| In watercraft, a racing shell (also | | | | the lack of flexing means none of the |
| referred to as just a fine boat(UK) or | | | | force exerted by the rower is wasted in |
| just shell) is an extremely narrow, and | | | | twisting the boat. |
| often disproportionately long, rowing | | | | Sliding seats |
| boat specifically designed for racing or | | | | A rower on a fixed seat is limited in |
| exercise. It is outfitted with long | | | | the amount of power he can apply to the |
| oars, outriggers to hold the oarlocks | | | | oars by the strength in his upper body |
| away for the boat, and sliding seats. | | | | and the distance he can pull the oars on |
| The boat's long length and semicircular | | | | each stroke. After outriggers were added |
| cross-section reduce drag to a minimum. | | | | to the shell allowing the use of longer |
| This makes the boat both fast and | | | | oars, rowers took advantage by taking |
| unstable. It must be actively balanced | | | | longer strokes and using their legs |
| by the rowers to avoid tipping. Being | | | | during the stroke. At first, the |
| able to balance, or "set" the boat while | | | | athletes wore trousers with wear |
| putting maximum effort into the oars is | | | | resistant leather bottoms covered in |
| therefore an essential skill of rowing. | | | | grease and the shells had concave, |
| History | | | | longitudinal seats. The athletes could |
| The racing shell evolved from the simple | | | | then use their legs to slide along the |
| working rowboat. Boats with longer hulls | | | | seat, adding the power of their legs and |
| and narrower in beam were developed in | | | | letting them greatly lengthen the |
| the early 1800s specifically for team | | | | stroke. This eventually lead to the |
| racing. These dedicated boats were the | | | | modern sliding seat, mounted on rollers, |
| first boats that could be called racing | | | | which allows nearly frictionless |
| shells, and they have since evolved into | | | | movement of the rower's body. |
| the highly specialized forms used today. | | | | Boat classification |
| Outriggers | | | | There are a large number of different |
| A narrower boat provides a sharper angle | | | | types of boats. They are classified |
| to the bow and a smaller cross-sectional | | | | using: |
| area reducing drag and wave drag, and | | | | Number of rowers. In all forms of modern |
| avoiding hull speed limitations at race | | | | competition the number is either 1, 2, |
| speed. The first racing shells, while | | | | 4, or 8. Although they are very rare, |
| narrower than working rowboats, were | | | | boats for other numbers of rowers do |
| limited by the width necessary to mount | | | | exist (such as the 24 person Stampfli |
| the oarlocks on the boat's sides | | | | Express). In the 1800s, there were often |
| ("gunwales"). By attaching outriggers to | | | | races with 6, 10 and 12 rowers per boat. |
| the gunwales, the oarlocks could be | | | | Position of coxswain. Boats are either |
| placed farther out, two things happened: | | | | coxless, bow-coxed (also called |
| oars got much longer, providing more | | | | bowloaders), or stern-coxed. In coxless |
| length to the strokes, and hulls got | | | | ("straight") boats, a steersman is |
| narrower, until they were as narrow as | | | | responsible for steering by either use |
| it was possible while still retain | | | | of a mechanism connecting one of his |
| sufficient buoyancy and balance. | | | | shoes by wire to the rudder--the |
| Notable Hull Designers | | | | swiveling of the shoe turns the rudder, |
| Klaus Filter - FISA design (BBG, Filippi | | | | or by using a hand controlled string, |
| Boats, WinTech Racing, Hudson Boatworks) | | | | called a tiller rope, which is parallel |
| Manolo Ruiz de Elvira - Vespoli | | | | to the gunwhales or the boat, and |
| George Pocock - Pocock Rowing Shells | | | | controls the rudder in a similar |
| Eric Goetz - Resolute Racing Shells | | | | fashion. Singles, doubles, and quads do |
| Materials | | | | not employ a rudder in competition; the |
| Originally made from lapstrake wood, | | | | oarsmen steer by increasing or |
| shells are now almost always made from a | | | | decreasing pressure on one scull or the |
| composite material for strength and | | | | other. In competition, bow- and |
| weight advantages. The first composite | | | | stern-coxed boats may race one another. |
| shells were made from a form of | | | | Although sculling and sweep boats are |
| papier-mâché and became popular in the | | | | generally identical to each other |
| 1870s. Modern shells are usually made of | | | | (except having different riggers), they |
| carbon-fibre reinforced plastic in a | | | | are referred to using different names: |
| honeycomb structure. They are | | | | Sweep: straight pair (2-), coxed pair |
| manufactured by either cold laying up of | | | | (2+), straight four (4-), coxed four |
| the carbon, which is then left to set, | | | | (4+), eight (8+) (always coxed) |
| or by using heat curing, which ensures | | | | Sculling: single (1x), double (2x), quad |
| that the carbon fibre composite is | | | | (4x), octuple (8x) (very rare, and |
| properly set. The best shells are | | | | always coxed) |
| characterized by their "stiffness", as | | | | |