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David is a world-class sailor who has crossed the Pacific three times and who took up open water sculling three years ago.  I was privileged to go on outings with him three times during which he carefully instructed me in the curiosities of the waters we were covering and showed me his favourite open water racing and sculling techniques.

I asked him what are the things that rowers and scullers can learn from sailing and other sports.  

Hull movement
Most rowers don't appreciate that the objective is about the boat going through the water not just about strength.  If you can improve the passage of the hull through the water, you will gain more boat speed. 

Have a look at your stern through a stroke cycle - it wiggles a bit either up and down or side to side (yaw or pitch).  This is nothing compared to how much the bow moves.  Because there is a fin (skeg) in the stern, it limits the movement.  Any variation in movement of the hull is a brake on progress.  There is a vortex going under the bow - you never see it but it spoils the flow of water under the boat.  You are aiming to prevent any yaw or pitch happening.

Fins and steering

Most fins are anodised and made of flat aluminium.  A good one has a shape like an aerofoil.  In open water you need the boat to correct for broaching on waves.  Modern sailing boats have a short keel and rudder set far aft so you can steer down a wave.  David has a plan to develop a steering mechanism for singles using your toes (much like canoeists do).  Kayakers have recently started beating open water scullers - because of improvements to their equipment.  In order to go fast down a wave you need more lift and buoyancy because you want to stay ont he wave with your stern buried (like a surfboard which has the bow out of the water and the stern buried in the breaking wave).

Blade height

Feel the water with the sculls over the surface to sense where the waves are.  Take an early catch or a deeper catch if you need to be sure you are burying the sculls each stroke. Carry your blades lower/closer to the water's surface because wind is much slower closer to the water's surface. Therefore you have less resistance there.  

Watch swimmers

Top swimmers cut through water, and do it differently each turn at the end of the pool.  This is because they feel the water and adapt technique to suit the conditions, like a porpoise.  A swimmer will get through the water differently depending on the eddies they feel.  Let the boat adapt to the water and go with it, doing the same thing all the time won't make you faster.  let the boat smoothly flow through the water, don't force things.  

Many 2k rowers slam the catch and finish and make hard connections, When you are doing long distance sculling you have to worry about your metabolism and movement economy. e.g. lactate can be dispersed by breathing more frequently - pant to get rid of lactate.

Watch Cyclists

Cyclists are also worth watching, they use style and pace changes to enable you to rest different muscle groups.  You can also distract your opponent by getting them to focus on the wrong things and neglect their technique, e.g. getting out of phase with the sculler next to you on the stroke cycle, forcing them wide on corners. This works well in head races.

Rough water technique

Coaches will tell you to lift off the seat but in rough water you need to stay in touch with the boat.  The water flows up and down the keel of the boat and if this rises / falls more with your weight coming on and off the seat, it increases the resistance and slows you down. When you take the weight off the seat the bow lifts but then drops down when you return and the hull sinks into the water.  By raising the feet this encourages a more horizontal drive phase which reduces the vertical movement of the boat and you won't need to lift off the seat. Row into the finish as the power comes on the bow starts to sink and the angle of the incline then becomes more level so the vector is horizontal.

David is a member of the Open Water Rowing Center , Sausalito, California

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Dear Rowperfect community

The excitement is palpable – the 2008 Beijing Olympic Regatta starts on Saturday.  The full draw has been published and you can find it online at the BOCOG site.

Rowperfect will be following the regatta with liveblog updates on Twitter where you can see micro-blog posts from us.  Longer pieces will be posted daily on the News page.

We are supporting the World Firefighter Games and Mersey Rowing Club with Dreher sculls which will be brand new for the Games which run in Liverpool from 24 August until 2 September.  After the games, they will pass to Mersey RC who will be using them for their club sculling programme.  Many thanks to Andy Coyne of Mersey RC for setting up the association.

It includes a special offer on Dreher sculls for orders received by 18 August and some brand new demo equipment for you to try out.

Thank you and happy rowing!

Grant Craies and Rebecca Caroe

Download the Rowperfect Newsletter 22 August 2008

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Dear Rowperfect community

Lots of new things to tell you about – proof that our ‘radio silence’ just concealed frantic paddling below the water –a cygnet turning into a fine swan!

First to announce is that we have guest bloggers who will help bring you ‘inside track’ news and information in the lead up to Beijing.  Jen Goldsack is a Brit now sculling for the USA in the Women’s Lwt 2x and Duncan Holland, international coach who has written his first post about the results from Luzern World Cup .  Please contribute to the discussion by writing comments back to them on the news blog under each article.

New products this month include an innovative scull and oar hanging rack the “Space Saver” – available for the first time in the UK.  It enables you to hang 8 pairs of sculls or 8 oars in a space the width of an oar spoon and 1 meter deep.  We are taking early orders for this now.  And a rear-view mirror for coxless boats from the creative folk at Coxmate.  

New Dreher owners include members at Cambridge 99, Upper Thames, Wadham College Oxford, Portsmouth RC and Oundle Town RC.  We have a set of 8 Sweep Apex ex demonstration oars for sale.  And we’ve just dropped the price of Stampfli gripsNewsletter 21 June 08 to £12 per pair.  Buy online here.

Magik have redesigned their oarlock and we have a review posted by James Beechinor of Bedford RC who raced successfully at National Schools Regatta and he says the gates helped him to overcome the rough conditions.   And one from Burton Leander Captain, Rob Jephcote

Thank you and happy rowing!

Grant Craies and Rebecca Caroe

Download Newsletter 21 June 08

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Dear Rowperfect community

We announce the winners of the “Look after your Cox ” competition. The entries were fabulous.  Have a read of some of the wilder suggestions – we are sure they are all true!

And although we were disappointed that Cambridge lost the Boat Race, they did it using a Coxmate SCT with four speakers for amplification in their boat.  Try one for yourself!  Just ask.

We have some new products we are now selling.  The easiest-to use Pitch Gauge and some snazzy calf protectors along with a new book “Rowing: Know the Game ” written by Jim Flood who presented our 2007 Seminar.

Thanks to everyone who replied to the survey about the coxing seminar in the last newsletter – but there were too few responses to warrant putting something on at short notice.  We will try and find an evening during the summer when we can run it.

Thank you and happy rowing!

Grant Craies and Rebecca Caroe 

Download Newsletter 20

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I was recently in Austin, Texas, and approached the local club to borrow a single. During my visit I was introduced to Charles Barksdale the energetic coach who has helped to build a very successful and inclusive local rowing community.  Charles does two jobs and each job is different – he works as a Boatman on the University of Texas Varsity Programme and takes care of the equipment, tune up rig, repair and drive the trailer and as the Head Club Coach, at the Texas Rowing Center, he says, “This job allows me to coach.  My philosophy is to try to get as many people out on the water as possible.”

What is your background in the sport?  I have been rowing since ‘95 and coaching since ‘98.  I wanted to be a better rower and so I started to coach.  Now I am a better coach than I ever was a rower since I am not an ‘ideal’ body shape (5’10” and 170 lbs) but most importantly, I still love it.  
When I started the first things I learnt that no one way is right.  Every athlete is different and the most interesting part is that no matter who you are dealing with you have to find a new way to help them fix the problem.  Look at their background and manipulate your coaching to get them to do things.  This keeps me on my toes and so I am never stagnate and I never do the same thing twice.

What are the differences between the groups you coach?  Coaching kids – you want a quick session, on and off the water fast.  Don’t give them a lot of information – they figure it out themselves.
By comparison, masters (veterans) want to know everything – they are constantly asking “why am I doing this?”.  Masters keep me on my toes the kids are the second hardest group to coach because they have parents!
Open athletes you don’t coach – you give suggestions.  They are wrapped into coaching themselves – you are not training them just moulding.  If they don’t get the right answers from you as a coach they will go and find another coach.  Open rowers sometimes have 6 – 8 coaches because they take what they want from each one.  I usually advise them, “Go find out what works for you and tell me”.  I need to know.  I am a two way street – If you don’t ask me question it is hard for me to tell what you need.  

  
(more…)

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Dear Rowperfect community

Welcome to another year of training, competition and improving your rowing, sculling and coaching skills!  We spent Christmas working very hard because we launched the online Shop for Rowperfect at the end of November and we would like to thank everyone who bought online from Rowperfect UK.  The shop stocks all our major products, books and DVDs as well as popular spare parts and accessories like sculling grips, pitchmeters, gates and inserts.  Take a look around for yourself.

This newsletter has links back to our website news page where you can read full articles.  We hope you enjoy the interview with Hester Goodsell from WL2x.  There is also a list of special offers on our products on the last page. 

Rowperfect will be at the ARA conference next weekend (January 26-27).  The theme is "Participation to Podium" and we will be live-blogging the speakers during the session.  Check back to our news page for hourly updates on what’s going on; what the speakers say; gossip – especially if you can’t get along yourself.

Please help us to spread the word about the Rowperfect News Pages and pass this onto your club email group or noticeboard.

Thank you and happy rowing!

Grant Craies and Rebecca Caroe

If you want to read the full articles click here - Rowperfect Newsletter

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Dear Rowperfect community

Another year is starting for the northern hemisphere.  We are noticing a real sea-change in rowing and sculling as new products are being developed many more clubs and individuals are prepared to try out something new.  This is very encouraging because Rowperfect UK tries to stay up to date with new technologies and products to help you row and scull with improved technique and to go faster.  

The first new product we will be launching this year is from Coxmate.  The top of the range Coxmate SCT now has a GPS speed measurement plug-in that needs no calibration and is a little smaller than a credit card.  We are taking orders now.
We have two interviews in this issue.  Craig Hoffman a top international junior sculling coach and Michelle Guerette the USA womens single sculler.  Both bring insight into the USA’s sculling capabilities on the world scene.
Rebecca Caroe and Grant Craies, Rowperfect UK

Rowperfect Newsletter September 2007

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Coxmate has made an alternative to the speed measurement impeller for its top of the range SCT cox box.  The GPS attachment mounts behind the cox and plugs into the base of the SCT magnetic mount.

The Coxmate manufacturer has this to say comparing the impeller and GPS measurement systems.

GPS vs Impeller Speed sensing
Now we offer both speed sensing options, we can offer some advice which will not be seen as having a commercial bias.  Like many technological choices, there is not a simple answer. Each has its merits. We can summarise the argument:

• GPS is simpler to install, produces no drag, is not prone to interference from weed or damage from impact – on and off the water, and requires NO calibration. A GPS gives land speed. It can easily be moved between boats.
• Impellers give a speed reading every few milliseconds, compared to around a second for GPS, they use less power – GPS uses comparable power to the audio amplifier. This high frequency speed reading enables stroke velocity profiles to be analysed – not possible with GPS. Impellers give speed through the water which is a better indication of rowing performance. Impellers are not affected by overhead line of sight obstructions – bridges and city high rise can affect performance of GPS.

The main questions in making your determination are:

• Are you rowing on moving water?
• Is water free of weed or similar?
• Are you interested in (and will you do it) analysing the stroke velocity profile?
• Do your crews look after equipment to minimise damage to fin?
• Do you have time and a measured course for calibrating speed sensor?
• Do you use speed sensor on same boat – GPS can easily be transferred between boats?
• Is there restricted line of sight to sky?

If all the answers are all YES then an impeller is the way to go. If they are all NO then a GPS is. For most people the answers will not be all YES or NO.
My experience is that despite good intentions, most impeller sensors are not calibrated by users, and few coaches use the stroke profile analysis capability of the SC, and so for most users the convenience of the GPS is hard to beat.

Some people will argue there is a slight lag with the GPS – due to the delay in getting speed signal. Whilst this is true the Coxmate SC/SCT firmware has compensation for this. Finally to avoid giving you an easy economic choice – they cost about the same for the SC/SCT! I would also like to add that we are continuing our developments with impellers to make them smaller – less drag and less chance of damage. We do not see any end to the use of impellers – and GPS is unlikely to take over for small boats due to their power requirement.

Coxmate has also revised its pricing structure so that the Coxmate software which used to be supplied with the SCT cox box unit is now sold separately.  This has reduced the price of the SCT to £470 (from £545) and the software is £110.

Existing SC/SCT units can be upgraded to GPS for £25 plus the cost of the GPS (£130) and postage.

GPS unit                         GPS and SCT on magnetic mount 

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Michelle Guerette, US Rowing W1x – career highlights World Champs Bronze 2007 and 2005, Olympics 2004 W4x 4th. She writes a Blog for US Rowing News

Michelle spoke to Rowperfect in the Press Office after winning the Princess Royal Challenge Sculls – beating Jen Goldsack in the final.
 
How has your season gone so far?
It will be good to race at the worlds and qualify for Beijing. [She did qualify, winning a bronze medal in the process – her career second].
National selection in April was cancelled and there will be a trial in July 30 at Princeton because I am not going to Luzern.  But Liz O’Leary entered me for HRR without my knowledge.  I had thought it would be a distraction and very “wakey” but Charley Butt, my coach, thought it would be good for me.  It has been a perfect challenge.  It is fun.

I have never raced Henley before.  I heard a lot about it.  First impressions are the course looks like a cup cake all pink and white and very beautiful.  Strange to have a race course down a social scene but quality is great, it’s very high.  The mix is interesting in the womens singles event.  On this course you can’t let your guard down.  You have to fight for every stroke.  I heard cheers and wanted to look across today but I knew that was trouble from my first race when I nearly caught a crab.

Just like the Longfellow Bridge on the Charles it is swirly, rough water and this was a challenge for me.

Today I pulled into the wrong station at the start.  The Elvis boat distracted me.  [An annual attraction at HRR is a group of men dressed up as Elvis on a motor boat driving up the river.]

What do you think about before a race?
5 minutes before the start I am thinking… I make sure things are set, I check my uni [all in one rowing suit], focus on little things.  Think about legs and feet standing off the catch, don’t want to get into my shoulders.  My start was a little shaky today.

What do your row in?
I row an S15 Empacher with 2 stay riggers.  It was the first boat I had as I was getting up to speed in and, like a little superstition, I stick with it.  It feels solid.

Charley is my technical coach.  I do pieces with Riverside [her Club] and Steve Tucker at Union twice a week.  The rest of the time it’s just me and a speed coach.

Tom Terhar writes the programme.  He is the new U.S. women's national team coach.  I’ve done pretty much the same thing with a couple of tweaks each year.

How are you preparing for Beijing?
The heat in Beijing will be bad and I’ve started training later in the morning to get used to it.  The recovery will be an issue – getting tired just walking to the course.  We used ice vests in Athens to combat the heat there.

What is your background in Rowing?
I started rowing in 1998 at Radcliffe [Harvard University] in sweep.  I was not that fit.  I played tennis in high school and I wanted a team sport, choosing ultimate frisbee initially.  The rowing meeting was before the frisbee one and I tried it as my room mate had rowed and said I would be good.

What advice do you have for young athletes?
Just have fun.  I came to the sport later and wish I’d started at 12.  Use it to gain athleticism.

What is your ultimate aim in rowing?  And how do you get there?
I would like to win a Gold medal in Beijing.  

I use smaller goals, improvements every day.  Be in peak form and the best shape.  I push my limits and feel that each year is it better.  

When it’s tough I think of the goal and what does it take – what the competition is doing.  This motivates me not to slack.

Crew mates say “if you want to be good you will have to do it more than you want to do”.  I try daily to do my best; make an improvement.  Stay on task in a broad sense.

I can push myself through which is a learning I got from being in the single.  It has been good to get more people interested in sculling in the US.

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Dear Rowperfect community

It’s the racing season! We will be sharing a stand with Cambridge Racing Shells at the National Schools Regatta and will have our now-traditional warm-up Rowperfects at the Henley Womens Regatta.

Congratulations to Duncan Holland our seminar speaker 2006 whose CUBC crew won the Boat Race using Magik oarlocks. They also won the Goldie : Isis race and the reserves race.

We have a fantastic interview with Tim McLaren, Australian international coach who works with California Rowing club. His insights into coaching and language are worth savouring.

Our blog is growing on the website news page. Here you can comment on articles and start ‘conversations’ with other coaches and athletes about the topics we write about. Some of the comments relating to the Seminar and the new Rowperfect design are below.

The video of the new Rowperfect we launched onto YouTube got over 2,000 nearly 3,000 views!

Thanks for your continued support and interest.

There is a new brochure for Dreher oars and sculls with photographs of all the spoon shapes. We can send you a printed copy.

Rebecca Caroe and Grant Craies,

Rowperfect UK

Download the Rowperfect Newsletter May 2007

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