68-432: The Rotsee (previously known as Rootsee ) is a natural rowing lake on the northern edge of Lucerne , Switzerland. It is regarded as one of the best rowing venues in the world. The lake and its surrounding area is used for local recreation. All of the lake frontage is a protected area. The lake formed through glacial processes and it is thought that the river Reuss flowed through this valley in between ice ages . There
136-552: A coxswain , called eights . There are a wide variety of course types and formats of racing, but most elite and championship level racing is conducted on calm water courses 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long with several lanes marked using buoys. Modern rowing as a competitive sport can be traced to the early 17th century when professional watermen held races ( regattas ) on the River Thames in London , England. Often prizes were offered by
204-441: A great advantage from the use of expensive materials or technology. Smaller sculling boats are usually steered by the scullers pulling harder on one side or the other while larger boats often have a rudder , controlled by the coxswain, if present, or by one of the crew using a cable attached to one of the shoes. With the smaller boats, specialist versions of the shells for sculling can be made lighter. The riggers in sculling apply
272-487: A quarter or half of the slide at a high rating with a full press. It sharpens quick catches and emphasizes coordination during the recovery phase. The Square-Wide-6 drill, conducted in groups of 6 or 4, requires rowers to take a wide grip on the oar handle, emphasizing a specific body position during the recovery. This encourages proper body positioning and enhances body flexibility Feet-out rowing, performed either collectively by all rowers or in smaller groups, involves
340-409: A single oar on either the port or starboard side of the boat. Sculling is generally considered the more technically complex of the two disciplines. Sculling can either be competitive or recreational, but the watercraft used will vary between the two as the racing shells of competitive rowing are built for speed rather than stability. Racing shells are also far more expensive and fragile than what
408-399: A tactile sense of how each phase should seamlessly flow into the next. The reverse pick drill, executed in groups of 4 or 6, isolates different aspects of the drive sequence. With the boat ‘’checked-down’’ (the boat has no speed), rowers initiate the drill with leg-only strokes, gradually adding the back and arms. The emphasis is on maintaining proper body position and sitting tall throughout
476-494: A targeted approach to improving coordination, body positioning, and teamwork. The forward pick drill, often used as a standard warm-up for rowing crews in groups of 4 or 6, focuses on isolating different components of the recovery and drive sequence. Starting with arms-only strokes and gradually incorporating the back, ½ slide, and full slide, rowers gain a nuanced understanding of the interplay between these elements. The drill aims to enhance body preparation, providing rowers with
544-470: A very distinct myrtle and gold, began as a women's club, but eventually allowed the admittance of men in 1901. The first international women's races were the 1954 European Rowing Championships . The introduction of women's rowing at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal increased the growth of women's rowing because it created the incentive for national rowing federations to support women's events. Rowing at
612-592: Is a way to train technique and strength by going through the same motions as rowing, with resistance(usually a large tank of water). Indoor rowing is helpful when there are no rowable bodies of water near by, or weather conditions don't permit rowing. A rowing tank is an indoor facility which attempts to mimic the conditions rowers face on open water. Rowing tanks are used primarily for off-season rowing, muscle-specific conditioning and technique training, or simply when bad weather prevents open-water training. Ergometer rowing machines (colloquially ergs or ergo ) simulate
680-651: Is an association of amateur rowing clubs of Philadelphia . Founded in 1858, it is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States . The member clubs are all on the Schuylkill River where it flows through Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, mostly on the historic Boathouse Row . The success of the Schuylkill Navy and similar organizations contributed heavily to the extinction of professional rowing and
748-545: Is limited to the basic body position and movements. However, this action can still allow a workout comparable to those experienced on the water. Indoor rowing has become popular as a sport in its own right with numerous indoor competitions (and the annual World Championship CRASH-B Sprints in Boston) during the winter off-season. There are several formats for rowing races, often called " regattas ". The two most common are side by side and head races . Most races that are held in
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#1732876509631816-412: Is no notable inflow and virtually no current. Nearby hills protect the lake from wind. It is 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) long. These factors make it an ideal rowing venue and German-speaking rower refer to it as Göttersee , which translates as "lake of the gods". The expression was coined at the 1962 World Rowing Championships by a Japanese rowing official. The Zug–Lucerne railway is located north of
884-423: Is suitable for the recreational rower; a typical racing shell sells for thousands of dollars while recreational sculling boats may cost significantly less. Sculling, one of the two major divisions of crew (or competitive rowing) , is composed of races between small, sculled boats crewed by various numbers of rowers. Generally, one, two, or four athletes row these shells . These shells are classified according to
952-403: Is the octuple, rowed by an eight-man crew, which is sometimes used by large rowing programs to teach novice rowers how to scull in a balanced, coxed boat. The physical movement of sculling is split into two main parts: the drive and the recovery . These two parts are separated by what is called the "catch" and the "finish" . The drive is the section of the rowing stroke where the face of
1020-463: Is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern . A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull , its oars may be referred to as sculls and a person rowing it referred to as sculler . Sculling is distinguished from sweep rowing , whereby each boat crew member employs an oar, complemented by another crew member on
1088-404: The finish or release , when the rower removes the oar spoon from the water. After the oar is placed in the water at the catch, the rower applies pressure to the oar levering the boat forward which is called the drive phase of the stroke. Once the rower extracts the oar from the water, the recovery phase begins, setting up the rower's body for the next stroke. At the catch, the rower places
1156-496: The 1910s when refrigerators became more economical. With its proximity to Lucerne, the Rotsee and its surrounding area has been used for local recreation since the mid 18th century. An army ammunition depot next to the Rotsee exploded in 1916, resulting in five deaths and thousands of grenades being thrown in the lake. Recreational divers spotted some grenades during the 1970s and Police divers have since recovered about 1000 grenades from
1224-558: The 19th century these races were to become numerous and popular, attracting large crowds. Prize matches amongst professionals similarly became popular on other rivers throughout Great Britain in the 19th century, notably on the Tyne . In America, the earliest known race dates back to 1756 in New York, when a pettiauger defeated a Cape Cod whaleboat in a race. Amateur competition in England began towards
1292-581: The 2012 Summer Olympics in London included six events for women compared with eight for men. In the US, rowing is an NCAA sport for women but not for men; though it is one of the country's oldest collegiate sports, the difference is in large part due to the requirements of Title IX . At the international level, women's rowing traditionally has been dominated by Eastern European countries, such as Romania, Russia, and Bulgaria, although other countries such as Germany, Canada,
1360-412: The 4x and 8x, but most rowing clubs cannot afford to have a dedicated large hull which might be rarely used and instead generally opt for versatility in their fleet by using stronger shells which can be rigged for either sweep rowing or sculling. The symmetrical forces also make sculling more efficient than sweep rowing: the double scull is faster than the coxless pair, and the quadruple scull is faster than
1428-467: The 6.8 kilometres (4.2 mi) Boat Race . Two traditional non-standard distance shell races are the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge and the Harvard-Yale Boat Race which cover courses of approximately 4 miles (6.44 km). The Henley Royal Regatta is also raced upon a non-standard distance at 2,112 meters (1 mile, 550 yards). Sculling Sculling
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#17328765096311496-503: The London Guilds and Livery Companies . Amateur competition began towards the end of the 18th century with the arrival of "boat clubs" at British public schools . Similarly, clubs were formed at colleges within Oxford and Cambridge on the programme for the 1896 games, racing did not take place due to bad weather. Male rowers have competed since the 1900 Summer Olympics . Women's rowing
1564-587: The Netherlands, Great Britain and New Zealand often field competitive teams. The United States also has had very competitive crews, and in recent years these crews have become even more competitive given the surge in women's collegiate rowing . Now there is usually the same number of girls and boys in a group. While rowing, the athlete sits in the boat facing toward the stern and uses the oars (also interchangeably referred to as "blades"), which are held in place by oarlocks (also referred to as "gates"), to propel
1632-609: The Olympics and the World Rowing Championships is 2 kilometres (1.24 mi) long. In the United States, some scholastic (high school) races are 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi), while many youth races are the standard 2 kilometres. Masters rowers (rowers older than 27) often race 1,000m. However the race distance can and does vary from dashes or sprints, which may be 500 metres (1,640 ft) long, to longer dual races like
1700-829: The United Kingdom, the Australian Rowing Championships in Australia, the Harvard–Yale Regatta and Head of the Charles Regatta in the United States, and the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in Canada. Many other competitions often exist for racing between clubs, schools, and universities in each nation. An Egyptian funerary inscription of 1430 BC records that the warrior Amenhotep (Amenophis) II
1768-425: The arms towards his or her chest. The hands meet the chest right above the diaphragm. At the end of the stroke, with the oar spoon still in the water, the hands drop slightly to unload the oar so that spring energy stored in the bend of the oar gets transferred to the boat which eases removing the oar from the water and minimizes energy wasted on lifting water above the surface (splashing). The recovery phase follows
1836-410: The boat forward (towards the bow ). Rowing is distinguished from paddling in that the oar is attached to the boat using an oarlock or a rowing gate, where in paddling there is no oarlock or attachment of the paddle to the boat. The rowing stroke may be characterized by two fundamental reference points: the catch , which is placement of the oar spoon in the water, and the extraction , also known as
1904-412: The boat using rowlocks , while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is divided into two disciplines: sculling and sweep rowing . In sculling, each rower holds two oars, one in each hand, while in sweep rowing each rower holds one oar with both hands. There are several boat classes in which athletes may compete, ranging from single sculls , occupied by one person, to shells with eight rowers and
1972-430: The body action in sculling is more anatomically efficient (due to the symmetry). The spoon of oars is normally painted with the colours of the club to which they belong. This greatly simplifies identification of boats at a distance. As many sports teams have logos printed on their jerseys, rowing clubs have specifically painted blades that each team is associated with. Indoor rowing (on indoor rower , or rowing tank )
2040-519: The coxless four. Many adjustments can be made to the equipment to accommodate the physiques of the crew. Collectively these adjustments are known as the boat's rigging . Oars, sometimes referred to as blades, are used to propel the boat. They are long (sculling: 250–300 cm; sweep oar: 340–360 cm) poles with one flat end about 50 cm long and 25 cm wide, called the spoon. Classic blades were made out of wood , but modern blades are made from more expensive and durable synthetic material,
2108-448: The drive and again during the recovery ; because of this, scullers must hold one hand (conventionally the left hand) higher than the other at the point of overlap. To prevent this from impacting the balance of the boat, one oarlock (conventionally the starboard one, to the rower's lefthand side) is rigged higher than the other prior to rowing. This prevents the oar handles and the sculler's thumbs from colliding with one another and causing
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2176-421: The drive, while the finish is when the blades are slipping out after the drive is done and the recovery is beginning. In order to improve balance on the recovery, the blades are feathered , or held parallel to the surface of the water, at the finish, and squared (perpendicular to the water surface) at the catch. Competitive crew requires an efficient stroke with all rowers matching the cadence and movements of
2244-404: The drive. The recovery starts with the extraction and involves coordinating the body movements with the goal to move the oar back to the catch position. In extraction, the rower pushes down on the oar handle to quickly lift the spoon out of the water and rapidly rotates the oar so that the spoon is parallel to the water. This process is sometimes referred to as feathering the blade . Simultaneously,
2312-638: The end of the 18th century the age before technology. Documentary evidence from this period is sparse, but it is known that the Monarch Boat Club of Eton College and the Isis Club of Westminster School were both in existence in the 1790s. The Star Club and Arrow Club in London for gentlemen amateurs were also in existence before 1800. At the University of Oxford bumping races were first organised in 1815 when Brasenose College and Jesus College boat clubs had
2380-399: The exercise. This drill aids in isolating and understanding the distinct elements of the drive sequence and their interconnectedness. The cut-the-cake drill typically involves the entire boat. Rowers execute the drill collectively, starting with a normal stroke and transitioning into the subsequent recovery. During this process, the entire crew pivots forward with their bodies, swings back to
2448-427: The eyes-closed rowing drill, performed by the whole boat, rowers execute the rowing motion with closed eyes and heightened auditory awareness. Rowers row with eyes closed, relying solely on their sense of touch and careful listening to the boat motion and the coxswain . This drill is designed to enhance rowers' ability to feel the subtle movements of the boat and synchronize seamlessly with their teammates. By eliminating
2516-408: The finish (without letting the oars drop in the water), then swings forward again to reach the catch position. The swinging motion, referred to as "cutting the cake," involves coordinated movements by all rowers, creating a unified and synchronized exercise aimed at improving boat balance, swing, and recovery timing. Designed for the entire crew or smaller groups, this drill involves rowing using only
2584-704: The first Boat Race and subsequent matches led the town of Henley-on-Thames to begin hosting an annual regatta in 1839. Founded in 1818, Leander Club is the world's oldest public rowing club. The second oldest club which still exists is the Der Hamburger und Germania Ruder Club which was founded 1836 and marked the beginning of rowing as an organized sport in Germany. During the 19th century, as in England, wager matches in North America between professionals became very popular attracting vast crowds. Narragansett Boat Club
2652-553: The first annual race while at Cambridge the first recorded races were in 1827. Brasenose beat Jesus to win Oxford University's first Head of the River; the two clubs claim to be the oldest established boat clubs in the world. The Boat Race between Oxford University and Cambridge University first took place in 1829, and was the second intercollegiate sporting event (following the first Varsity Cricket Match by 2 years). The interest in
2720-449: The forces symmetrically to each side of the boat, whereas in sweep oared racing these forces are staggered alternately along the boat. The sweep oared boat has to be stiffer to handle these unmatched forces, so consequently requires more bracing and is usually heavier – a pair (2-) is usually a more robust boat than a double scull (2x) for example, and being heavier is also slower when used as a double scull. In theory, this could also apply to
2788-539: The founding of a society Gesellschaft Pro Rotsee in 1929 with the aim of saving the lake. In 1922, a canal was built that diverted water from the river Reuss into the Rotsee, but since the Reuss was also polluted, this did not significantly improve water quality. Significant improvements were achieved in 1974, when all domestic discharge was diverted to the new sewage treatment plant in Schiltwald (part of Emmen ). The society
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2856-473: The lake. Police and army last found grenades in 2020 and it is assumed that there are still more explosives in the lake. Increasing housing in the area, with sewage discharge into the lake, resulted in ecological decline. The sewage treatment plants built at the lake in 1922 and 1929 belonged to the first installations in Switzerland, but the tension about ecological decline peaked in the 1920s. This gave rise to
2924-403: The lake. The south side of the lake has residential land use. The Ron is a 10-kilometre-long (6.2 mi) creek that is the lake's outflow; it flows into the Reuss at Root . Since 1885, the Rotsee was used for ice cutting , which was stored in insulated cellars lasting until autumn. Up to 80 people were employed, with the ice used by the hotel industry and brewers. This business ceased during
2992-460: The most common being carbon fiber . An 'oar' is often referred to as a blade in the case of sweep oar rowing and as a scull in the case of sculling. A sculling oar is shorter and has a smaller spoon area than the equivalent sweep oar. The combined spoon area of a pair of sculls is however greater than that of a single sweep oar, so the oarsman when sculling is working against more water than when rowing sweep-oared. They are able to do this because
3060-421: The number of rowers that they can hold: singles have one seat, doubles have two, and quads have four. In keeping with this pattern, quads rowed by three people (due, for instance, to a temporary shortage of rowers) are often colloquially referred to as "triples". The boat manufacturer 'Stampflï' has created a triple with only three seats (rather than using a quad occupied by three people). A rare sculling shell
3128-420: The oar in the water and applies pressure to the oar by pushing the seat toward the bow of the boat by extending the legs, thus pushing the boat through the water. The point of placement of the spoon in the water is a relatively fixed point about which the oar serves as a lever to propel the boat. As the rower's legs approach full extension, the rower pivots the torso toward the bow of the boat and then finally pulls
3196-409: The oars, also known as blades, are firmly placed in the water and the rower is propelling the boat forwards by pulling against the anchor the oars provide. The recovery is the section where the rower's blades are not in the water, but instead gliding above it as the rower prepares for the next stroke. The catch is the moment the blades are dropped into the water at the end of the recovery and the start of
3264-516: The oldest international sports federation in the Olympic movement. FISA first organized a European Rowing Championships in 1893. An annual World Rowing Championships was introduced in 1962. Rowing has also been conducted at the Olympic Games since 1900 (cancelled at the first modern Games in 1896 due to bad weather). Women row in all boat classes, from single scull to coxed eights, across
3332-478: The opposite side with an oar, usually with each pulling it with two hands and from stern sculling , which uses an oar to propel a vessel with side-to-side movements from the stern. Sculling is a form of rowing in which a boat is propelled by one or more rowers, each of whom operates two oars , one held in the fingers and upper palm of each hand. This contrasts with the other common method of rowing, sweep rowing , in which each rower may use both hands to operate
3400-520: The professional watermen in the United Kingdom that provided ferry and taxi service on the River Thames in London . Prizes for wager races were often offered by the London Guilds and Livery Companies or wealthy owners of riverside houses. The oldest surviving such race, Doggett's Coat and Badge was first contested in 1715 and is still held annually from London Bridge to Chelsea . During
3468-421: The recovery, the rower squares the oar spoon into perpendicular orientation with respect to the water and begins another stroke. Rowing technique drills are essential components of a rower's training routine, focusing on specific aspects of the rowing stroke to refine skills and enhance overall performance. These structured exercises, whether performed individually (on the erg ), in groups, or whole boat provide
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#17328765096313536-414: The removal of feet from the shoes and placement of feet on top of the shoes. This drill helps rowers maintain continuous pressure on the footboard, especially during oar release. Despite challenges like early leg finishing or excessive layback, feet-out rowing reinforces improved leg connection and more reasonable layback, translating on-the-water skills to the erg for a more efficient rowing experience. In
3604-406: The rest of the stroke, which affords the rower a moment to recover, and allows the boat to glide through the water. The gliding of the boat through the water during recovery is often called run . A controlled slide is necessary to maintain momentum and achieve optimal boat run. However, various teaching methods disagree about the optimal relation in timing between drive and recovery. Near the end of
3672-421: The rower pushes the oar handle away from the chest. The spoon should emerge from the water perpendicular or square and be feathered immediately once clear of the water. After feathering and extending the arms, the rower pivots the body forward. Once the hands are past the knees, the rower compresses the legs which moves the seat towards the stern of the boat. The leg compression occurs relatively slowly compared to
3740-454: The rowing action and provide a means of training on land when waterborne training is restricted, and of measuring rowing fitness. Ergometers do not simulate the lateral balance challenges, the exact resistance of water, or the exact motions of true rowing including the sweep of the oar handles. For that reason ergometer scores are generally not used as the sole selection criterion for crews (colloquially "ergs don't float" ), and technique training
3808-464: The same age ranges and standards as men, from junior amateur through university-level to elite athlete. Typically men and women compete in separate crews although mixed crews and mixed team events also take place. Coaching for women is similar to that for men. The world's first women's rowing team was formed in 1896 at the Furnivall Sculling Club in London. The club, with signature colors
3876-446: The sport's current status as an amateur sport. At its founding, it had nine clubs; today, there are 12. At least 23 other clubs have belonged to the Navy at various times. Many of the clubs have a rich history, and have produced a large number of Olympians and world-class competitors. The sport's governing body, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron , was founded in 1892, and is
3944-415: The spring and summer feature side-by-side, or sprint racing; all the boats start at the same time from a stationary position, and the winner is the boat that crosses the finish line first. The number of boats in a race typically varies between two (which is sometimes referred to as a dual race ) to eight, but any number of boats can start together if the course is wide enough. The standard length races for
4012-404: The steering; without such equipment, a sculling boat is directed by uneven pressure applied to the opposing blades. A key technical difference between sculling and sweeping in crew is that the sculling oar handles overlap twice during the stroke cycle ( sweep oar handles never overlap during normal rowing because each sweeper usually holds only one oar). The overlap occurs at the midpoint of
4080-421: The stroke seat, the rower closest to the shell's stern . The shell may have a coxswain , or "cox", to steer the boat, encourage the crew, and monitor the rate, though coxswains are highly uncommon in competitive sculling shells and the rower in bow seat usually takes on these responsibilities instead. The bow-most rower may have equipment that attaches the skeg of the shell to one of the bow's shoes to aid with
4148-890: The visual element, rowers focus on developing a heightened sense of touch and teamwork, fostering a deeper understanding of the rowing experience. This drill enhances the overall coordination and sensitivity to the dynamics of the boat, contributing to improved synchronization and a more nuanced rowing performance. Broadly, there are two ways to row, sometimes called disciplines: Within each discipline, there are several boat classes. A single regatta (series of races) will often feature races for many boat classes. They are classified using: Although sweep and sculling boats are generally identical to each other (except having different riggers ), they are referred to using different names: Sweep boat classes: Sculling boat classes: Racing boats (often called shells ) are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to reduce drag in
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#17328765096314216-543: The water. There is some trade off between boat speed and stability in choice of hull shape. They usually have a fin towards the rear, to help prevent roll and yaw and to increase the effectiveness of the rudder. Originally made from wood , shells are now almost always made from a composite material (usually a double skin of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic with a sandwich of honeycomb material) for strength and weight advantages. World Rowing rules specify minimum weights for each class of boat so that no individual team will gain
4284-552: Was added to the Olympic programme in 1976 . Today, there are fourteen boat classes which race at the Olympics. In addition, the sport's governing body, the World Rowing Federation , holds the annual World Rowing Championships with twenty-two boat classes. Across six continents, 150 countries now have rowing federations that participate in the sport. Major domestic competitions take place in dominant rowing nations and include The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta in
4352-488: Was also renowned for his feats of oarsmanship, though there is some disagreement among scholars over whether there were rowing contests in ancient Egypt. In the Aeneid , Virgil mentions rowing forming part of the funeral games arranged by Aeneas in honour of his father. In the 13th century, Venetian festivals called regata included boat races among others. The first known "modern" rowing races began from competition among
4420-581: Was eventually given a lease of the lake by the city of Lucerne. The name of the society has since changed to Quartierverein Maihof , which leases the lake to this day. The Swiss national rowing championships, the first regatta on the Rotsee, was hosted in 1933. European Rowing Championships were held here in 1934 and 1947 , and again in 2019. The inaugural World Rowing Championships were held in 1962 , with subsequent world championships in 1974 , 1982 and 2001 . The Final Olympic Qualification Regatta (FOQR)
4488-584: Was founded in 1838 exclusively for rowing. During an 1837 parade in Providence, R.I, a group of boatmen were pulling a longboat on wheels, which carried the oldest living survivor of the 1772 Gaspee Raid . They boasted to the crowd that they were the fastest rowing crew on the Bay. A group of Providence locals took issue with this and challenged them to race, which the Providence group summarily won. The six-man core of that group went on in 1838 to found NBC. Detroit Boat Club
4556-449: Was founded in 1839 and is the second oldest continuously operated rowing club in the U.S. In 1843, the first American college rowing club was formed at Yale University . The Harvard–Yale Regatta is the oldest intercollegiate sporting event in the United States, having been contested every year since 1852 (excepting interruptions for wars and the COVID-19 pandemic ). The Schuylkill Navy
4624-643: Was held at the Rotsee in May 2021 as a qualification event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics . The lake is the venue for the final leg of the World Rowing Cup series. When a World Championships is also being held in Lucerne (as happened in 2001 ) then no World Cup race is held on the lake. Rowing (sport) Rowing , often called crew in the United States , is the sport of racing boats using oars . It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to
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