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We got an enquiry about the range of options available for Rowperfect users who want to get data from their training sessions.  This come came from a large university club in the Thames Valley in the UK.

We currently have three rowperfects, we are interested in purchasing the software for them.  One of  the row perfects was connected to a computer (in DOS-mode) but the computer is ancient and has finally broken.  Could you advise me on the options and cost.  Also, is it possbile to have two row perfects on the same graph?  So two athletes can compare power curves as they are rowing.

Here's our answer

All the Rowperfect items are in our shop.
Rowperfect now uses windows software, Rowperfect for Windows (RPW).  This connects using the same black interface box that you have on your DOS machine but requires a small hardware upgrade in order to work.  

Therefore your options are:

1 - Buy an upgrade for the Dos interface £95 incl VAT.  Note you have to mail the black box back to us and it takes around a fortnight to process an upgrade.
2 - buy a USB to serial port adapter for a modern computer.  £33 This connects into the same interface cable you already have for the RP. Note not all adapters work with RPW so we recommend you buy this one from us which we know works.
3 - if you need a new interface cable £15 (only if the old one is missing or broken)
4 - buy new RPW software and interface boxes for the other two RPs £250 each.  Note this comes with interface cables but NOT USB adapter so you may need more of them.
5 - if your coach is interested in analysing and overlaying graphs of athletes, he might like to buy the SEAN Software Analysis programme which enables multiple uploads of sessions by different athletes.  SEAN is sold by a different company, Row Ware in the Netherlands.  Specifications for SEAN  and free trial download .  Pricing Euros 198.00

You might also want to buy some link bars so if you race in crews (as I think you do for the eights head) these join two RPs so each pair down the crew can train together and learn to move synchronously £40

To answer your last question, no you cannot have two power curves on the same graph WHILE you are training.  You can however upload a sample curve and have both athletes train to match that sample.  We have sample curves available from top internationals for you including Mahe Drysdale and Greg Searle  .  BUT in SEAN your coach can upload multiple athletes training session files and compare them stroke by stroke so afterwards you can see exactly what each man was doing in the training session.  There are 33 different data points recorded and each one can by analysed for each stroke taken.

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Graeme Coleman was the doughty club sculler who took on the might of international giants in last week's Wingfield Sculls race.  Here is his write-up for Rowperfect's readers.

A 300 mile round trip for a 20 minute slog along a windy, choppy stretch of tidal water, against opposition I realistically had no chance of beating might not sound on the face of it like the constituents of a good day out.  The reality of my first Wingfields Challenge against the top two scullers in the world was quite the opposite.

By the time we boated the tide was nicely flowing in against the prevailing head wind creating tough conditions.  This is something you just don’t get on the Trent![Graeme sculls for Nottingham and Union RC ]  Head down off the start, I looked up after 5 rocky strokes and to my surprise I was still pretty much level, conditions were rough but this didn’t stop Campbell quickly getting into his stride and  powering past me (no surprise there).

The final result showed up the true gulf in class between the decent amateur and the top pros.  I was asked afterwards if I felt I was the only true Amateur in the race, of course I was but the event wouldn’t be what it is if the best in the world didn’t take part.

Graeme Coleman

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A nice short film of the Great8 racing Cambridge Unviersity filmed a week before the Boat Race - includes interviews with Alan Campbell and Olaf Tufte and coach, Bill Barry.

BBC film of Great8

Notice when the crews are side by side how cleanly the Drehers come out of the water compared to the more 'splashy' oars used by the other crew.

Peter Spurrier photographed the crew on each outing during the week leading up to the Head of the River Race.  Here are a couple of his photo galleries and some fabulous images

Great8 Training week gallery

Great8 versus CUBC gallery

Head of the River gallery

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Tideway Scullers School coach Bill Barry has dreamed up a fabulous crew to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the club entering crews to the Head of the River Race.   The club was formed by top scullers who competed against each other for national squad places and traditionally formed an eight for the Head out of the top 8 fastest single scullers.

Taking this as his inspiration, Bill has chosen a crew from the fastest 7 scullers in the World at last year's Beijing Olympic Games.

His crew will be:

Cox - Ali Williams

Stroke Iztok Čop , Slovenia

7 Ondřej Synek , Czech Republic

6 Olaf Tufte , Norway

5 Mahe Drysdale , New Zealand

4 Marcel Hacker , Germany

3 Lassi Karonen , Sweden

2 Alan Campbell , Great Britain

Bow Tim Mayens , Belgium

Rowperfect UK was approached to support the crew and will be providing Dreher Apex Sweeps and a Coxmate SCT with GPS for the race.  We hope to publish the race data and split times / speeds / distance moved per stroke afterwards as a record of the event.

Beijing Olympics 1x results

1		Norway	Olaf Tufte	6:59.83
2		Czech Republic	Ondrej Synek	7:00.63
3		New Zealand	Mahe Drysdale	7:01.56
4		Belgium	Tim Maeyens	7:03.40
5		Great Britain	Alan Campbell	7:04.47
6		Sweden	Lassi Karonen	7:07.64

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Update to yesterday's post about Olympic Bloggers:

Row2k hosts Heather Mandoli from the Canadian Womens 8

Plus Liz Wray from Tideway Slug pointed me to Jason Read in USA Mens 8 

Links to both blogs are from the original post.

We'll be putting updates up in full when they publish. 

Further update - Mahe Drysdale has a blog on New Zealand Olympic Committee site.  Mainly a photo blog - which make s a nice change.

Mahe Drysdale Blog 

We have also been guided towards the Holland vier in Beijing blog - but it's in Dutch.  Any offers to translate for us?  Some lovely photos there too.

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