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Not an experienced rower? Just came here for stories of people falling out of boats? Are you grading this for a WPC class? We're happy you're here. Here's a list of common rowing terms to help you better appriciate the stories.

Types of Racing

  • Head Racing: Distance: ~5000m. Boats are sent one at a time down the course and their times are compared. The fastest time in the group will win the race after any penalties are factored in. 

  • Sprint Racing: Distance: 2000m. Boats are lined up 6 - 8 across and race each other. The first to cross the finish line wins. These races will usually have several rounds before the 'finals' round. The winner of which will win the event. This is the type rowed at the olypmics.

  • Erg Races: Distance: 2000m virtually. Racers race on Indoor Rowing Machines (ergs) and race a 2000m sprint. The fastest time wins the race. 

The start of a sprint race

Positions in the Boat

  • Rowers sit facing the stern of the boat, opposite the direction of motion, and each rower has a seat number corresponding to their position in the boat. This is how coaches and umpires address that rower. 

  • Bow Seat always has the lowest number (1) and the numbers go up toward the stern of the boat. 

  • The rower farthest to stern is usually called 'Stroke'instead of his seat numbers; farthest forward is 'Bow', and  2 seat is sometimes called 'Boatman.' 

  • Some boats have a forward facing pilot, the coxswain, who controls the actions in the boat.

Boat Designations

  • The type of boat being used is often abbrivated by a common 3 part system

  • Part 1: 'M' or 'W': This designates this is a men's or women's boat or race

  • Part 2: '1', '2', '4', or '8': This is number of rowers in the boat (excluding the cox)

  • Part 3: '+', '-', or 'x': This is the type of rowing the boat does. The 'x' means that it is a sculling crew (each rower gets 2 oars to row with.) The + indicates there is a cox in the boat, the - means there is no cox. 

  • ex. Men's Single Scull = M1x

  • ex. Women's Coxless Four = W4- 

  • ex. Men's Octuple Sculls = M8x+  *This is the only sculling boat with a cox

​Names of Boats

  • The Eight: 8 sweep rowers and 1 coxswain

  • The Octuple: 8 scullers and 1 coxswain (rare)

  • The Four: 4 sweep rowers and 1 coxswain (there is a coxless variation)

  • The Quad(ruple): 4 scullers, no coxswain

  • The Queep: 2 sweep rowers, 2 scullers, and 1 coxswain (very rare)

  • The Radan: 1 sculler, 2 sweep rowers, no coxswain (extermely rare)

  • The Pair: 2 sweep rowers, no coxswain

  • The Double: 2 scullers, no coxswain

  • The Single: 1 sculler, no coxswain

Common Commands

  • 'Way Enough': The stop command

  • 'Let it Run': Similar to 'way enough', means stop rowing and let the boat glide

  • 'Power 10': 10 strokes done with all out effort.

  • 'Sqaure it': Turn the oar perpendicular (square) to the water.

  • 'Feather it': Turn the oar parrallel to the water.

  • 'Hold Water'/'Check it down': Square the oars and put them in the water (so to stop the boat immediately.)

  • 'Go up and over heads': Pick the boat up and carry it over your head

  • ['Down to] shoulders': Carry the boat on your shoulders.

  • 'In 2...': The following command will be done 2 strokes from now. (let's rowers prepare for command)

  • 'Back it [down]': Row in reverse to move the boat backwards

Other Common Terms​

  • "Catching a Crab": The oarsman does not extract the blade from the water quickly enough at the finish so the oar swings back, getting trapped against the hull of the boat, usually hitting the oarsman in the stomach or chest. Extreme case can eject the rowere from the boat. These are called "Ejector Crabs."

  • "Catching a Digger": A crab begins to occur but the oarsman manages to regain control before the blade is trapped. 

  • "Checking the Boat": impeading the momentum of the boat by coming up the recovery too quickly.

  • "Rushing [the slide]": Arriving at the catch before the stroke seat 

  • "Walking on  a boat": A faster boat begins to power past a slower boat. Finishing the walk is getting open water bow to stern.

  • "Flying and dying": Going out too fast to start a race and loosing too much energy to continue the pace by the end.

  • "Making a move": Taking a power ten or making an adjustment to jockey ahead in position. 

  • "Countering": Keeping another crew's move from being effective and preventing the pass.

  • "The Start Sequence":  The set of initial prying and power strokes that get the boat moving at the beginning of the race

  • "DFL": Slang for a particularly bad defeat.

  • "PBL": Passed By Launch. Used when an officials motor craft passes a slow moving crew.

  • "DNF": Did Not Finish. A Crew began but for some reason did not complete the race.

Parts of the Stroke

  • Drive: The portion of the stroke where the blade of the oar is in the water and power is being provided.

  • Recovery: The part of the stroke where the blade of the oar is out of the water.

  • Catch: The motion of getting the oar blade in the water at the end of the recovery

  • Finish: The motion of extracting the blade at the end of the drive

  • The most commonly taught stroke is called "The Natural Stroke" and starting at the catch goes as follows

    • Leg Drive: The body starts in a coiled position. Keeping the back and arms relaxed, the legs push backwards

    • The Swing: Once the legs are extended out, the back is engaged and swings back between 15-45 degrees

    • Arms: When the back swing completes, the arms are brought into the torso

    • Finish: Rower finishes the drive and starts the recovery

    • Pop: The rower first pushes the arms away and then brings the back all the way forward.

    • Slide: The rower moves their seat back up the slide with the legs and returns to the coiled position

    • Catch: Rower puts the blade back in the water and  repeats

Important Parts of the Boat

  • Hull: the carbon fiber shell of the boat

  • Rigger: the aluminum apartus that transfers power of the oar to the boat

  • Oarlock: the plastic gate that holds the oar in place on the boat.

  • Oar Blade: The face of the oar that you place in the water.

  • Footstretchers: The apartatus that ties the rowers feet to the hull of the boat. It consists of a pair of shoes, a plate on which they are mounted, and rail connecting the footstrecther to the tracks

  • Tracks: rails with adjustable settings securing the footstretchers to the hull

  • Seat/Slide: a contoured seat on wheels, which can slide up and down 2 guide rails. Allows the rowers to use their legs. 

  • gunnel: The top of the side of the boat hull -  The lip of the hull and the area right below it.

  • skeg: The stability fin that sits underneath the stern deck of the boat. The movable part of the skeg is the rudder

  • bow ball: Rubber safety ball mounted to the tip of the bow. Meant to 'protect' (meaning it will separate the organs of, I'm not kidding) the bystanders of the race in the event they are in the way of the boat.

Monice Cistrone is a champ!

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