59-522: National Schools' Regatta is the largest rowing regatta for junior rowers in Great Britain. Held annually in May, the three day regatta offers events for junior rowers between the categories J14 and J18 (the number being the age group). The regatta was first raced in 1947 as the "Colts and Third Eights Regatta", when Desmond Hill the master-in-charge of rowing at St Edward's School, Oxford , invited
118-562: 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
177-441: 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
236-487: 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
295-399: 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
354-494: 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
413-475: 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
472-592: 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
531-679: 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
590-549: 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
649-511: Is the rowing club of King's College School , Wimbledon , London, England. The club's boat house is based on the towpath in Putney , south-west London, on the River Thames . It was previously owned by Barclays . Previously, the club was based upriver, just above Hampton Court at Molesey Boat Club. It is used by Cambridge University Boat Club when practising and competing in their annual Boat Race against Oxford University Boat Club on
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#1732797902712708-657: Is the regatta's premier event, featuring the first eights of the traditional, 'championship' rowing schools of England. The event attracts approximately 12 entries each year, with smaller schools usually entering the Child Beale Cup for School eights. The Queen Mother forms part of the title known as ' The Triple ', which also consists of Championship eights at the Schools' Head of the River Race and The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta . Due to
767-880: The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup . Event results do not currently include 2017 due to no public timing results. 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
826-404: 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
885-572: 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
944-588: 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,
1003-412: 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
1062-525: 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). King%27s College School Boat Club King's College School Boat Club
1121-514: 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
1180-593: 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
1239-569: 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
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#17327979027121298-672: The River and the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta . Non-Championship Eights (formerly the Child Beale trophy for First Eights) was an event for School and Club VIIIs and was traditionally entered by smaller and less well established or funded schools. There is a similar event named First Eights at Schools' Head of the River . The event was last held in 2019. One month later at Henley , Championship and Non-Championship eights race together in
1357-877: 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
1416-425: 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
1475-559: The blue riband event for junior women, with increasing entries in recent years to match the increase of junior women's rowing across the UK. A notable success has been that of Headington School who retained the trophy for 9 consecutive years between 2009 and 2017 and have won the event a record 12 times. The Aylings Challenge Cup makes up one of the three trophies for the Junior Women's Eights Triple, including Girls' Ch8+ at Schools' Head of
1534-410: 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
1593-430: 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 )
1652-519: 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,
1711-404: 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,
1770-657: 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
1829-399: 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
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1888-427: 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
1947-408: 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
2006-723: 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
2065-513: 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
2124-449: 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
2183-917: The high level of competition, the Queen Mother Challenge Cup has only been won by nine schools and one club: Eton College (20 wins), Hampton School (6 wins), Abingdon School (5 wins), Radley College (5 wins), St. Edward's School (4 wins), St Paul's School (4 wins), Shrewsbury School (3 wins), Westminster School (2 wins), Pangbourne College (1 win), Wallingford Schools Boat Club (1 win). The other schools that have come close to winning but thus far only achieved silver medals are Emanuel School in 1975 and 1981, Bedford School in 1978, King's School Chester in 1984 (by just one foot), 1985, and 1992, Kingston Grammar in 1994, Canford School in 2004, Shiplake College in 2019, and King's College School, Wimbledon in 2021. The Aylings Challenge Cup for Championship Girls Eights has become
2242-460: 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
2301-420: 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
2360-528: 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
2419-534: 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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2478-421: 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
2537-701: The regatta moved to the Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre , due to the frequency of unfair weather conditions at the Child Beale Estate, and the ability to hold six lane racing at Holme Pierrepont. Weather conditions continued to be an issue for school rowing and the 2008 edition was cancelled after three 1st VIIIs, entered in the Childe Beale Cup, from The King's School, Canterbury , Bedford Modern School , and Shiplake College , swamped. It
2596-688: The regatta to Dorney Lake in 2016, where it was held from 2017 onwards. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Eton College won the 1st, 2nd & 3rd eight events and in 2024 St Paul's School repeated the success; it was the fourth and fifth times respectively that this has been achieved in the regatta's history. In 2025, the event returned to the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham. The Queen Mother Challenge Cup for championship eights
2655-414: 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
2714-406: 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
2773-421: 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
2832-454: 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
2891-474: 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
2950-450: 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
3009-415: 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
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#17327979027123068-654: The third VIIIs of Shrewsbury School , Bedford School and Radley College to race against St. Edwards in Godstow. The event was repeated annually at a number of locations in the Thames Valley , and then later at Pangbourne , until in 1963 when it moved to the Child Beale Trust Estate. With the growth of the regatta and the addition of many more events for junior crews the regatta changed its name to "The National Schools' Regatta" in 1964. In 1973,
3127-890: 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
3186-543: 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
3245-562: 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
3304-492: 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
3363-467: Was decided by the officials to completely cancel the rest of the racing for both the Saturday and Sunday. The officials were criticised for not cancelling the event earlier and led to calls for the regatta to be moved to Dorney Lake , where the 2012 Olympics rowing events took place. Owing to Holme Pierrepoint having organised a triathlon over the desired weekend, the organisers were forced to relocate
3422-593: 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
3481-454: 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
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