82-550: Torpids is one of two series of bumping races , a type of rowing race, held yearly at Oxford University ; the other is Eights Week . Over 130 men's and women's crews race for their colleges in twelve divisions: six each of men's and women's; almost 1,200 participants in total. The racing takes place on the Isis (part of the River Thames ), usually in the 7th week of Hilary Term on four successive days from Wednesday to Saturday (around
164-498: 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
246-523: A bumps race over three days each May after exams on the River Thames , racing from upstream of Kew Bridge adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ending at the UL Boathouse at Chiswick . Traditionally involving only medical school crews, in recent years alumni and non-medical crews have been allowed to enter as invitational crews. Imperial College School of Medicine Boat Club (ICSMBC) are
328-472: A competition is to finish first in the overall order; that crew is said to be 'Head of the River'. This is only realistically possible for crews starting a bump race in the top 5 places. A more attainable goal for most crews, apart from moving up towards the headship, is to bump up a place (or more) on each of the four days. The crew is said to have "won its blades", or achieved blades . Traditionally, members of such
410-451: A cox steering), each representing one of the university's various colleges . Most colleges enter several crews. In both Oxford and Cambridge , there are also separate Town Bumps races in which local clubs compete. Oxford's races, run by the City of Oxford Rowing Club (CORC), are open to all comers and are raced in fours , all races taking place on the same day. Cambridge's races are run under
492-427: A crew can purchase a rowing oar in the crew colours and inscribed with the crews' names and the boats they bumped to hang on their wall. Conversely, crews that go down four places win a wooden spoon, achieving spoons . The bottom crew at the bottom of the last division is known as the 'Tail of the River'. A bumps chart is a graphical representation of the week's results; each boat's fortunes can be traced as its line on
574-410: A division must race in the next-lower division the following day (starting first). This is referred to as a sandwich boat and allows crews to move between divisions. A crew (A) may find that the boat in front of them has caught the boat ahead of them. Since (except at Oxford during Torpids) these boats both then drop out, crew A must now try to catch the next boat ahead of them still racing (most often
656-441: 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
738-487: 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
820-399: 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
902-494: 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
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#1732855681653984-698: A timed race the preceding Friday, known as 'rowing on'. Athletes competing in that year's Boat Race , Women's Boat Race or any of the Lightweight University crews at Henley Boat Races may not compete in Torpids, but may compete in Summer Eights . The 'Double Headship' is an accolade of any college finishing with their men's and women's crews at the 'Head of the River'. Oriel is the first to have achieved this in Torpids, in 2006. The college's new first crews repeated this in 2018. The first day's starting order
1066-470: 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
1148-592: 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
1230-651: 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
1312-455: Is based on the previous year's finishing positions, and each subsequent day's starting order is based on the previous day's finishing positions. A crew that bumps on every day or that finishes at the Head of the River is awarded blades - the right to get trophy oars painted up in their college colours with the names and weights of the successful crew emblazoned on them. Spoons are awarded in case
1394-419: Is by division, the number of crews in a division depending on river conditions. The bottom men's division starts first with men's and women's alternating, finishing with the top women's division. Crews attempt to progress up their division by hitting ('bumping') the boat in front without being hit by the boat behind, with the ultimate aim of becoming "Head Of The River" i.e. top of the first division. The Head of
1476-545: 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
1558-405: Is limited, large regattas are organised into divisions of 12 to 20 boats. Each division races separately, but they are ranked to achieve an overall order of crews: e.g. the top crew in the second division is considered to be one place behind the last crew in the first division. The first day's starting position is based on the final positions from the previous year, though in the bottom divisions
1640-496: Is particularly suitable where the stretch of water available is long but narrow, precluding side-by-side racing. Bumps racing gives a sharper feel of immediate competition than a head race , where boats are simply timed over a fixed course. Few rowers worldwide use rivers as narrow as the Cam or the Isis , but bumps races are also contested elsewhere. The first attested bumps race, and the first attested race between two clubs anywhere in
1722-409: Is relatively rare simply because it is easier to make contact with a rival boat than it is to overtake it. A bump of this kind usually only occurs when a boat crashes. Under the current Cambridge rules , to overtake merely requires the pursuing boat to draw alongside the other boat's bow ball ; side by side is good enough, and in the early part of the course a bump is deemed to occur when the bowball of
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#17328556816531804-404: 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
1886-558: 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
1968-581: 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,
2050-412: 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
2132-548: The Cambridge May Bumps , by Peterhouse W1 in 1986 and by Magdalene M4 in 2018. A quintuple-overbump occurred in the 1984 Cambridge May Bumps in Men's Division 6 when Downing V caught Corpus IV after the 10 sandwich boats originally between them had all bumped out. Overbumps, and variants thereof, are most common in the lower divisions where the quality of the crews varies greatly year-on-year. The ultimate achievement in such
2214-503: 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
2296-587: 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
2378-609: 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
2460-517: The River is awarded the Torpids Challenge Cup, presented to the OUBC by President T.C. Edwards-Moss of Brasenose College Boat Club . Once a bump has taken place, the crew whose boat was bumped has to continue racing (and is liable to be bumped again) whilst the bumping crew moves to the side. This can lead to a crew moving down several places during a day's racing. This is the principal difference in
2542-829: 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
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2624-425: 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
2706-625: The auspices of the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association (CRA) and are run exclusively in eights and take place over 4 consecutive days in July. There are typically four men's divisions with 17 boats (plus a sandwich boat; a sandwich boat being the top boat from each division) in each division, and three women's divisions. The bumps are fiercely contested, and the ideal that the races are for local rowers can lead to disputes over whether crews are 'legal'. The United Hospitals boat club holds
2788-406: The bank of the river, with a set distance between each boat and the next (usually about one and a half boat-lengths of clear water). The starting positions are usually marked by a rope or chain attached to the bank, the other end of which is held by each boat's cox . Boats wait along the bank, and may be poled out just in time for the start, to avoid drifting. At the start signal the cox lets go of
2870-551: The boat behind. The form is mainly used in intercollegiate competitions at the University of Oxford since 1815, and at the University of Cambridge since 1827. Bumps racing in eights is also found in the United Hospitals Boat Club in London between the 5 London medical schools and Royal Veterinary College. Bumps racing in fours is also the format of inter-house rowing at Eton College and Shrewsbury School . It
2952-410: 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
3034-420: The boats may be placed according to qualifying getting/rowing on races held before the event. This allows boat clubs to introduce new crews. On each day of a bumps regatta the division races are rowed in reverse order, i.e. the lowest division first. A crew finishing at the top of a division race goes on to compete in the next-higher division later that day (starting last). Alternatively, a crew finishing last in
3116-430: 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 )
3198-632: The chart rises and falls. At Cambridge, the most successful college boat club over the four days of the May Bumps is awarded the Pegasus Cup , sponsored by Milton Brewery . Both Oxford and Cambridge Universities host two sets of university bumps races per year, one in early spring and one in early summer, each lasting four days. At Cambridge these are called " Lent Bumps " and " May Bumps " respectively, while at Oxford they are " Torpids " and " Summer Eights ". The races are for eights (i.e., eight rowers with
3280-516: The chasing crew passes the cox of the crew being chased. Generally, and at Oxford during Eights Week , once a bump has occurred both crews pull over to the river bank and take no further part in that race. At Oxford during Torpids a bumping crew pulls over but the bumped crew must continue racing over the entire course and can be bumped by more than one crew per day. As bumps racing usually takes place on narrow stretches of water, when contact occurs, two or more boats can become tangled up or not clear
3362-419: The colleges that were Head of the River (Head of Torpids) in these years. Women's divisions in Torpids have existed since 1978. This was delayed from 1977 when the river was flooded and Torpids was cancelled. Bumps race A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and 'bump' the boat in front without being caught by
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3444-519: 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,
3526-414: The crew that caught them: should they be unable to continue, other boats may row past, overtake and 'bump' the stationary crew. Any crew that has been bumped starts the next race behind the boat or boats that caught it; they switch places. A boat which reaches the finish line without either bumping or being bumped is said to have 'rowed over' and stays in the same position. As the length of the racing course
3608-464: The crew was bumped on every single day. A third, somewhat unusual possibility is the award of spades . The crew is both bumped and then proceeds to bump a crew in front of it before the end of the race. Thus being both the bumper and the bumped on the same day. Owing to the differences in rules between Torpids and Lent Bumps at the University of Cambridge this achievement is only possible at Oxford. Torpids has been held since 1838. The following gives
3690-412: The current holders of headship. At Eton and Shrewsbury , both schools still have an annual bumping race. At Eton, it takes place over four evenings, in early May. There is usually one boat entered per house (including one boat entered by College ). Because of the dangerous nature of the sport, only fours are used, and only the second and third years may row. On the fourth evening there are prizes for
3772-404: 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,
3854-586: 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
3936-399: 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
4018-427: 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
4100-408: 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
4182-704: 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
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#17328556816534264-505: 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
4346-494: The first boats. The status of the event — still adjudged below that of Summer Eights on account of the absence of rowers in the Varsity boat races — only began to rise at the very end of the nineteenth century, when colleges began to form first boats to compete. Nowadays there is no limit on the number of boats a college may enter, although crews in the last two divisions and crews without a position have to qualify to race by competing in
4428-449: 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
4510-411: The leaders of the chart and also a 'Bumping Cup' for the boat who has made the most bumps over the four nights. The event is marshalled by senior rowers and rowing prefects called The Monarch . The crew training is mainly pupil driven. Previously races were run every day until there were no more bumps (i.e., until they were nominally in speed order). This historical set-up could lead to weeks of racing and
4592-659: The lock before being able to commence racing. This created an inevitable gap between boats, with the one behind trying to bump the one in front to claim victory. The boat in front could claim to be "Head of the River" if they avoided being bumped. As the number of crews contesting races increased, races ceased to start in the lock, and instead were started from the bank upstream of the lock. This first occurred in 1825 or 1826. Twelve years after bumps racing began in Oxford, Lent Bumps racing commenced at Cambridge University in 1827. At Oxford, an additional bumping regatta, known as Torpids ,
4674-460: 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
4756-420: 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
4838-516: 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
4920-400: The one which started three places ahead). If they succeed, this is called an overbump and, in exchanging places with the boat they bumped, they move three places up the start order. Further still, it is possible, though very rare, to double-overbump (move up five places) or triple-overbump (seven places). Only two occasions of a quadruple-overbump (9 places at once) have been recorded at
5002-520: 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
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#17328556816535084-421: 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
5166-414: 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
5248-406: 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
5330-408: The river quickly enough, causing the racing line to be blocked. This can be very dangerous and the chance of boats getting damaged is high. To avoid this, the cox of the boat being bumped can concede as soon as slight physical contact occurs or even once it is inevitable. Nonetheless, collisions involving several boats are common. Crews in Torpids tend to concede bumps early to avoid being entangled with
5412-421: The rope and the crew starts to row, attempting to catch and bump the boat in front while simultaneously being chased by the one behind. A bump is made when any form of contact is made with the boat in front; however, outright collisions are neither necessary nor encouraged. Alternatively, if possible, an overtaking-bump occurs when the stern of the chasing boat completely passes the bow of the boat in front. This
5494-421: 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
5576-454: 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
5658-411: The rules between Torpids and Summer Eights , where both crews stop racing. Commonly a cox will concede a bump, signalled by raising an arm, rather than waiting to be hit. The crew finishing top of a lower division rows again the same day at the bottom of the division above. The name 'Torpids' derives from the event's origins as a race for the second boats of the colleges, which were of course slower than
5740-464: 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
5822-446: 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
5904-415: 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
5986-404: The start of March). Bumping races evolved in Oxford as the river is too narrow for normal side by side racing. Competing crews start the race lined up in order, one behind another, with their coxes holding ropes ('bung lines') attached to the bank, with gaps of about 1.5 boat lengths between the bow of one boat and the stern of the one in front. Racing is started by the firing of a cannon. Racing
6068-890: 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
6150-543: 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
6232-436: The world, took place in Oxford in 1815. This was between two eights from Brasenose College and Jesus College . The fact the racing was conducted in eight-oared boats gave rise to the event being known as Eights. The practice began with the two colleges racing upstream from Iffley Lock to a finishing line just short of Folly Bridge . The crews began one behind the other in the lock, with each having to push their way out of
6314-552: 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
6396-488: 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
6478-467: Was begun in 1838. This regatta was originally for men who had not rowed in Eights, nor in a university crew. Bumps races are typically raced in a series over several days. The starting order of each day's race is based on the previous day's results; the first day's starting order each year is determined by the results on the last day of the previous year. Each day the boats line up bow-to-stern, usually along
6560-584: 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
6642-449: 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
6724-707: Was therefore abandoned in favour of a four-day version more than 100 years ago. Bibliography 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 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
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