Head Of The Charles Regatta 2018 HOCR Program | Page 19

about rowing/
1 Bow ball
1
2 Wash box
Bow The forward section of the boat. The
first part of the boat to cross the finish line.
3 Oarlock
4 Rigger
Bow number A card holding the number
assigned to each boat for a race.
5 Sliding seat
Bow seat The rower closest to the front
or bow of a multi-person shell. In cox-
less boats, often the person who keeps
an eye on the water behind themself to
avoid accidents.
7 Skeg (underneath)
8 Coxswain’s seat
Engine room The middle group of rowers
in the boat. In an eight, this is generally
seats 3, 4, 5 and 6. They are generally the
biggest and strongest rowers.
Gunwales The top rail of the shell.
Hatchet blade Oar blades that have a more
rectangular shape. (see Macon blade)
Heavyweight A rower who weighs more
than the restrictions for lightweight rowing.
Lightweight A rower whose weight al-
lows him or her to be eligible to compete
in Lightweight rowing events.
2
9 Stern rudder

Coxbox Portable voice amplifier; may also
incorporate digital readouts displaying
stroke rate, boat speed and times.
Coxswain The oarless crew member who
is responsible for steering and race com-
mands; the coxswain either sits in the
stern or lies in the bow of the boat.
BOW
6 Foot stretchers
BOW
SEAT
Single Scull (1x)
2 SEAT
3
L: 27’-4” W: 30.9lbs
Double Sculls (2x)
L: 33’-6” W: 59.5lbs
3 SEAT
Coxed Quadruple Sculls (4x+)
L: 40’-6” W: 114.6lbs
(NEW)
4 SEAT
Quadruple Sculls (4x)
4
L: 40’-6” W: 114.6lbs
(EXHIBITION)
5 SEAT
5
Coxed Fours (4+)
L: 42’-6” W: 112.4lbs
Macon blade Oar blades that have a
curved shape. (see Hatchet blade)
Port A sweep rower who rows with their
oar on the left side of the boat.
6 SEAT
Coxed Eights (8+)
L: 57’ W: 211.6lbs
Sculler A rower who sculls—rows with
two oars.
Seat numbers A rower’s position in the
boat, counting up from the bow. In an
Eight, the person closest to the bow of
the boat is “bow,” the next is 2, followed
by 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and finally 8 or “stroke.”
Starboard A sweep rower who rows with
their oar on the right side of the boat.
7 SEAT
SOURCE: HUDSON BOATWORKS
STROKE
6
7
SHELL CONSTRUCTION
Stroke seat The rower closest to the
stern of the boat, responsible for the
stroke rate and rhythm. Rowing shell construction has
Sweep A rower who rows with one oar. boats are considerably lighter
Stroke seat The rower closest to the
stern of the boat, responsible for the
stroke rate and rhythm. and stiffer, thanks to the use of
8
greatly evolved since the days of
entirely wooden boats. Today’s
space-age technology such as
STERN
aircraft aluminum, carbon fiber
and honeycomb construction.
SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM USROWING
CARLOS RIDRUEJO | CARIDOSSA.COM
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
FIFTY-FOURTH HEAD OF THE CHARLES REGATTA
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