Rowing and Sculling E-Book

Rosie Mayglothling

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 264

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Crowood Sports Guides are the perfect tool for anyone wanting to improve their performance, from beginners learning the basic skills to more experienced participants working on advanced techniques. These practical, no-nonsense guides will help give you that all-important advantage. Rowing and Sculling - Crowood Sports Guides covers a brief history of rowing; choosing and setting up equipment; safety and risk assessment; capsize drill, steering and coxing; skill development and techniques; pyschology and rower well being; understanding refuelling and hydration, and planning an effective training programme in order to optimise flexibility, stability and strength and prevent injury. Fully illustrated with 119 full colour photographic sequences, 33 diagrams and 19 tables.

Leseprobe

First published in 2015 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

© The Crowood Press 2015

Text illustrations and photographs © The Crowood Press

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 747 2

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Rebecca Caroe at Row Perfect for supplying the ergometer sequence of rowing; Miriam Taylor, Katie James, Mark Hunter, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning who all helped with and appear in the action sequences; Phil Harfield, Mark Homer and Craig Williams for keeping us on track with the science and letting us ask them lots of questions; Pangbourne College for hosting some of the photo shoots and for their rowers who helped with the capsize drill; and thanks to Andy Smith, Patrick White and Eileen Langsley who supplied some of the photos. Finally a big thank you to Don Somner who supplied most of the photos and was very patient to ensure they were right for the book.

Tristan Mayglothling also played an enormous part in compiling this book. Tristan played as many sports as possible in his teens and finally came into rowing at the age of fifteen. He raced twice at Henley and represented England in the Home Countries event in Cork in 2003. After leaving school, he completed a BTec in sports studies, combining this with coaching rowing at a local school. He was appointed as the Chief Coach for juniors at Star Club and has coached at University and school level. He is once again combining his coaching at Cheltenham College with studying for a degree in sports coaching at the University of Gloucestershire.

Photographs by Don Somner

CONTENTS

Preface

Part I: An Introduction to Rowing

  1     A Brief History of Rowing

  2     Types of Rowing

  3     Choosing and Setting Up Equipment

Part II: Managing Safety and Risk, Coxing and Steering

  4     Managing Safety and Risk

  5     Coxing, Steering and Coxing Commands

Part III: Skills and Techniques

  6     Developing Skills

  7     Rowing Technique

  8     Principles of Moving a Boat

Part IV: Psychology and Nutrition

  9     Psychology

10     Nutrition

Part V: Strength and Conditioning

11     Building and Training the Robust Rower

12     Planning the Progamme

Appendices

Appendix 1: Glossary

Appendix 2: Rigging Charts

Appendix 3: Useful Organizations

Appendix 4: Table of Vitamins and Minerals

Index

PREFACE

No matter what type of rowing you take part in, this guide should be useful for you. The principles of moving a boat and the systematic approach to training remain the same, whatever the craft you row. There has been a recent rise in popularity of rowing in a variety of craft, from traditional boats to new designs. Traditional wooden boats include the Cornish Pilot Gigs and Thames Skiffs, while modern composite materials have enabled development of the self-righting ocean-going boat and the sleek inland shell racing boats. Just being on the water, with the freedom this brings, is reward enough for many rowers. There are a variety of events for the more competitive person, with races held over various distances. Indoor rowing machines first become popular in the 1980s, with most gyms now including them as part of their suite of aerobic training machines. Inevitably this leads to competitions and challenges for their users, which also require knowledge of technique and training methodology.

CHAPTER 1

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROWING

Man has always found ways to exploit the local environment, including water for transport, fishing and warfare. Almost every type of craft possible has been built to go on water. Today, boats are used by a variety of local communities with access to water. The range of craft can be powered by wind, engine or man, depending on the need. If you go anywhere in the world, you will find man-powered boats that reflect both the local reasons for being on the water and the materials available. The boats are designed to cater for their protracted use and the environment in which they will be used, such as slow-moving rivers through to big surf. Many of these boats have a long history of evolution. The earliest rowing boats on record (but not the earliest boats in use) are those of the Ancient Greeks.

The Ancient Greeks

As far back as the era of the Ancient Greeks evidence exists of a warship called the trireme, which was a 170-oared boat. The Athenians were a powerful seafaring nation with a fleet of 200 triremes. The top tier of rowers were the most skilful as they had an outrigger and a significant blade angle to the water, which they could not see. The lowest level of rowers had to contend with seawater coming into the vessel, especially in rough seas. The boats could make 4 knots with half the crew rowing and achieve 8 knots as a top speed, covering between fifty and sixty miles comfortably in a day. The men were paid for their services and the boats were used in battles for ramming and boarding. A well-drilled boat was a most effective fighting machine.

The 1700s

Some of the first recorded competitive rowing races of the modern era were on the River Thames between the watermen who moved goods and people in and around London. Wagers were placed on the watermen as to who could complete a distance in the fastest time. Thomas Doggett, who used these cargo or passenger boats known as ‘wherries’ frequently in London, left a legacy in 1715 to enable apprentice watermen to race each other for an annual prize. This is considered to be the oldest recurrent sporting race in existence, with the annual winner eligible to row the royal barge on state occasions.

The start of a six-lane race.

Regattas and Water Festivals

The coming of the railway in nineteenth-century Britain enabled people to move around the countryside easily with tours to local towns, which led to events such as water festivals and regattas springing up. Many of these offered races for professional watermen, and fishermen and women, as well as for artisans and gentlemen. Boat hire businesses would loan out boats for crews to train and race. These were sometimes transported on the trains but more usually were supplied by the event organizers.

The prestigious Henley Royal Regatta was established in 1839 by the local mayor. The water festivals have often survived to this day as local town regattas. Almost every weekend, there are multiple events in the UK. These include:

•

head races, which are time trials;

•

bumping races on narrow waterways, where a division of crews chase down the crew ahead;

•

side-by-side racing, generally on rivers, with two to three boats; or

•

multi-lane racing on lakes or man-made courses, with four to six boats.

The Professionals

During the 1800s the professional watermen regularly held races, particularly on the Thames and Tyne. Great crowds would line the banks, with betting adding interest to the outcome of the races. The Professional World Sculling Championship was established in 1830 and was raced regularly until 1950. The sport was very popular and the champions became popular sporting heroes, as shown by the crowd of 130,000 people that lined the streets for Harry Clasper’s funeral procession in 1870. He was a professional waterman between the 1840s and 1860s, who had raced and won many single and crew titles. As well as being a champion rower, Harry was very influential in bringing forward many equipment developments (seeTable 1). There were fewer professional watermen after this period, and the sport came into disrepute due to allegations of match-fixing by the professional racers.

Major equipment developments followed the growth of the popularity of the races. The introduction of the outrigger, the shell hull construction and the sliding seat enabled narrower and lighter boats to be produced specifically for racing.

Table 1 Significant Boat and Blade Developments for River Racing Boats

Development

Year

By whom

Where

Outrigger

1828

Anthony Brown built the first rigger in wood.

Tyneside, UK

Frank Emmett built the first iron rigger on a sculling boat.

Tyneside, UK

Harry Clasper built a winning four with riggers.

Tyneside, UK

Keel-less boat

1840

George Pocock first developed this and shared the knowledge with Harry Clasper.

London, UK

1844

Harry Clasper used this boat design successfully.

Tyneside, UK

Sliding seat

1870

J.C. Babcock successfully produced a sliding seat.

New York, USA

Swivel

1874

Michael Davis produced many amendments.

Portland, USA

Steering foot/coxless four

1855

Yale University raced a coxless four.

USA

1867

The USA raced a coxless four and won in Paris.

New Brunswick, USA

1874

Michael Davis produced a steering foot and footboard

USA

Sliding riggers

1877

Michael Davis applies for a patent.

USA

1954

Ted Poynter develops a double scull.

Bedford, UK

1981

Empacher build a boat for Peter Kolbe.

Eberbach, GER

1983

Sliding riggers are banned from FISA* competitions.

Lausanne, CH

Composite boats

1972

Empacher produce the first boat built from composite materials.

Eberbach, GER

Blade development

1900s

The long pencil blade develops a slight curve.

1959

The Macon or Tulip blade was developed.

1991

The Hatchet or Cleaver blade was developed.

Maine, USA

* Federation Internationale des Societes d’Aviron (the international rowing federation).

River Racing

The Oxford and Cambridge boat race started in 1815 and originally took place on the Henley Reach. This was later moved to the current course on the tidal Thames, and is now rowed from Putney to Chiswick in London. The annual boat race is watched by millions of viewers from around the world, with typically a quarter of a million people lining the bank for a glimpse of the passing crews. This race attracts oarsmen from around the world to study at either Oxford or Cambridge, and it is interesting to note that it is still a student event. Another event of world renown is Henley Royal Regatta, which was established in 1839 by the local mayor. The modern course allows two boats to race side by side in a straight line for 13/8 miles.

British Rowing

The Amateur Rowing Association was established in 1882, becoming British Rowing in 2009, thus losing the label of ‘Amateur’. British Rowing is the governing body for rowing in England and also has responsibility for producing the Great Britain Rowing Teams. There are currently 520 open rowing clubs, with 32,000 registered and active members, roughly split in a ratio of 3:2 for men to women. Affiliations include the Cornish Pilot Gigs, Cornish Rowing Association, Coastal Amateur Rowing Association, Hants and Dorset Association, Skiff Association, Sea Cadets, Sea Scouts and the UK Surf Rowing League.

As the governing body, British Rowing has developed rules for racing. It has a well-established annual race programme with local, regional and national events. Competitors are eligible for different racing categories, depending on their previous experience and wins. An open selection process enables rowers from any club to try out for the GB Rowing Teams, providing they can achieve the ergometer standard time. There is a clearly defined performance and coaching pathway for British Rowing.

British Rowing programmes

British Rowing has a series of programmes that are aimed at specific groups and are designed to increase participation and interest in the sport. Project Oarsome was launched in the late 1990s, with the aim of increasing junior membership by linking two state schools to each of fifty rowing clubs. The clubs signing up for the project were provided with coaching and training opportunities and equipment, in conjunction with British Rowing, the Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust, the National Lottery and other local sponsors. The successful rise of junior club programmes was based on the provision of suitable equipment coaching and activities for young people. Today, 42 per cent of secondary schools (1,250) declare a link to a club rowing programme, either for indoor or water rowing.

The Olympic rowing talent identification programme, which was originally called World Class Start and is now known as Start, was introduced in 2001. British Rowing has appointed talent identification and development coaches in a selected number of host clubs around the country, and provided recognized High Performance Programmes (HPPs) in clubs. The Start and HPP programmes have tested and developed a large number of talented rowers. Thirteen rowers in the very successful 2012 Olympic team were graduates of the Start programme, winning seven medals between them.

The Explore Rowing programme was launched officially in 2010. The aim is to recruit adults into rowing and provide opportunities for participants to enjoy rowing in different ways. This may be for the thrill of being on the water, keeping fit, achieving personal goals or enjoying limited local racing opportunities. In a similar way to Project Oarsome, the clubs are provided with a package including advice on suitable equipment such as stable (broad-bottomed) boats, coaching and training advice and appropriate programmes. The website is used to give information to participants. Learn-to-row programmes, expeditions, extreme challenges and tours are all included as options, and a new form of time-limited and equipment-provided events are being launched.

A junior quad racing at Henley Women’s Regatta.

An Explore Rowing boat on the Thames.

Scottish and Welsh Rowing

Scottish Rowing is the governing body for the sport in Scotland. Originally it was called the Scottish Amateur Rowing Association, having been established in 1881. Scotland currently has thirty-three clubs, including those from schools and universities. Welsh Rowing is the body responsible in Wales, formerly known as the Welsh Amateur Rowing Association. Wales currently has seventeen clubs. The Welsh Sea Rowing Association is an affiliated organization and runs a north and south league through the racing season, with twenty-nine clubs taking part.

The International Federation

The Federation Internationale des Societés d’Aviron (FISA) was established in 1892, and is one of the oldest international sports federations. Rowing was, in fact, one of the sports included in the first Olympic Games in 1896. The ARA became a member National Federation in 1947. Racing in fine boats is now universal with over 140 countries affiliated to FISA, which is headquartered in the Olympic City of Lausanne, Switzerland. Around 100 countries have taken part in the last two Olympic Games qualification events.

Table 2 Established Rowing Organizations

Year

Organization

Details

1859

National Amateur Rowing Association of Scotland

This was not every active.

1881

Scottish Amateur Rowing Association

Formed by several associations including the NARA of Scotland.

1882

Amateur Rowing Association

The ARA founder member clubs: Leander, London, Thames and Kingston Rowing Clubs and Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin Universities Boat Clubs. A very strict code of amateur status was maintained.

1890

National Rowing Association

Founder members: Clubs that wished to allow amateur status to be extended to include menial and manual workers. Member clubs were unable to row at Henley Royal Regatta until 1956, when they amalgamated with the ARA.

1892

Federation Internationale des Societes d’Aviron

FISA founder countries: France, Switzerland, Belgium, Adriatica and Italy.

1923

Women’s Amateur Rowing Association

Joined with the ARA in 1963. The WARA was still a separate committee until the 1980s, when it became the Women’s Commission.

1985

Welsh Amateur Rowing Association

Prior to this there was a Welsh Rowing Board affiliated to the ARA.

2009

British Rowing

The ARA was renamed.

CHAPTER 2

TYPES OF ROWING

Modern rowing encompasses competitive, touring, recreational and extreme challenge rowing. Once the basics of the sport have been learnt, then each of these categories can cater for the beginner up to the highly dedicated trainer or intrepid explorer. The boats can have a fixed or sliding seat, with a fixed pin or swivel and with or without outriggers. The principles of moving the boat are the same, whatever the boat type.

Touring Rowing

Touring rowing is popular in many countries. The rivers, lakes and canals in Europe lend themselves to touring rowing, with wide waterways and locks capable of taking large numbers of boats. Touring rowing is enjoyable and rewarding, with many opportunities to explore waterways and lakes within the UK. Descending the Thames through the many well-known towns and villages is great fun, with the narrow bridges on the meandering upper reaches providing a great contrast to the width of the Thames below Richmond. A few circular tours are possible using rivers and canals.

International festivals and events cater both for the seasoned competitor and participants who just wish to experience the joy of being on the water. These events offer a chance to achieve a personal goal and challenge, such as training to complete the event or to finish in the top ten, for example. The cities or the lakes and rivers are often in very beautiful places and the sense of achievement and camaraderie encourages people to come back year after year. The Vogalonga in Venice, and the tour of Lake Geneva, are two prime examples. The entry for the former is in excess of 5,000 competitors, including international entrants, which makes it a very iconic race in conjunction with its location and the local support it receives.

Coastal Rowing

Rowing boats have long been used around the coasts of many countries for fishing and to move goods and people across stretches of water. The most effective and cheapest way to move goods around a port, before and during the age of steam and diesel, was by rowing boat. The Cornish Pilot Gigs raced out to the ships coming in from the Atlantic. The gig arriving first provided a pilot mariner with knowledge of the local waterways to bring the ship safely into the Cornish port. Rowing boats have also often been used as lifeboats. When the lifeboat near the Farne Islands was unable to launch due to high seas in 1838, the local lighthouse keeper and his 22-year-old daughter, Grace Darling, rowed their coble boat for a mile in rough seas to rescue nine survivors from the SS Forfarshire. Many small modern sailing boats use rowing tenders to get the crew from shore to boat. The Seine boat is an example of a traditional fishing rowing boat, with four sweep rowers, and is used to trawl nets and to land a large catch.

A Cornish pilot gig.

Coastal Rowing Today

Coastal rowing is the fastest growing element of the sport around the UK. A mixture of traditional and modern boats is used in many coastal towns and estuaries. The Cornish pilot gig, the Seine boat, and the flash boat are all raced around the South West of England. Regular events are held in the summer, hosted by many different seaside towns, and include either side-by-side racing around a triangular course or long courses across bays. This type of event is typical for the whole variety of coastal boats, both fixed seat and sliding seat. Short offset sliding seat boats are used around the southern coast. Most races generally run parallel to the beach with each crew turning around their own buoy. An annual crossing of the Irish Sea forms part of the Welsh Sea Rowing Association tours.

Table 3 Examples of Working and Coastal Sweep and Sculling Boats

Type of boat

Uses

Environment

Notes

Wherry

An everyday workboat used by the Thames watermen for moving goods and people.

Estuary and river

At one time there were hundreds of these boats operating in London on the Thames.

Cutter

A well-built clinker fixed seat sweep boat with eight oars and a coxwain used by the Navy

Rivers and the sea

The first Oxbridge race boats were based on this design.

Barge

Used throughout the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries to move dignitaries on the river (the Royal Barge being a famous example).

Rivers and canals

Before land boat houses, used in Oxford and Cambridge Colleges and other clubs as club rooms and boathouses.

Tub

A wide boat, usually used for beginners, with either two or four rowers and good room for a cox or coach.

Rivers and lakes

Traditionally the craft in which most rowers were taught to row.

Wager boat or best boat

Matched single sculling boats used for racing.

Rivers and lakes

From the eighteenth to the twentieth century there was betting on these types of boats at many competitions.

Ran Dan

A three-man boat with two rowers and the middle person sculling.

Rivers and estuaries

A working boat in Cornwall and used on the Thames for Swan Upping (the annual swan marking ceremony).

Cornish pilot gig

Once used to put pilot mariners on incoming sailing boats around the Cornish coast.

Sea, tidal estuaries and ports

The first gigs to reach the ships provided the pilot (and thus received payment).

Cornish flash boat

An attempt to make the pilot gigs into sleeker racing boats.

Sea and tidal estuaries

‘Flash’ referred to how they were viewed by the traditionalists.

Welsh long boat

A modern four-oared boat with a coxwain.

Sea and estuaries

These were commonly raced around the whole of the Welsh coast.

Thames skiff

Generally a one-, two- or three-man fixed seat, clinker-built sculling boat. A sleek version is raced on the Thames.

Used to transport people on and across rivers, and as pleasure boats.

Many are privately owned. Thames skiff clubs regularly race this boat type.

Surf boat

Developed in Australia to provide safety cover for swimmers. Since 1955 the dimensions have remained the same, although materials have changed.

Sea rowing, mainly along the south coast and Devon and Cornwall.

There are regular races with dramatic beach launches through large surf.

Seine boat

A traditional four-oared boat used to catch and transport large fish catches.

Used as estuary and river fishing boats, typically around Plymouth and Northern France.

Trawl nets are positioned between wo boats to transport the catch.

Coastal boat

Built for racing on the sea, so this is short and wide with offset seating. A single pair and four are the main types.

These are raced around the south coast of the UK.

The races are organized as local leagues with a South Coast Championship.

FISA coastal boat or yoles

A modern coastal boat designed for rough seas and with built-in buoyancy compartments.

On the open sea but generally within ‘a session’s rowing’ of the land.

This is now the boat used in the World Rowing Coastal Championships.

Pulling boat

A term used by the navy and associated organizations for any fixed-seat sweep boat they use. These can include cutters and barges.

Traditionally anywhere that sailing boats and ships moored. Now a variety of boat types can be found on lakes and rivers.

Today these boats are raced but are more usually used for manoeuvres and team building.

Table 4 FISA Coastal Boat Dimensions

Secondary beam measurement point

Boat type

Max. length (m)

Min. weight (kg)

Width overall (m)

Height of measurement point above deepest part of boat (m)

Width at measurement point (m)

Single scull C1X

6

35

0.75

0.19

0.55

Double scull C2X

7.5

60

1.00

0.23

0.70

Quadruple scull C4X+ or coxed four C4+

10.7

150

1.30

0.30

0.90

World Rowing Coastal Championships for Clubs

FISA established the inaugural World Rowing Coastal Championships for clubs in 2007, which was held on the French Riviera. The French had already adopted one design of coastal boat and FISA has based the coastal boat on the French yole. There is only a senior category and four boat classes are recognized, with three being raced. The racing classes are the single scull, the double scull and the quadruple scull, with the coxed four being recognized. The new rules adopted in 2011 intended to ensure the event reflects the local environment. The start may be from the beach or in open water and the course can be made up of two or more legs. Organizers decide on the course that provides the spectators the best chance to watch the event. The finish can be on the water or by a crew member running up the beach to touch the ‘finish flag’. The length of the course will generally be 6–8km in length. The numbers in a race are only limited by the length of the start line. As well as racing such events, there is also a general coastal challenge where all the different categories of coastal boat compete against each other. Many are traditional working boats, while others have been created more recently to enable local communities to row on the sea.

Challenge Rowing

Extreme Challenge

In 1896 Frank Samuelson and George Harbo set out to row the Atlantic Ocean in response to a prize of US$10,000 offered by Richard Kyle Fox, the publisher of the National Police Gazette. They are the first in the modern era to complete the row, which took fifty-five days. They were awarded gold medals by the publisher but never received their prize money. Their crossing record stood for 114 years and it took a four-man team to beat Samuelsson and Harbro’s time. In 1966, Chay Blythe and John Ridgeway rowed across the Atlantic, from east to west in ninety-one days. This was an impressive achievement, given that they did this before the days of GPS and satellite phone technology. Blythe and Ridgeway went on to establish adventure opportunities for others, with Blythe championing around-the-world yacht races and Ridgeway setting up an outdoor adventure centre.

In recent years interest in this type of extreme challenge has grown, with both supported and solo efforts taking place in most oceans, but particularly across the Atlantic. Several races take place each year in the Atlantic and Pacific. Until now the crews have been in fours, doubles or single boats, but newer boats catering for more crew members are being built, both to attempt to break records and also to change the nature of the challenge. A new record was set for crossing the Atlantic from Tenerife to Barbados on 7 February 2011 by the five man and one woman crew of the Hallin, in 31 days and 23 hours. Chris Martin and Mick Dawson completed the first team crossing of the Pacific from Chosi, Japan, to the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco, USA, in 2010, in 189 days.

Perhaps part of the popularity of this type of challenge has come from the developments in materials for boat construction, which make the boats more reliable in any weather. Recent developments in boat design have seen them become even better at self-righting in capsize conditions. Improvements in technology, such as solar power and GPS systems, enable the crews to be self-sufficient. Crews can be in contact with their support teams and navigate from wherever they are in the world.

Many of the entrants for these events post very interesting blogs, which give the reader a good insight into life on the ocean. They can give detailed descriptions of operating as a small team in a confined space, overcoming mechanical and technical failures or the mental toughness required to do it on your own. Records are being established that will no doubt be broken by the next generation of ocean rowers.

Challenge rowing has also included a variety of shorter events, such as crossing the English Channel, with Dover Rowing Club currently holding the record of 2hr 41min. Guin Batten, a silver medallist from the Sydney Olympics, has crossed the Channel in a fine sculling boat in four and a half hours. If you are interested in attempting any of these challenges, do research the rules first, as a pilot boat is required to accompany such a boat in the English Channel. Timed descents of the Thames and other short sea crossings, or combinations such as the London–Paris race, are becoming increasingly popular, with records being established and broken all the time. More important for most, however, is the satisfaction of completing a challenge beyond our previous experience.

Chris Martin and Mick Dawson complete their Pacific crossing under the Golden Gate Bridge in 2010.

Naval Boats, Sea Scouts, Sea Cadets and Sea Rangers

The Navy has traditionally relied on pulling boats to move men and goods to and from their ships, as did the merchant fleets that were trading to and from the UK. These boats are still used by the Navy, and also by allied groups such as the Sea Cadets, Sea Scouts and Sea Rangers. There are annual water festivals where the boats are raced, in addition to their use on a regular basis to develop teamwork and watermanship.

Surfboats

Originally hailing from Australia, surfboats can now be found around the south west coast of England. This exciting and fast growing sport has a European and International Association, with test matches held in different parts of the world. The surfboat specifications were set in 1955 and, apart from the introduction of new materials, have changed little since then. The competition races require six boats, each with a four-man/women crew plus the all important sweep or coxswain, to launch from shallow water and go out through the surf for about 400m, turn around a buoy and row back to the beach. The winning crew are the first to cross the on-water finish line with any part of their boat, or alternatively one member of the crew may have to run and touch a flag on the beach.

A team-building exercise.

A surfboat.

Indoor Rowing

Rowing machines, bank tubs and indoor rowing tanks have been around for a long time. The Gjessing-Nilsen machine was introduced in the 1970s as an accurate testing machine, but cost and the space required ensured it was mainly used for testing rather than training. In 1981, Concept 2 produced the first indoor rowing machine that could be made cheaply, transported easily and used in gyms, boat houses or homes. This established the indoor rowing machine as part of regular training for crews and as a sport in its own right. Now there is a range of machines available: both fixed-head and sliding-head ergometers. The ergometer cannot completely replicate the feeling of rowing on the water, but the coordination required, plus its ability to monitor outputs, make it a very effective training tool. There is a close correlation between people who go fast on the water and their ergometer scores, whilst the opposite is not necessarily true.

Indoor rowing is a popular sport in its own right, with many schools and gyms having their own banks of rowing machines. There are local, regional and national competitions for this type of rowing. Concept 2 still manufactures the most popular machines used for racing. A National Championships was held in Birmingham each year and a youth event is hosted in London by London Youth Rowing. There are many other local and regional events. The national events can cater for up to five thousand competitors, making this a mass participation event, with National and World Records often being set. A European Championships has recently been established. Many nations hold indoor rowing championships and Concept 2 hosts a ‘World Event’ in the USA each year, where the best from each nation compete.

Crew classes are also becoming popular, with many rowers participating together, as training on the rowing machine is a great way to get and stay fit. Classes are conducted by qualified instructors, often to music, with the workout varying depending on the make up of the class.

A Concept 2 rowing machine.

Table 5 Masters Rowing Categories

Masters category

Minimum years

A

27

B

36

C

43

D

50

E

55

F

60

G

65

H

70

I

75

J

80

K

85

Competitive Rowing