Positions on the boat

rebelrower101 · Post by **rebelrower101** » January 2nd, 2007, 4:36 pm

i hear tht in a standard 8, the position at which each crew member is placed is based on technique and physicality. could sum1 explain wat this means?

PaulS · Post by **PaulS** » January 2nd, 2007, 5:20 pm

No, but this is funny and as good an explanation as you are likely to find.

Altitude · Post by **Altitude** » January 4th, 2007, 12:51 pm

Ha, funny article PaulS. And surprisingly accurate.

Here is a quick summary in my experience:

Stern pair - Great technique, ability to maintain rhythm, decent power

Middle 4 - "Engine Room", pure power, technique flaws are absorbed by bow and stern pairs.

Bow Pair - Generally the weakest rowers but they also need to have great technique as there is no feeling of the rhythm of the boat in the bow.

PaulH · Post by **PaulH** » January 4th, 2007, 1:33 pm

A small clarification to Altitude's comment on the bow pair - generally the bow pair will be the lightest rowers in the boat, as you don't want to weigh the bow down. So while they probably are the weakest, that's more a function of their size than a lack of fitness. Oh, and they're often scullers because they need great technique to deal with the uneven set of the boat the other six cause

Cheers, Paul (2 seat)

ancho · Post by **ancho** » January 5th, 2007, 9:20 am

If the boat is going resonabily well, the bow enjoys the best sight!
Bow rowers also need a good feeling for rythm, cause there's a lot of information getting lost in the "engine room"

I use to row on the 6 (because I'm soo strong

)

jbell · Post by **jbell** » January 6th, 2007, 1:20 am

I've rowed almost all the seats for a race except 1,2 and 8. We always give 3 seat a hard time because we don't consider it a power seat, but we don't consider it a balance pair, so he is just there to balance out the number of oars on each side.

Rockin Roland · Post by **Rockin Roland** » January 7th, 2007, 1:06 am

Over the last 20 years or so I've always rowed in one of the engine room seats in the middle of the boat. That's because I usually pull the best ergs in the crew.

However, whenever I over did the power thing and started rowing like I was on an erg, I'd be moved back towards the bow of the boat, as punishment for upsetting crew harmony. That's fair enough because you don't want meat heads in the middle of the boat throwing their weight around in the wrong direction.

More recently I've been doing a lot of sculling which taught me how to feel for the run on the boat. I learn't when was the ideal time to take the catch without missing out on optimum boat run and when to release the oars and send the boat away.

It takes a lot of skill to know exactly when to take the catch and when to release the water. It is a skill that all very good strokes possess and makes a huge difference to the quality of the row the rest of the crew has.

The stroke seat is the most important seat in the boat and hence requires the most skilled oarsperson in that seat. It was not until this current season that I started to appreciate the work of a good stroke. The reason is because I've just begun rowing with blokes some 15 years younger than me and have been asked to stroke their boats.

It's a real ego buzz to go from the engine room to stroke seat. It's even a bigger ego boost when you pick the right catch and release points, the rest of the blokes behind you follow you and do the same, and boat starts to sit up and run well.

It is so important to put people in the right seats according to their skills, efficiency, experience and power output.

p-fitz · Post by **p-fitz** » January 7th, 2007, 3:11 pm

Rockin Roland wrote:The stroke seat is the most important seat in the boat and hence requires the most skilled oarsperson in that seat.

I disagree. I think 7 seat is the most important seat in the boat. S/he's got to not only match up with the stroke seat, but transfer the rating/rhythm/catch and release timing to the bow 6. A good stroke seat is nothing without a good 7. A bad 7 can negate any positive attributes of the stroke.

PaulS · Post by **PaulS** » January 7th, 2007, 5:44 pm

p-fitz wrote:
Rockin Roland wrote:The stroke seat is the most important seat in the boat and hence requires the most skilled oarsperson in that seat.
I disagree. I think 7 seat is the most important seat in the boat. S/he's got to not only match up with the stroke seat, but transfer the rating/rhythm/catch and release timing to the bow 6. A good stroke seat is nothing without a good 7. A bad 7 can negate any positive attributes of the stroke.

What was that trait regarding 7 seat and stroke?

BTW - It's 6 seat who is likely the best blade and strongest rower in the boat, they have to make sure that whatever shenanigans stroke and seven are up to get supported by the rest of the crew. If 6 doesn't support the likely weaker Stroke pair, then they are going to have a very bad day. I've taken a boat full of mediocre performers and by placing a very competent stroke and six in that boat, had them doing things well beyond their normal performance. (The Stroke and 6 can impose their will on the rest of the boat, but it's mostly 6's will.)

Now surely there must be the other seats out there to complete the list of why their seat is important.

Truth be told, any one rower is never going to make the 8+ go fast, but they could make it go slow, they are called "Stopper's" or "Anchors", and do not necessarily have any outward signs of incompetence or lack of effort, but have a small error in timing that simply puts a damper on the system acceleration every single stroke. The coxswain, by rotating through pairs that are "sitting out" can locate the "stoppers" and hopefully help them to fix the timing, which rewards the entire boat with "free speed" simply due to getting it together.

Ray79 · Post by **Ray79** » January 8th, 2007, 4:53 am

BBC's take on how an 8 works

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_s ... 850246.stm

For the record i've sat at stroke, 6, 4 and 2 in my time (albeit only 4 years of rowing)

PaulH · Post by **PaulH** » January 8th, 2007, 3:40 pm

In Minneapolis 2 seat is the most important, because they're the ones who get you away from the dock when you launch and fend you off the dock when you land

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » January 8th, 2007, 4:53 pm

PaulH wrote:In Minneapolis 2 seat is the most important, because they're the ones who get you away from the dock when you launch and fend you off the dock when you land ;)

It depends on the launching and landing protocol at any particular dock. Often it is bow that carries out these chores. The other chore is trying to maintain line up at the start of a race. I have had to do that at both positions and I didn't care for it at either one. What I dislike the most is bow seat in an uncoxed boat (including singles). Older rowers don't have the flexibility to do a good job of steering, especially when pilings, anchored bouys and docked boats seem to have the capacity to jump out at you.

Bob S., port, starboard, and scull.

Byron Drachman · Post by **Byron Drachman** » January 8th, 2007, 5:27 pm

Older rowers don't have the flexibility to do a good job of steering, especially when pilings, anchored bouys and docked boats seem to have the capacity to jump out at you.

Hi Bob,

You don't need flexibility to do a good job of steering. A good mirror such as a Take-a-Look mirror or sunglasses mirrored on the inside and you'll have a good view of where you are going, and you'll not worry about collisions. And you can do perfect dockings without ever turning around to look.

Byron