Rowing – Glossary
GENERAL TERMS
| Boat Class |
The classification of boats based on the number of rowers and type of rowing |
| Bow |
The front part of the boat |
| Coxswain (Cox) |
The person who steers the boat and motivates the crew (not present in all boat classes) |
| Scull |
A type of oar with a short blade, used with one in each hand. |
| Stroke Seat (Stroke) |
The rower who sets the rhythm for the crew – seated furthest back in the direction of travel. |
| Stern |
The rear part of the boat. |
| Sweep (Sweep Oar) |
A longer oar with a large blade, held with both hands. |
ROWING TECHNIQUE
| Catch |
The moment when the blade enters the water. |
| Drive Phase |
The part of the stroke where the blade is in the water, propelling the boat forward. |
| Finish (Extraction) |
The moment when the blade leaves the water. |
| Forward Reach |
The rowers position at the end of the dive phase (upper body leaning slightly back). |
| Recovery Phase |
The part of the stroke where the blade is out of the water and the rower moves forward. |
TACTICS AND PHASES
| Bow Ball |
The tiny small ball at the bow of a racing boat that must cross the finish line. |
| Finish Line |
The line mariking the end of the race. |
| Middle Phase |
The longest part of the race, where the boat settles into its race rhythm. |
| Sprint Phase |
The final strokes of a race, where the crew increases their speed. |
| Start Phase |
The first strokes of a race, usually shorter and more explosive. |
| Stroke rate |
The number of strokes per minute |
BOATS
| Coxless Four (4-) |
Four rowers, each with one sweep oar, no coxswain |
| Coxless Pair (2-) |
Two rowers, each with one sweep oar, no coxswain. |
| Double Scull (2x) |
Two rowers, each with two sculls. |
| Eight (8+) |
Eight rowers, each with one sweep oar, usually with a coxswain. |
| Quadruple Scull (4x) |
Four rowers, each with two sculls. |
| Single Scull (1x) |
A boat for one rower with two sculls. |
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