Introduction to rowing


Rowing competitions

Rowers may take part in the sport for theiron the Tideway, so a timed format was adopted
leisure or they may row competitively. Thereand  soon  caught  on.
are different types of competition in the
sport of rowing. In the U.S. all types ofBumps  races
races are referred to as "regattas" whereas
this term is only used in the UK forA third type of race is the bumps race, as
head-to-head races which take place in theheld in Oxford (known as Torpids and Eights
summer season. Time trials occur in the UKWeek), Cambridge (known as the Lent Bumps and
during the winter, and are referred to asthe May Bumps), between the London medical
Head  races.schools (the United Hospitals Bumps) on the
Tideway and at Eton College and Shrewsbury
Rowing is unusual in the demands it places onSchool, (which are the only schools in
competitors. The standard world championshipBritain to continue this tradition). In these
race distance of 2,000 metres is long enoughraces, crews start lined up along the river
to have a large endurance element, but shortat set intervals, and all start at the same
enough (typically 5.5 to 7.5 minutes) to feeltime. The aim is to catch up with the boat in
like a sprint. This means that rowers havefront, and avoid being caught by the boat
some of the highest power outputs of athletesbehind. If a crew overtakes or makes physical
in any sport. At the same time the motioncontact with the crew ahead, a bump is
involved in the sport compresses the rowers'awarded. As a result damage to boats and
lungs, limiting the amount of oxygenequipment is common during bumps racing. To
available to them. This requires rowers toavoid damage the cox of the crew being bumped
tailor their breathing to the stroke,may concede the bump before contact is
typically inhaling and exhaling twice peractually made. The next day, the bumping crew
stroke, unlike most other sports such aswill start ahead of any crews that have been
cycling where competitors can breathe freely.bumped. Bumps races take place over several
days, and the positions at the end of the
Side  by  Sidelast race are used to set the positions on
the first day of the races the next year.
Most races that are held in the spring andOxford and Cambridge Universities hold bumps
summer feature side by side racing alsoraces for their respective colleges twice a
called a regatta - all the boats start at theyear, and there are also Town Bumps races in
same time from a stationary position and theboth cities, open to non-university crews.
winner is the boat that crosses the finishOxford's races are organised by City of
line first. The number of boats in a raceOxford Rowing Club[23] and Cambridge's are
typically varies between two (which isorganised by the Cambridgeshire Rowing
sometimes referred to as a 'dual race') toAssociation. Bump races are very rare in the
six, but any number of boats can startUnited  States.
together  if  the  course  is  wide  enough.
Stake  races
The standard length races for the Olympics
and the World Rowing Championships is 2,000 mThe stake format was often used in early
long, 1,500 m for U.S. High School races andAmerican races. Competitors line up at the
1,000 m for Masters rowers (rowers older thanstart, race to a stake, moored boat, or buoy
27). However the race distance can and doessome distance away, and return. The 180°
vary from 'dashes' or 'sprints', which may beturn requires mastery of steering. These
500 m long, to races of marathon orraces are popular with spectators because one
ultra-marathon length races such as the 'Tourmay watch both the start and finish. Usually
du Léman' in Switzerland which is 160 km,only two boats would race at once to avoid
and the 2 day, 185 km Corvallis to Portlandcollision. The Green Mountain Head Regatta
Regatta[22] held in Oregon, USA. In the UK,continues to use the stake format but it is
regattas are generally between 500 m andrun as a head race with an interval
2,000  m  long.start.[24] A similar type of racing is found
in UK coastal rowing, where a number of boats
Two traditional non-standard distance racesrace out to a given point from the coast and
are the annual Boat Race between Oxford andthen return fighting rough water all the way.
Cambridge and the Harvard-Yale Boat Race
which cover courses of approximately fourWorld  championships  and  Olympics
miles (roughly 6.5 km). The Henley Royal
Regatta is also raced upon a non-standardThe Olympic Games are held every four years,
distance at 1 mile, 550 yards (2,112 meters).where only select boat classes are raced (14
in  total):
In general, multi-boat competitions are
organized in a series of rounds, with theMen: quad scull, double scull, single scull,
fastest boats in each heat qualifying for theeight,  straight  four,  and  straight  pair
next round. The losing boats from each heat
may be given a second chance to qualifyLightweight Men: straight four and double
through a repechage. Examples are the Worldscull
Rowing Championships which offers multi-lane
heats and repechages and Henley Royal RegattaWomen: quad scull, double scull, single
which has two crews competing side by side inscull,  eight,  and  straight  pair
each round, in a straightforward knock-out
format,  and  does  not  offer  repechages.Lightweight  Women:  double  scull
Head  racesAt the end of each year, the FISA holds the
World Rowing Championships with events in 23
Head races are time trial / processionaldifferent boat classes. Athletes generally
races that take place from autumn (fall) toconsider the Olympic classes to be "premier"
early spring (depending on local conditions).events and are more interested in rowing in
Boats begin with a rolling start at intervalsthese at the World Championships. During
of 10-20 seconds, and are timed over a setOlympic years only non-Olympic boats compete
distance. Head courses usually vary in lengthat  the  World  Championships.
from  2,000  m  to  7,000  m.
Rules  of  Racing
The first, and arguably most famous head race
is the Head of the River Race, founded byThere are many differing sets of rules
Steve Fairbairn in 1926 which takes placegoverning racing and these are generally
each March on the river Thames in London,defined by the governing body of the sport in
United Kingdom. Head racing was exported toa particular country. In the UK this is the
the United States in the 1950s, and the HeadAmateur Rowing Association and in Australia
of the River Charles Regatta held eachthis is Rowing Australia. In international
October on the Charles River in Boston,competition the rules are set out by the
Massachusetts, USA is now the largest rowingworld governing body FISA. The rules may vary
event  in  the  world.slightly but are generally very similar. The
main notable difference between ARA rules and
These processional races are known as 'HeadFISA rules is that coxes are not required to
Races', because, as with bumps racing, thewear buoyancy aids in international events
fastest crew is awarded the title 'Head ofgoverned by FISA, whereas they are required
the River' (as in 'head of the class'). Itto wear one at all times under the ARA rules.
was not deemed feasible to run bumps racing



1 A B C 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 88 89 90 91 92 93