, but they are much more than just a coach. Some of their duties include:
At some clubs, the coxswain is also responsible for the training schedule, implementing it, and deciding who will row in a regatta and who will row on which team and in a particular boat.
The coxswain knows everything about each team member. They know who is stronger, who they can count on in the last 100 meters, who works well together, each team member’s friends and advisories, as well as each team member’s strengths and weaknesses.
The coxswain doesn’t row, and you will often find the coxswain is tiny in comparison to other members of the crew team. This makes sense when you consider that the coxswain is just dead weight.
The coxswain also isn’t included in the age category. So everyone on the team can be 30 years of age and the coxswain can be 50 or 15 years old. The same is true with the sex. Even if this is a male-only team, the coxswain can be a female.
This wasn’t always the case but the rules were changed in 2017 that allow any sex to act as coxswain.
Since the coxswain needs to be as light as possible to prevent dead weight from holding back the boat, it is not uncommon to find regattas that have minimum weight rules for the coxswain. If the coxswain doesn’t meet the minimum weight requirement, the boat must have a bag of sand put on board to make up the difference.
For example, if the coxswain weighs only 90 pounds and the minimum weight is 100 pounds, then this team will add a 10-pound bag of sand to the boat to make up the difference.
They may be short, thin, young, or old, but the coxswain is super important to the team and this single person can make the difference whether a team wins or loses the race.
A rowing boat without a cox is a called a coxless pair or coxless quad or you might hear them refer to a coxless boat as a “straight” boat.
A coxless pair and a coxless quad (meaning 4 rowers) are the only coxless boats you will see at any regatta.
Due to their speed and lack of maneuverability, eight rowers without a cox are very rare and are considered dangerous.
Coxless eights are usually seen only in beginners classes for youngsters of elementary school age.
While these are both races, they are a bit different.
Imagine the difference between a 100-yard dash and a marathon. That should help give you an idea.
There is more than one race at a regatta. There are different races due to sex categories, weight categories, age subcategories, races between sweep boats and sculling boats, etc.
A regatta often takes up an entire day, from sunup to sundown. It can be exhausting but SO much fun!
A head race is a single race but it is much longer than the usual regatta race.
A regatta is typically 2,000 meters or just over one mile. Head races are often 3 or 4 miles in length and they involve obstacles, such as rocks, trees, or bridges that one must pass under and not strike any pylons.
In a head race, boats set off one at a time, rather than everyone at the same time as what happens with regattas. During a head race, each boat is timed from the start until they cross that finish line.
Head races were originally planned to help keep rowers in shape as the season comes to a close. Nearly all head races are held in the fall but a few, in warmer places like California, are held in January.
The Head of the Charles is by and far the largest head race, taking up two entire days. There are approximately 11,000 rowers who compete in this event that is held in mid-October. The course is 3-miles long and has occurred every year since 1965.
One of the best-known and oldest head races is the Henley royal regatta held on the Thames River in the UK. This is held over 5 days and has been ongoing since 1839!
Actually, two of these are the same word as far as the World Rowing Championships are concerned!
It is perfectly fine to call the boat a boat, however, you may hear the term shell also used. This is because most boats are little more than a shell when compared to larger boats that are used for pleasure or for fishing.
Some boats measure as little as 20 inches wide! This makes balance a thing of great concern! You can barely fit your behind and your feet in the boat.
Why are these boats so narrow? It’s all about weight.
Do not, however, call the boat itself a scull. The person in the boat is a scull, whether he’s a single sculler or he’s part of the sculling team, the type of rowing they are doing is called sculling or they are part of a double scull, but the boat is NOT a scull.
If you want to sound like an old hand, get used to calling the boat a shell.
Like most sports, there is a whole world of terminology that rowers use to talk about their rowing races, the racing boat, and the sport itself.
Acquaint yourself with some of these terms so you’ll have a better understanding of what is going on when you attend a regatta:
There are more terms that you may hear, but these are some of the most common, along with words you have already learned from this article, like shell, scull, and sweep boats.
Yes, you might hear other words being used depending on the situation.
Common words for rowing include:
I’ve even heard a few people refer to rowing as yachting or sailing, which are very different things but to each their own!
There are different names for the different races depending on several factors. For example, you might hear races called like this:
You can hear different combinations that are similar to the ones above, such as a Coxless Four or Quad or some other combination. You will become familiar with these terms as you go along.
Remember, practice makes perfect, so the more regattas you attend, the more accustomed you will be to the rowing language. Side Note: You might also like to read my other article where I talk about rowing a pair in more detail.
The list of rowing terminology is quite long, but I’ve put the most common terms in this article. If you can learn these words, you’ll enjoy your time at the regattas much more.
Rowing is the first intercollegiate sports contest held in the USA. Although women were not allowed to row until 1976, it is still just as popular today as it ever has been.
I hope you found this article helpful. Feel free to pass it on. Rowing isn’t everything, but life sure seems a lot easier when you’ve got rowing on your mind.
Keep rowing on, my friends!
What Is a Rowing Team Called – Rowing Basics & Terminology Read More »
Hi friends! By now, I’m betting that you have either watched or at least heard of the Paralympics.
Formerly called the Special Olympics, these events are for competitors who have visual, physical, or intellectual impairment. The same is true with the para-rowing sport, which allows those with disabilities to compete in rowing events.
In today’s article, I want to discuss the details about para-rowing, what LTA rowing is, and the different classes that are available.
Similar to other Paralympic sports, para-rowing is open to both men and women who qualify. There are different events and classes, which makes it available to nearly everyone who qualifies.
I think that this subject is super exciting and inspiring.
Many people, myself included, find it easy to complain about every little thing. We tend to make excuses when things don’t work out the way we intended, but watching these young people give rowing all they’ve got is awe-inspiring. It makes me realize that I don’t have any real issues, just my excuses.
If you are ready for a fun ride about an exciting subject, keep reading! You won’t be disappointed!
Believe it or not, Para-Rowing goes back to 1913! The headmaster of Worchester College for the Blind in Great Britain encouraged his students to engage in every sport that the sighted participated in.
This headmaster believed that those with disabilities were every bit as competent as those without disabilities, and in many instances, he was correct. Even Helen Keller learned to row, swim, and ride a horse!
Formerly called adaptive rowing, you will now find these events at state and national championships called para-rowing.
Para-rowing events are held at the same venues, use the same docks, and even row the same distances (usually 2,000 meters) as regular rowing. Even the boats are the same, only adding a few safety features.
Perhaps the only difference between para-rowing and regular rowing is that para-rowing allows for mixed crews (males and females) while many other events have male-only and female-only crews.
If someone didn’t announce that the event you were about to see was a para-rowing event, you would probably never notice the difference!
Para-rowing was begun at the 2008 games in Being, China. There are currently 12 nations competing in these events, with more national championships being added in the near future.
The classification system varies by sport and is controlled by the International Federation overseeing each sport.
For the Paralympics, there are 10 eligible impairments. An athlete needs only one of these 10 to qualify, but having more than one is not uncommon.
The 10 qualifying impairments are:
Since each sport has different qualifications, applicants may qualify for one sport but not for another. Applicants must give their best effort as they will be screened for the three sport classes.
There are 6 types of eligible disabilities for para-rowing games, and these are:
All shells must have pontoons or buoys of some sort to prevent the shell from tipping over. Also, all rowers must be strapped to their seats. Seats do not move for para-rowing, so all the strength must come from the upper half of the body.
To ensure fair competitions, the Paralympic committee has adopted three sport classes in para-rowing:
Before 2017, para-rowing was limited to 1,000 meters, but since 2017, these amazing rowers compete using the same distance, usually 2,000 meters.
Before the Paralympic sport committee changed the classifications to the current sport classes numbering system, each class was labeled differently.
LTA means Legs, Trunk, and Arms. If a person no longer had use of one of these three, they belonged to the LTA group. Those who had vision or mental impairment also belonged to this class. This group is now classified under PR3.
TA means Trunk and Arms. If a person had only the use of their trunk and arms, but not the legs, their previous classification was TA. Today, this group is classified as PR2.
AS means Arms and Shoulders. Those with limited or no trunk movement who will mainly use their arms and shoulders had a previous classification of AS. Now, the AS group is known as PR1.
While you might still see some of these older types of classifications being used, larger venues, such as National championships or the Paralympics now use the PR system.
Para- rowing uses the same docks and courses as regular rowing events do. This sport has three types of events:
Each event will be linked to the appropriate sports classes according to the impact of the athletes’ disability on performance.
For example, you will have a race for PR1 Singles, PR2 Singles, and PR3 singles. Then there are also races for Coxed four PR1 class, Coxed four PR2, etc. Side Note: Check out Rebecca’s great article on how to set up a Head Race Rowing Plan!
It’s interesting to note that the coxswain can be able-bodied. Since they aren’t actively rowing but are only controlling the direction of the boat and giving encouragement, it is not unusual to see an able-bodied coxswain at the head of a rowing crew.
Since rowing is greatly influenced by weather, Paralympic sports refer to World Best Times, rather than World Records.
Tailwinds, water temperature, and currents can all affect a rower’s overall time.
Personally, I think every one of these rowers are champions, regardless of their time.
Whenever and wherever there are Olympic games, the Paralympics commences immediately after the Olympics have concluded. The same venues are used and the races are held in the same host city.
Don’t you wish you could visit every single Olympic and Paralympic sporting event? What an exciting way to see the world!
Related Post: What is the difference between crew and rowing
At this time, 12 countries participate in the Paralympic games. Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States all train for and send para-athletes to summer games.
The paralympic sport was first held in Rome, Italy, in 1960. Back then, only athletes in wheelchairs were allowed to participate.
The sport has come so far since then! Today you will find paralympic athletes in power-lifting, horseback riding, archery, Judo, sailing, and many other events.
I find these athletes personally inspiring, and I hope you do, too. Let’s show our support by attending some of the local, state, and national championships when we can.
Be grateful always to be in this sport, folks! Let’s keep rocking and rowing!
What Is Para or Adaptive Rowing Read More »
Hi friends! It’s Petra again, and today, I would like to talk about what rowers mean when they talk about a coxless pair.
In sweep rowing, the term “coxless pair” refers to two rowers, each holding one oar, who don’t have a coxswain riding with them.
If you are unfamiliar with rowing terminology, some of these words, such as shell, coxswain, or other words might make you shake your head and wonder what they are talking about!
As you may have guessed, a “coxed pair” has three people on board- two rowers and one coxswain.
It’s not as complicated as you might think! Once you discover what these words mean, you will find the Olympic games and other regattas much more interesting!
Jump aboard! We are going to talk about all things coxless, coxed, and other rowing terminology!
As we’ve laid out in the intro, a coxless pair means two sweep rowers who are not using a coxswain. On the other hand, a coxed pair are two sweep rowers who do have a coxswain on board.
If you’re still confused about what a coxless pair is, I think maybe you’ve got it mixed up with double sculls (or coxless/coxed quad). So, let me clear the air for you.
There are two types of classes recognized in rowing.
Notice how the terms are different between sculling and sweep rowing? For example, see how the terms differs when referring to 2 rowers (double vs pair), 4 rowers (quad vs four), and 8 rowers (octuple vs eight).
The coxswain does not row. What they do is steer the boat using a foot-controlled rudder, and they help to coach and motivate the crew.
Now, you must have noticed that not all rowing classes have coxed/coxless options. For clarity, let’s go through each class, which is assigned its respective symbol during competitive rowing events :
I find the symbols used in assigning rowing boats easier to remember. Here’s why:
Easy, right? Now, take note that:
A coxswain isn’t mandatory (for the quads, pairs, and fours), but most crews find that having a coxswain gives them certain advantages, so if they can find one, they will put the coxswain to work!
See? I told you this wasn’t as hard as you imagined! Side Note: Now just to make you even more confused you might also like to read more on rowing a pair!
Just when you thought you’ve mastered all the terms, a question comes up, and you’re back to clueless again! I know, I know. Been there. I’ll never tire explaining, so here’s another round of questions.
They’re different mainly because scull refers to one type of rowing (either sweep rowing or sculling), while coxless means there’s no coxswain on the boat. But I understand your confusion.
Again, there are two types of rowing boats used in rowing because there are two different types of rowing sport. Sculling or sculls involve rowers who have two oars, one in each hand. There can be 1, 2, 4, or 8 rowers in a scull, called single, double, quad, or octuple, respectively.
Coxless simply means that there is no coxswain, and that’s the case with almost all single, double, and quad sculling events- all boats have no coxswain. Except when the rowers are children, that is. In those instances, you will find coxed quads and octuples (as mentioned, an octuple is always coxed).
A double scull means that there are two rowers in a boat, each rower holding a pair of oars, one oar in each hand. As mentioned above, double sculls (also called double or 2x-), are always coxless.
A quad refers to four rowers in a scull, each rower with a pair of oars. In competitive rowing, a quad is mostly coxless, so you could just say ‘quad’. However, if the rowers in such a boat are kids, the organizers may deem it necessary to require a coxswain, in which case, you’ll have a coxed quad.
Please don’t confuse this with coxed/coxless four (or 4+ or 4-), which is what you call a sweep rowing crew of four with one oar each.
Generally, in events when the word coxed or coxless is used, they are talking about sweep rowing. The terms only appear in sculling when rowers are children and need a cox with them for safety.
These are terms used in sweep rowing. A coxed pair means that there are 2 rowers in the boat, each with one oar, and they’re with a coxswain.
A coxless four means that there are 4 rowers in the boat, each with one oar, but such a boat has no coxswain.
Yes, you can feel comfortable calling the boat a boat, that word is fine.
You can also call it a rowing boat, but especially in competitive rowing, the most common term that you will hear is shell.
This is because, unlike a yacht or fishing boat, a rowing boat depends on speed, so it must be lightweight and have as little as possible attached to it.
The lighter or thinner a boat is, the faster it will go. To remember the word, you might want to think that a rowing boat is just a shell of a fishing boat.
Rowing boats, especially in sculling, are very small, narrow, and as light as possible. If you’ve ever seen one up close, you will understand why it is frequently called a shell.
Don’t be afraid to use the word boat, however. After all, at its core, that is what rowers sit in, right?
They are oars! While you can call the boat a shell or the shell can be called a boat, or you can get away with calling sculling and sweep rowing just rowing, but never, ever call an oar a paddle.
A paddle is the wood stick that you use when you are in a canoe. Think of Davey Crockett rowing downstream. He would kneel in the center of the boat and use the paddle on alternating sides of the boat to steer the boat in the direction he wanted to go, right?
That is a paddle. You usually put one hand on the end and the other on the handle to use it. Paddles are quite short.
An oar has a very long handle that you will use either one or two hands to control. An oar is quite long so you would never think to use it by switching sides with it as you do with a paddle.
Sweep oars and sculling oars might look a bit different from one another, but they accomplish the same thing and they are oars, not paddles! FYI: Learn more on paddle vs oar here.
These terms can be a bit confusing at first, but they aren’t complicated.
Once you start hearing them regularly, you will quickly get the hang of what they mean.
Before you know it, you will be talking like a master rower!
When in Rome, speak like the Romans. When rowing, speak the rowing language, and don’t forget to have fun!
What Is Coxless Pair in Rowing? Read More »
Hi everyone, it’s Petra again, and today, I want to address everyone who has high hopes for their racing endeavors this season.
Maybe you’ve only watched regattas before, or perhaps you used to row in college but haven’t competed in quite some time, and you’re wondering about what the age categories are. The rules regarding age categories vary a bit from country to country, so I will try to get in as many as I can.
If you don’t see your country listed in this article, you will need to contact your local rowing club to see what those age categories are.
I’m going to do my best to list all the applicable categories to make this relevant to everyone else. So, whether you sweep row or scull, are interested in a junior or masters event, are on the men’s lightweight crew or just want to know the average age of sculling events, this article is for you.
Are we ready? Let’s talk about the age requirements and how a competitor’s age is determined.
Let’s start with the US Rowing Rules regarding age categories.
1. Youth – As defined and classified by the United States Rowing Association, a Youth is a rower “who in the current calendar year does not attain the age of 19, or who is and has been continuously enrolled in a secondary school as a full-time student seeking a diploma. A competitor thus ceases to be a Junior after December 31 of the year of his or her 18th birthday, or of the year in which he or she completes the 12th grade of secondary school, having been a full-time student, whichever is later.”
While that sounds fairly complicated, it simply means that if you turn 18 in June, you can still compete as a junior until December 31st.
2. Masters rowers– According to USRowing, a Master rower “is a competitor who has attained or will attain the age of 21 during the current calendar year. A competitor’s age is determined as of December 31 of the current calendar year, rounded down to the highest contained integer. A competitor thus becomes a Master on January 1 of the year of his or her 21st birthday. A Masters crew shall be comprised exclusively of Masters rowers, but the coxswain need not be a Master.”
This leaves 19 and 20-year-olds out in the cold since they are too old for the Youth category but not old enough to be considered Masters. They can always act as a coxswain, however.
3. Age Groups for Masters rowers Scullers and Crews: “Masters crews shall be classified by age according to the following categories: (AA) 21 to 26 years, (A) 27 to 35 years, (B) 36 to 42 years, (C) 43 to 49 years, (D) 50 to 54 years, (E) 55 to 59 years, (F) 60 to 64 years, (G) 65 to 69 years, (H) 70 to 74 years, (I) 75 to 79 years, (J) 80 to 84, (K) 85 and over. The age category of a Masters crew shall be determined by the average age of the rowers in the crew, rounded to the nearest integer.
Again, this looks a bit complicated, but it isn’t really. When it comes to crews, you simply take the average age and place the crew in the appropriate category. Single scull needs to use the correct age category, but again, sculling crews can use the average age at Masters events held for the US Rowing National Championship Regatta. Side Note: If you are interest in indoor rowing weight categories be sure to read my other article.
Australia has a very wide range of age groups, especially for the younger crowd.
There are age categories for:
A. 27-35 years
B. 36-42 years
C. 43-49 years
D. 50-54 years
E. 55-59 years
F. 60-64 years
G. 65-69 years
H. 70-75 years
I. 75-79 years
J. 80+ years
When it comes to Masters rowers and Masters crews, they are nearly the same, but there are a few differences.
First, Every rower under the age of 18 years is classified as a junior rower. Also, Masters start at age 26, not 27.
New Zealand also limits its age categories by average age, not actual age.
For Masters rowing events the following crew age categories shall apply:
| Rowers Category |
Age |
| A | Minimum age: 27 years |
| Average age: 36 years or more | |
| C | Average age: 43 years or more |
| D | Average age: 50 years or more |
| E | Average age: 55 years or more |
| F | Average age: 60 years or more |
| G | Average age: 65 years or more |
| H | Average age: 70 years or more |
| I | Average age: 75 years or more |
| J | Average age: 80 years or more |
| K | Average age: 83 years or more |
| L | Average age: 86 years or more |
| M | Average age: 89 years or more |
Rules notwithstanding, there isn’t a whole lot of change, but a few noticeable differences in the age categories.
While most other countries list either December 31st or January 1st as the cut-off date for age determination, the UK uses the 1st of September for its age rule for juniors.
Juniors are those below 18 years old by September 1st and will follow this age classification:
| Rowers Category |
Age |
| Junior 11 | below 11 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
| Junior 12 | below 12 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
| Junior 13 | below 13 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
| Junior 14 | below 14 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
| Junior 15 | below 15 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
| Junior 16 | below 16 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
| Junior 17 | below 17 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
| Junior 18 | below 18 y.o. by 00:00 on 1st of September |
Rowers may also compete in the Under 19 (U19) and Under 23 (U23) categories until December 31 of the year they attain the age of 18 and 22, respectively.
For example, a rower competing for events in 2022 under the U23 level must have been born on or after the 1st of January 2000. In other words, a competitor is disqualified if he/she turns 23 y.o. by December 31, 2022.
When it comes to Masters crews, the age categories are also determined by the average age of the crew by the 31st of December:
| Rowers Category |
Age |
| A | 27 years of age or a single sculler |
| 36 years of age | |
| C | 43 years of age |
| D | 50 years of age |
| E | 55 years of age |
| F | 60 years of age |
| G | 65 years of age |
| H | 70 years of age |
| I | 75 years of age |
| J | 80 years of age |
| K | 85 years of age |
| L | 86 years of age |
| M | 89 years of age |
While the UK says that it is considering making age category M 89 and up, at this moment, if you are more than 89 years of age, there is no age category and your competitor’s status will remain up in the air.
No. None of the countries that I have listed above or that I have read about have any requirements for the coxswain. They can be male or female, or much lower/higher in the age category.
The choice of a coxswain is left to the decision of the crew.
There are a few differences between the age categories, especially when speaking about junior rowers under the age of 23 and minimum age for Masters rowers.
Keep in mind that many regattas also have weight class or weight categories in addition to the age requirements.
Find an event near you and get started at your local club today! With a little practice, you could be the winner at next year’s regattas!
Let’s keep rocking and rowing!
Your Complete Guide to Rowing Age Categories Read More »
