Head race challenges - how to deal with things like turning buoys, wind and waves, and staying warm at the start marshalling. Something unexpected always happens in head races - caused by you or external factors.
01:00 Your experience base is what will serve you well in dealing with challenges.
02:00 Challenges -expect the unexpected. anything can happen. Get accustomed to rowing with many other athletes and boats around. Know your response to a range of different situations so you know what to do when a challenge arises.
Marcus Buckingham research into why some long distance lorry (truck) drivers had fewer accidents is helpful for us rowers.
06:00 Staying warm in the marshalling area. Wear clothing you can keep on until the last moment. Marlene likes a lightweight wind jacket because it's easy to take off. Can you row in small circles to stay warm? Do the push/pull drill - rowing in place. Keep your muscles moving as much as you can. Are you able to get out of the boat and stay warm on the bank by jogging on the spot?
Keep your hands under your armpits as that's the warmest part of your body. And wear a warm fleece hat.
10:00 Avoid sitting still and not doing anything as it is harder to get up to speed in the race if you are cold. Rebecca likes to hang back when the crews move up the marshalling line towards the start line so she can row hard pressure strokes to catch up the crew in front.
At the Scullers Head Rebecca worked out how long after the race began that her bow number would be starting the race. She chose to park her boat and go to a nearby pub to stay warm and drink coffee while waiting and watching the numbers pass by. You can take a thermos of hot water in the boat if that helps you stay warm.
The Ultimate Guide to Head Racing free ebook download
13:30 Wind and Waves - things you cannot control but you can row them well. Look at a map of the course and a weather app and work out where the wind will be head / side or tail winds. Where will gusts likely happen?
In a headwind, the waves are highest at the start of a straight when you are rowing into the wind. Can you adapt your technique to reflect the wind and waves conditions to reflect the conditions?
Read our podcast on rough water rowing
Seek out some rough water training to practice stabilising, and adjust how high you carry the oars off the water. Cross winds push your boat down on one side. On the high side apply pressure into that rigger with your thumb to keep the boat level.
16:00 Keep your stroke length into the head wind as it will tend to rob you of your length. Don't let the wind rush you. Control the oars with deliberate movements so the wind doesn't snatch the blade out of your hand. The wind may catch your blade as you square and blow it high above the water. Counter this by moving your handles upwards deliberately. If you get a gust of wind, as the gust comes, control your oars and as the gust fades, do a push to get back onto your pattern after the gust interruption.
As a cox or steersperson warn the crew if you see a wind gust coming. Push through the gust.
21:00 Relax and "rock and roll" laughing made Rebecca relax in a head race with bad waves and she got a good result. Ask locals where cross winds happen on the river.
Marlene did the Maine summer head race series on Moosehead Lake with a 5k triangular course. It started getting rough and she thought it was "rock and roll". She focused on one stroke at a time and by the end her footstretchers were under water.
Sight the buoy first and aim to steer directly at it. Hold water on the inside oar close to the buoy then bring it around with the other oar. Check water with as little force as you need to. After turning do a flying (rolling) start to get going again.
Be aware your arm can feel tired after a hard turn as if it's got a cramp. Wiggle your fingers to relax that arm on the recovery as it gets back to feeling normal. Practice turning before the race at full race pace speed. So you know what to expect at speed.
It can be tempting when going around the buoy to row off before checking you have the direction right for the next section of the race. Check over both shoulders and aim straight for the buoy - unless there's a strong current you can do a small steering correction to get around it - it's easier to see big buoys from a distance and to steer towards it.
Rebecca's preference is to go into the buoy parabola curve on a wide approach and to come out of the turn narrow and close to the buoy.
Race plans - overtaking and being overtaken.
00:30 Coach masterclass discussion zoom was about running masters learn to row classes. We learned the diversity of situation and how people problem-solve for their own clubs
02:30 Race plans Free ebook - the Ultimate Guide to Head Racing sign up to get your copy https://fastermastersrowing.ck.page/693a02e0a1
Goal of a race plan is to row the best race you can, technically the best you can as you fatigue through the race. What to focus on as you move through the stages of the race to retain good technique and efficiency. Don't question the competitive desire.
As the stages of the race progress how to maintain your technique is key. Be as consistent as possible and as aggressive as possible.
How much time will the race take? This affects stroke rate choices.
05:00 During your practice work out your most efficient stroke rate with good technique. A race lasting 4.5 to 5k meters is over 600 strokes. Marlene likes to think of this as 600 one-stroke races!
What calls do you include in the race plan? Set a common understanding of words you use.
It doesn't need to be complicated to be effective. What is the focus in this part of the race? You can focus on time or distance for your race plan. Include a plan for mishaps.
The race plan calls are about keeping your performance as consistent as possible through the race.
Slide control in the recovery - Rebecca's crew decided to experiment with how to get the best outcome from our calls. Did it work better with power called first and then slide control called second? Or the other way around? This showcased what was effective for this crew - the coxswain could spot when we needed to be refocused back onto the pattern of movement.
Experiment with what works in practice then discuss whether it should be part of the race plan.
11:30 Trials are important - try different strategies in your practice outings. What is your focus? Do you go out strong or conservatively?
The Faster Masters training workout programs include test workouts which help you to zoom in on what works for you and what you can do in a race.
12:50 Rowing boats take a long time to overtake each other - overtaking it is not a quick thing. You are unlikely to be able to overtake in just 10 strokes. You likely take 10 cm each stroke further than the other crew - overtaking one person in a crew may take 15 or 20 strokes.
Practice scenarios of overtaking on a straight versus a corner turn. Will you approach a turn differently if you are overtaking? Adjust to suit your physiology.
15:00 Distance per stroke is the core metric.
You can do this with more power through the water or by rating higher. More strokes per minute - your boat should move one boat length per stroke. This takes energy - you need to be able to row efficiently in this new mode (power or rate).
16:30 Once you start overtaking keep it going - don't drop back after you have finished overtaking. Maintain your length in the water and increased boat speed. Be as tough as nails and stay at it. So many races come down to narrow margins. Don't be comfortable just getting past a crew.
It's different from side by side races. In head races you can't know how fast other crews are going because they may not be near your boat.
If they are faster than you, you should make it hard for them to get past. Keep your stroke length, power and rhythm. Take the straightest possible line without impeding their advance - make them work hard for it. Play within the rules.
Rebecca was at HOCR and was getting yelled at by a faster crew calling for her crew to "yield". They didn't steer well and took a longer route, but Rebecca's crew kept pushing on and it took nearly a kilometer for them to overtake. Take your motivation from the fight with the other crew. It was a fun battle that got Rebecca's crew the best possible result that they could have got and trying to deny a good result for the other crew.
21:30 There may be situations where more than one boat is overtaking at the same time. Avoid getting penalised. You can judge if you are interfering with the other crew and so if you can get a better course than they do, that's your advantage.
Buy the Carlo Zezza Book - Winning Head Races
How to select the right races for your head racing season. Ways to build up to the big race event. Improving race plans and race execution.
01:00 The big event is your focus. It's easy to choose the big event. But the season starts with smaller events.
If you are new to head racing choose local events you can do in a day trip. Choose those with uncomplicated courses and reliable water. More experienced racers choose races to help me perform better in your peak event.
3 things to consider when choosing your head races
04:00 Check the rowing regatta calendar to find events,
David Biddulph's rowing calendars, Regatta Central, Row2k, Rowit.nz, are other calendars for different countries.
Few people are good enough at racing to just do one big event - most of us need preparatory events to test ourselves out. Get a reminder about fitness, steering, race craft skills all need practice.
Work back from the date of your big event and get a race, a race simulation or private match every 2-3 weeks leading up to the big event.
Have something every 2-3 weeks. Marlene thinks every weekend is too much for her preference. Consider the time it takes to travel, load boats, get equipment to the event - it all takes planning. You can do simulated races too - doing a time trial at home is different from a regular practice outing.
Your recovery and age are also considerations if you choose to race every weekend.
09:30 Marlene chose low-key Maine races during summer for her comeback season. She raced 6 times just to get ready to go back to HOCR in the fall.
Make a list of what to do - improve the list as you practice different regattas in order to refine it. Create a trusted system that works for you. This takes a lot of stress off you because you have a reliable timetable.
Carlo Zezza Winning Head Races book
14:30 Create a simulated race at your home water.
Do a warm up, check over the boat. See if you can get another club to come and race against you.
Next time we talk about race plans. Think about your race, what are your strengths and improvement points? Build skills into your workouts - this is what the Faster Masters training programs include. Each workout has technique as well as workout recommendations.
Get confident steering your coxless boat for long distance racing.
Timestamps
This is the first lesson because if you can't go straight it really affects your steering. Consider your strength imbalances if you have been a long term sweep rower moving to sculling. Equalise your arcs by watching and listening for these three things
If your strength is unequal - don't over-power one side compared to the other, row the same arc.
05:00 steering off a point. Watch your wake - see if it is going straight, keep an eye - your stern. Learn how to set your point off a landmark on the bank like a tree or building. Row away from the point and watch your wake to see if it's going straight. Learn to make small corrections before you are way off course.
06:00 Where the boat pivots is approximately in the middle of the boat.
Not all bridges are created equal. First choose which arch you want to go through in the race. For HOCR at Weeks Footbridge you have to both steer the bridge and make a sharp turn after passing under the bridge. Decide where under the bridge you want to pass - is it in the middle or more to one side or the other? This depends on what you need to do after the bridge. Ideally row the course before the race to learn the course. Line yourself up under the bridge so you can see what your points are as you go through the bridge so you know what to steer off.
10:45 Bridge supports are where to focus your line of sight. Two ways to look around in a rowing boat - a glance over the shoulder and a complete turn to see your bow ball and what's directly in front of you. Look for the uprights of the bridge - these are easier to spot than the gap in between.
For a bridge you want to go through straight. Decide which upright you want to steer off - choose one (right or left), do a glance, then decide if you need to do a steering correction. If there is a stream (racing against the stream) you may choose to be closer to the bank so you minimise the effect. Take a second glance as you get closer and correct if you need.
14:00 For bridges you go through not in a straight line - know where you need to go after the bridge. Relative to the uprights, decide where you want to position your boat. Is the bridge wider (a highway or motorway)?
Rebecca prefers to steer before you go under the bridge so you come out straight for the next part of the course - push off the bridge as you exit it. Line up your stern so you know where you want to go through it. 16:00 High and long bridges like Interstates or motorway bridges. Keep an eye out for posts or markers near the abutments. Bridges often have underwater structures wider than the abutment above the water - these create eddies which swirl the water.
A sharp corner cannot be navigated with pressure. It takes too long to do. Turning to port - use your starboard oar take a short stroke from catch to cross-over, use fast short strokes. Do as few strokes as possible when steering a corner. This is slowing the boat down so minimise the strokes you take.
20:00 Looking and steering corners. Turn your head to look around without disrupting your balance and rhythm. Practice in training, turning your head (it weighs 15 lbs) without upsetting your balance. Alternate looking around then do pressure steering. Don't steer until after you have taken a look around. The exception is if a crew is closing fast behind you but you can see them coming so don't need to look around. Know where the corner begins for a long gentle corner. Start the turn with a few gentle turning strokes. Then look and go straight for a few strokes, take another look. Then make steering adjustments and alternate looking and pressure steering. Expect to look around frequently. Count strokes to help you make a sharp turn in a practice outing so you know what to expect in the race.
24:00 Buoys
Know the race rules - are you penalised if you hit them? Some you can scull over the top of like albano system marker buoy. Or will you be penalised if you hit them? Improve your bladework so you know if you can feather high over the buoys? Turning buoys - if you bump into one they may not turn over and get out of your way. You may need to hold water. as you turn. Come into a turning buoy at an angle. Use a mini restart after a turn to get back up to speed rapidly.
28:30 Carlo Zezza Book Winning Head Races includes course maps and advice for popular rowing races like HOCR, Silver Skiff and London Tideway Head Races.
Racing equivalence for masters depends on using time handicaps.
Does this work well? Can it be improved? What would you change?
02:00 What are handicaps?
Welcome our guest, Christopher Anton, a World Rowing multi-lane umpire.
Handicaps were introduced 1980-1990s to try and level the playing field for crews of different age. There are tables which are standard times - based on regatta distance and the masters age groups which then indicate the handicaps by age group.
The younger crew starts after the older crew and if everything works perfectly, they will dead heat on the finish line. The regatta organisers publish a set of standard times before the regatta starts. Now in the UK they race over 2 or 3 categories of adjacent age groups. Scotland has a different set of tables than England.
05:30 The timetables have been derived empirically over the years. US Rowing has a formula depending on the average age of the crews which deducts time at the end of the race. There are advantages and disadvantages of both methods. It's an art more than a science. In England the older crew wins about half the races.
08:50 Head races use the tables but this was introduced more recently. The tables were extrapolated out to 50 minute long races. The handicap gets deducted from the elapsed time at the finish.
Christopher thinks generally they are good. They provide racing opportunities where they wouldn't before when insufficient entries are received in a single age group. Handicaps were not designed to enable a 27 year old to race an 80 year old. In UK they tend to use 10 year age bands. They shouldn't be used as a way to get out of giving prizes - Head Races use them to give one prize for masters.
13:30 British Rowing Championships introduced a "Club" race which uses 3 age groups together along with ranking points. This is A, B and C; then D, E and F as a separate group. These show better correlation than age. This is for non-championship events. So they do not use handicaps.
British Rowing ranking points explained for seeding each heat in the event. These roughly correlate with speed. With a tailwind the "standard time" for the course would reduce to account for the wind.
18:00 British Rowing are reviewing their handicaps - they haven't changed since they were first set up. The older age categories were extrapolated from the younger ones. Should handicaps, be the same for men, women and mixed? If an F sculler has a 15 second handicap should this be the same for women? Menopause affects women so their times degrade more steeply than men.
21:00 The Concept2 world ranking is a big data source for erg race times as they are globally comparable. More women in 50-60s train more frequently nowadays so we better understand diet and strength training post-menopause which affects race times. There are higher levels of competition into age 70s.
Marlene has seen men who stay in good fitness through their 50s and 60s don't get erg times dropping off a lot until they are over 70.
24:00 Are the handicaps appropriate for those new to the sport in their 40s?
Pathway for the adult beginner. The San Diego Crew Classic introduced a new rower / intermediate category for masters in their first 5 years of rowing based on Faster Masters Rowing's recommendation. Skill is a bigger determinant than age for beginners.
British Rowing no longer has a novice category. But river regattas are offering races for masters new to the sport. New Zealand rowing offers a. novice year for your first year after you have entered your first race. Masters practice less frequently than juniors and so Rebecca is encouraging regattas to offer events for those new to the sport (3, 4 or 5 years). Christopher thinks British Rowing could look at having intermediate level event races.
30:00 FISA Masters Champs has a big entry for popular events e.g. E1x and FIx. can have 50-60 entries. They put you in heats in order of age - you may be against F age or older. It ensures fairness by age and you can end up in the oldest heat when nobody in the race is actually an F age.
FISA has no appetite for change because they have enough entries in every category. By comparison, the World Masters Games has heats, semis and finals so you know who the overall winner is. The skill levels are very different at older age categories. The Euro masters had heats racing together at the end after day for small boats in order to try to find the overall champion. In Australia they have a 10 lane supreme sculler handicap race at the end of the regatta for all the single scull age group winners.
Rowing your first 2- or 1x race, side by side in a regatta. What to expect and how to do better next time.
00:30 Why do people learn to row? At the start, few want to race.
02:00 Your first race. You may feel "on stage" at a race and there are eyes on you. The outcome doesn't matter. It's personal.
04:00 Learning in small boats 1x and 2- .
The boat is your coach it gives you feedback - you will learn steering, balance, run on the recovery. Learn delicate steps which you take into large boats. It's the foundation to build your skills.
06:30 What to expect at your first race.
Start by planning the race day. Get from the boat park to your race and back to the boat park. Write it down on paper. Start with getting the boat to the regatta, rigging it, checking your oars, have you got water bottle, how to get to the dock?
Getting into the boat on the dock; know the circulation plan, where the warmup area is. How much time do you need to allow to ensure you are at the start 5 minutes before your race? Backing into the start, turning the boat, what is your start sequence, do you need pushes, what are the marker points down the race course, what happens after the race, can you get back to the dock and how will you get the boat and yourself back to the boat park? Use this list to prepare yourself.
08:30 Do you know the course? Can you practice the day before? Take time without pressure to practice on the water. Is there current or stream? Take ownership of the water.
10:45 Make checklists of things you need from packing, things to take in the boat, Timings for starting your preparation, for your boating (getting on the water), warmup. Having a supporter to help you is good. You may have to wait in a queue for a while before you can get onto the water.
13:15 Type two fun - really hard while you do it and it's great to talk about afterwards. Do you bring your family to come along?
15:15 What will actually happen?
You may be lucky and it all goes to plan. Plan for the unexpected. Because steering errors will probably happen. What about the person next to you - the crew next to you may interfere with your steering. Have a plan for what to do after interference. Try a rolling start to get boat speed back up after a mishap.
18:30 Marlene's first race. She came off her seat.
Mike Teti said "It's only a mistake if you do it twice."
Enjoy it. Pick a local, familiar course which is manageable. Speak to someone who is more experienced - what could I have done in this situation? Learn from your experiences.
22:00 Trial practices to help you learn.
3x 1,000 meter pieces with three crews side by side run on Wednesday nights. The fastest person would go up one wave, if you were second you stayed in that wave for the next race; if you were third you dropped down to the next wave. Each wave gradually gets closer together in speed. Head race trial races done internally in your club. Learn how to race when around other boats. Get used to them being near to you. Learn how to call out to them for steering warnings. Practice steering small adjustments.
23:30 In a single scull you are your coxswain - make sure they have seen you if they steer close to you. Call early "Take a look". They can make the steering adjustment. If you think you know what you want them to do say "Steer away" or "Steer to port". You offer them a solution and they may just do it. Collision avoidance.
Join Rebecca and Marlene as they interview Monmouth Rowing Club's Tim Male as he talks about his season with the club and how they won the Victor Ludorum £1000 prize.
02:00 Interview Tim Male
04:00 Monmouth Rowing Club - the town rowing club draws people from around 20 miles away to join. 05:30 The club had talented individuals but rowed in small groups. Focus on private projects. Fragmented. Big projects require co-ordination.
06:30 Changes Tim made to the Club culture to bring people together.
Everyone rows together for regional and local events.
09:15 Private Projects abandoned.
Getting value from coaching was the main draw. Subscriptions increased to pay for the coach. Improved performance from a universal structure with coaching and training structure.
11:00 Coaching has broad goals regatta dates, training in 4--5 week blocks. Each gets 2 coached sessions per week. Rest are self-guided.Tuesday + Wednesday evenings are long rows with priority given to one group each day. Sunday coached sessions at fixed times of day.
Season One, they raced one day at British Masters and finished top 5 in sweep events. Under- represented in sculling.
Season Two, decided to race both days and incorporate the dub group to step up to race the non- championship events. Anyone who has not won a championship event can race non-championship events.
17:00 Progression pathway for new athletes so they race similar skilled people
18:15 Crew selection using subjective and objective factors: 1) Technical capability 2) Team building commitment, reliability 3) Coach ability and capability to change. Allowances for frequency of training.1k Weight-adjusted ergo tests for men for choice boats.
Target was top 3 in Victor Ludorum.
Training fitness to be able to do up to 6 events over a weekend. Up to 12 races. Points mean prizes. We operated on the picket fence mentality as long as they got points towards the main challenge.
23:00 Future plans Take the club to International events like the European Masters Championships, Head of the Charles, Local regattas with unified club events, and Autumn head race targets.
25:00 Advice for another club who wants to build a competitive pathway.
Generate the culture first. With Masters Rowing there is a range of people, capability and experience. This makes crew selection tricky. Uniform rowing style so swapping crews is easier. You need a broad scope for success and developing from "underneath" (less skilled people).
27:15 Marlene's impressions of Monmouth Rowing Club's success It takes a lot of organisation, time and thought for reorganising the group and writing a strategy for managing 60 masters. Blending the groups together and mixing crews was clearly challenging. A purposeful structure.
28:20 Rebecca believes that creating a pathway was crucial to underpinning the later success. Helpful to introduce a new challenge for experienced athletes. New skills in small boats help improve the big boats as a win:win situation.
Fitness was crucial to the success. It helped having athletes who already knew how to train hard and race hard. combining with the less experienced people helped teach them how to row hard. Knowing how to race is a whole other level of rowing and the competitive mindset.
30:00 The structure of the British Masters Championships having two events also helped. They could blend the experienced with the less experienced and still win points. Tim emphasised the importance of being coachable, flexible so you can row in multiple events.
Recovery from races - he who has the best recovery between race events wins!
Rebecca likes that they support local events and sees this as a pathway to teach racing to less experienced athletes. It is a lower investment in time, money and travel.
33:00 Learn to rowers come to racing gradually. It takes a while for them to see the attraction and to get confident enough to row hard.
Read about the win on the Monmouth Rowing website article.
- What to look for in a rowing boat, how to assess wear and tear and what can (and cannot) be repaired.
Right size for your body weight is the number one consideration. Then check our podcast last week on buying a new boat - the same issues apply. What is your budget?
03:00 Height of deck relative to the water surface will show you whether a boat is the correct size for you. At the extremes of the weight ranges you should check carefully whether it will fit you.
04:30 Find the serial number of the boat you are interested in. When did serial numbers start getting added to rowing boats? Serial Numbers Post 1992 Barcelona Olympics it became standard practice based on FISA (World Rowing) boat standards.
Call the boat builder what was the build weight? Year built? What hull shape was it designed for. History of the boat - how many owners has it had?
08:30 What questions to ask the vendor.
10:00 What comes with the boat?
If this is your first boat purchase - rowing electronics, slings, oars to set you up.
11:00 What will make it the way you want it?
Consider the wear and tear on parts. Shoe size may be wrong but isn't a reason not to buy a boat. e.g. oarlocks, slides, seat wheels, shoes, canvasses made from canvas all can be replaced.
14:00 Red flags which you should be alert for
17:00 What repairs has it had?
Did it go back to the boatbuilder to be fixed? If it's painted over you cannot see the repair. Major repairs are a red flag. Any repair will add weight to the boat. Does this matter to you?
Look at the V-splash saxboard behind the cockpit - wobble them with your hands and see how robust they are. Also stand next to the cockpit next to the shoulders/knees where the riggers attach - hold the sides of the boat and pull your hands towards each other. A broken shoulder lowers the value and needs repair
For wing rigger boats - check for hairline cracks along the flange where the riggers mount. You might need a bow ball, the number slot, scull grips. Find out how much these cost.
21:00 Respray the paint and your boat will look like new. Hull integrity is the key consideration.
Marlene refurbished her own first single. Rigger holes - check they aren't flogged out and enlarged. This means there is play in the rigger - you will need to get these fixed. Over-tightened rigger bolts / nuts can add indentations to the shoulder and you can add a large penny washer to hold the rigger more securely.
22:30 Haggle on the price. Any purchase is a negotiation. Ask the vendor to suggest a price reduction if there are things you want fixed. And ask the boat builder what they think it could be worth (ballpark figure). Some boats hold their value well if taken care of. Ask the vendor to suggest the price first.
Exciting times - how to find the boat that's right for you. Top items to check from budget to accessories. PLUS bonus - how to test a boat on the water.
01:15 Buying brand new - start with your rowing plans?
What will you use it for?
03:00 Boat size for your weight. You should choose a range of weights to reflect your needs. A 15kg range is normal - from below and above your mid-point. The test is can you get the oars out at the finish while rowing square blades? Different boat builders have multiple hull shapes - mid weight and heavyweight hull shapes.
05:00 Your physical proportions Have you got a long or short back?
06:00 Price budget for your new boat.
Things that cost more and add to the overall price
08:00 Accessories add cost.
Here is a list of things which you can add Shoes; electronics, carry slings, oars (blade design), a boat cover.
11:00 if you know the hull you want ask the manufacturer for different priced materials which use the same hull mould and cost less. You can make custom seat tops (Carl Douglas); adjustable height seats, buy your riggers direct from the rigger maker. Durham Boat make carbon sweep riggers and Carl Douglas makes side-mounted (Euro) riggers.
14:00 Storage and transportation Where will you keep your boat - is there a rack at your club? Or at home? Is there a waiting list for club racks? Consider a roof rack for your car. Can you lift it on top of your car? Tim Crooks and Burnham Boat make car carry racks. For outside storage consider getting a boat cover or boat bag to keep the UV rays off the hull.
Make your own roof rack using a ladder - the span of your car roof alone is insufficient to support a 7 meter long single scull. Can you slide your boat up onto the car roof rack when loading it unassisted? How heavy is the boat with its riggers - can you lift it above head?
19:00 Ordering your new rowing boat.
Contact the boat builder and ask about lead times. How long do you have to wait? Their estimated time needs a cushion - align with your seasons. Order in October for a March delivery. Extra lead time may be worthwhile. Do they require payment - what are the payment terms - deposit, up front, payment plans may be possible. The earlier you tell the boat builder of your intention to buy - will put you onto their build schedule. It's exciting putting in your boat order.
22:00 How to test a boat to find what's right for you.
Measure your current boat first - know what you are used to. The length of oars and inboard, the span, spread, the footstretcher position in front of the pin, the seat to heel cup, the oarlock sills height above the water surface (measure when sitting in the boat).
Ask to try out someone else's boat. Adjust the trial boat to match your normal rig. Footstetchers are particularly important when testing a boat. Make the height washers reasonable for you. This affects your perception of the performance of the boat you are trying.
24:15 Comfort is the first consideration.
Every boat rides a little differently. How does it feel? Listen to the sound of the boat as you row it.
Test rows what to cover (have a speed measure with you).
Do a normal warm up.
How do the balance, height, blade grip at the catch, seat and slide feel like?
Do some pieces in the boat 500m or 2 minutes at 24 (firm pressure) and 2 minutes at rate 30.
Row in the same direction if it's windy so your speeds are comparable.
Do some racing starts.
Record your speed measurements so you can analyse the results afterwards.
Testing a recreational or coastal boat - you may not get as high stroke rates. Try different types of water - choppy water, open water, get into the waves, get some flat water too. Can you manage the boat alone? Does it beach launch well? Where to store life jacket, a dry bag and your water bottle?
29: 00 Try as many brands as you can. Camps who supply boats can give you opportunity. The manufacturer's representative can introduce you to local owners who may loan you their boat to test out.
31:30 Customer service. Ask other owners how good the service is. Ask about popular spare parts - does the dealer carry these locally? Who do they recommend for repairs?
Racing is happening - do you need to improve your steering before the big day?
01:30 Steering a buoyed course - there are hazards you must overcome.
Kim Brennan's Rio Olympics final - she gets moved by wind and her oar goes over the buoy line. It could have cost her the gold medal.
04:15 Notice you are off course You have to be able to go straight off the start - practice not steering during the start.
Know how to manage wind. Invent a way to practice this at your home waters. Practice lining up with other crews as well - part of the jeopardy of starts is you don't know what other crews will do. Is it you who are off course?
Train your consciousness to notice - watch your stern and the wake ripples, watch the parallel lines of the buoys. Use your peripheral vision to judge your course.
07:00 Whose job is it to notice? Stroke is the person who can judge alignment best.
08:00 Steer gradually is usually best.
If another crew is coming into my lane, Rebecca tries to hold her course. This takes confidence in your ability. Don't steer away from them. If they overlap with you concentrate on getting your oar in and out without clashing. Make it clear to the umpire / referee that you aren't at fault.
09:00 If you are doing the calls - warn your crew.
Let them know something is happening, don't look around, just do it. "Feather high" or "Pressure port". Tell them when you are through the hazard and want them to row even pressure by calling "Even" or "Straight".
11:15 Bow can also steer with pressure without telling the crew to join in.
Pressure steering can enable the crew to keep rhythm and length much better.
How to correct using toe steering - first correct back till you are in the middle of your lane, then correct back the other way to get the boat straight in the lane. That often affects inexperienced steerers.
Watch the video to see the pen demonstration.
Practice steering off a point on your home course if you can. Travel to a buoyed course to practice.
Rebecca uses the call "straighten up" - note that the 3 seat is well placed to judge when the boat is in the middle of the lane.
The boat pivots around the mid point of the hull, not under where stroke sits. Start the correction before you get to half way across the lane.
If you impede another crew you risk disqualification. Know what flags the referee / umpire holds and what they mean. When the stroke didn't tell cox what a red flag meant... we got DQed.
Equipment damage or breakage or lose an oar if you hit a buoy. Rowing a greater distance if you don't go straight. It adds distance and time to your race.
18:30 your crew can lose rhythm & length- they end up concentrating on the wrong things as they focus on the steering not working hard. It's a huge distraction.
20:00 Benefits of learning.
It is a worthwhile skill to learn. You will be a desirable person in every crew if you can steer. It's a bigger risk having an inexperienced person steering. Borrowed boats aren't necessarily set up right. Check the fin is straight. And check the rigging. Button/collars can slip on the oar.
22:30 New book - the Female Body Bible by Baz Moffat, Dr Bella Smith (the Well HQ).
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