Equipment used in Rowing
Boats
Boats are classified as "sculling" or "sweep-oared". In a sculling boat each person has two (sculls) oars. The sweep-oared rower, however, only uses one (sweep) oar. Today's boats are constructed from carbon fibre or fibreglass and can cost from £16,000 for an VIII including oars. Single sculls are 8 metres long and maybe as narrow as 25cm across with V111's 17 metres long and of varying widths.
Boat Types
Racing boats or shells come in a number of configurations and are based on boats carrying one sculler (single scull), two rowers (a pair), four rowers (a four) and finally V111's with eight rowers and a coxswain (Cox).
Scullers can row themselves in a single scull, or with two (a double scull) or four people (a quadruple scull). All boats above a single scullmay also be coxed, especially at schoolboy/girl level. Sweep-oared rowers row in pairs, fours and eights and may or may not carry a cox who is the "in-boat" coach and steersperson. The normal configuration of oars for a sweep-oared boat is alternating from left to right, or STARBOARD (Bow) side PORT (Stroke) side. Some boats carry the cox in the bow (front) of the boat.
Single Scull 1X
1 Person with 2 scull oars. Approximately 8m long, weighing 15 kilos
Double Scull 2X
2 People with 2 scull oars each. Approximately 10.5m long, weighing 30 kilos
Quadruple Scull 4X
4 People with 2 scull oars each. Can be either coxless (4X-) or coxed (4X+) with coxswains sitting in either the bow or stern. Approximately 13.5m long, weighing 50 kilos
Octopule Scull 8X+
8 scullers with 2 sculling blades (oars) each and a cox in either bow or stern. Approximately 20m long, weighing 100 kilos.
Pair
2 People with 1 sweep oar each. Can be with (2+) or without a coxswain (2-) (illustrated) Approximately 10.5m long, weighing 30 kilos
Four 4
4 People with 1 sweep oar each. Can be either with (4+) or without (4-) (illustrated) a coxswain sitting in either the bow or stern. Approximately 13.5m long, weighing 50 kilos
Rowing Eight 8+
8 rowers with 1 sweep oar each and a cox in either bow or stern. The eight is the fastest boat on the water with an elite men's eight capable of rowing at 21km/hr. Approximately 20m long, weighing 100 kilos.
Oars/Blades
Oars move the boat through the water and provide balance. Sweep-oars (one per rower) can be over 390cm in length and sculling oars (two per rower) 290cm long. There are many standard oar shapes, however a recent introduction has been the big blade or cleaver, these being some 20% larger than standard blades. Originally, oars were made out of wood. With the introduction of synthetic materials like carbon fibre, today's oars are now stronger, stiffer and lighter. A sweep oar weights 3.Okg and a sculling oar, 1.4kg.