Indoor RowingChampionships Netherlands on RowPerfect.

[Peter65]

This year 2024 the Indoor Rowing Championships of the Netherlands will be rowed at RowPerfect rowers.
Our Royal Dutch Rowing Association did decide to row on RowPerfect rowers because our National (water rowing) Team is rowing in training on that rowers. Now they will participate for the first time since very many years on December 14th at the Championships.2024

For me a real shock. No indoor rowing for me in my home country. Also this is how our sport is divided. Concept2 USA and Netherlands do not organise another race until now.

This is the message at the website of the organisation. https://www.nkindoorroeien.nl

NKIR moves to RP3
As organisers of the NKIR, we have been working for some time to take the NK event to the next level. Therefore, in cooperation with RP3, the upcoming edition, NKIR 2024, will be rowed entirely on RP3 machines. We chose this because training on an RP3 more closely mimics the rowing stroke and we increasingly see the growing top of rowing in the Netherlands rowing on these machines.

Because this is a big change, we have put together an FAQ to answer common questions on topics such as (free) loan of RP3s, training on an RP3, prize money and what the event will look like next edition.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

[JaapvanE]

For me a real shock. No indoor rowing for me in my home country. Also this is how our sport is divided. Concept2 USA and Netherlands do not organise another race until now.

I admit a RP3 is a different machine, but not that different. Could be very interesting to see what they come up with. As I see it, it might be good for the sport to break C2's monopoly and have some real competition among machine manufacturers.

[stevegaspars]

but not that different.

Different enough. Dollars to donuts most indoor rowers will struggle with the RP3's due to the static erg market being so dominant. It's crazy to totally drop the market leading erg completely, they should start with a RP3 section in the comp.

It'll be interesting, wouldn't be surprised at all if they backflip on this.

[Peter65]

I do not think they (the organization of the NKIR and the Dutch association) will change to Concept 2 again next year again. The reason is the top rowers then will not compete again like the many years before?
For the fitness/crossfit/home/normal club water rower, it will be hard to find out in 15 minutes warming up before racing how that machine the RowPerfect works and race a fast race at the end.
I can only hope Concept2 will organise another race to give some competition against RowPerfect?
Mostly I am curious to know what WorldRowing wants? I think there should be ONE standard?

[JaapvanE]

Mostly I am curious to know what WorldRowing wants? I think there should be ONE standard?

According to their official statement in last January's world coaching event, they aim for machine certification starting Q2 2024 (as RP3 succesfully seems to have completed in Ulm university). So, according to them, it shouldn't matter which machine you use, as long as it is certified to fairly represent generated power and resulting boat speed (and thus a 2K time). In essence, if you can generate X watts on a machine and that machine correctly reports it, they don't care what machine you use to do it. A bit like being on the water and being able to choose your own boat, rigging, blades and oars, as long as they comply with World Rowing regulations.

I see this as a step forward to be honest, as it allows technical better rowers to use a machine that fits them better (the RP3). And high end rowers tend to use more RP3's as it is closer to OTW (I know Karolien Florijn rows RP3 as it is her sponsor), so it might make competition a bit more challenging. As long as performance is certified, why not?

[Peter65]

Of course, if everyone can choose their own brand of rowing machine in and all those rowing machines in the same race can row against each other in a fair way with exactly the same odds, that is always good.
However, I understood that if you are a good rower, you can now row faster on an RP3 rower? That you can row higher stroke frequencies and therefore have an advantage over a Concept2 rower? The same level field is important I guess?
Indoor rowing is also for fitness/CrossFit/home rowers who like to compete in competition? When they have the same level field then it would be okay for all the competitors I guess?
I can only hope that this will not split our little sport and, as a result, few, if any, competitions will be organised after all.

[JaapvanE]

However, I understood that if you are a good rower, you can now row faster on an RP3 rower? That you can row higher stroke frequencies and therefore have an advantage over a Concept2 rower? The same level field is important I guess?

The RP3 is closer to OTW rowing (as is the C2 dynamic), and thus it doesn't require the movement of your own body moving up and down the rail (and constantly stopping your body at both ends). It is easier to get higher ratings.

As RP3 states it, technical rowers have a slight benefit on the RP3, where power oriented rowers benefit from the C2. I can understand that, as the RP3 is too light to push against (as it simulates a skiff) when compared to pushing against your own bodyweight. So putting in power requires a bit more technique and less brute force.

Indoor rowing is also for fitness/CrossFit/home rowers who like to compete in competition? When they have the same level field then it would be okay for all the competitors I guess?

Home rowers can already compete daily in tools like RowPro and EXR. EXR is even involved with World Rowing to push indoor rowing as an eSport at the IOC. So there is no actual need to have a physical venue for home rowers to be able to compete (a move similar to Zwift has done for indoor cycling).

I can only hope that this will not split our little sport and, as a result, few, if any, competitions will be organised after all.

Our sport is already heavily fractured, but as most here belonged to the majority fraction, you probably didn't see it. There is a huge group of people who row daily, but don't own a C2. Many people couldn't/wouldn't afford a C2, and bought a cheaper off-brand rower. Others required a more esthetically pleasing device and bought a wooden waterrower as a center piece in their home. More serious OTW rowers required a more natural rowing motion or better data and thus turned to RP3 or BioRower. All people I encounter daily in EXR.

I think involving serious OTW rowers increases competition, and thus makes it much more interesting. Also realise that people like Ward Lemmelijn (current world champion indoor rowing) train on a RP3, and switch to a C2 for competition. So in a sense, he had to adapt to C2 to be able to race, where in this race the shoe will be on the other foot for a change. Might be extremely interesting.

[Peter65]

Now the situation changed. December 14 we have our National Championships Indoor Rowing (NKIR) in the Netherlands with the first time since many years a lot of high class rowers. The winners will earn nice money. Maybe at a higher level then the World Indoorrowing Championships we have had last February?
December 15, we have at another location the Concept2 Championships also in a big venue. I do not know if the high class rowers will compete there too?
We will see what will happen. Who will compete where or maybe a lot will compete both races?