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THE RACE

Type of Racing

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Head Race: Where crews start in a single file line and race for time. Longer than sprint races, head races range from 2k to 4k and are usually run on rivers during the Fall season. The largest annual head race for the sport is the Head of the Charles held in Boston, Massachusetts in late October. It usually hosts 12,000 athletes, from teens to octogenarians, competing in front of 400,000 spectators.​​

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​​Sprint Race: Where crews race side by side in lanes over 1500 to 2000 meters on the water. In the US, this is the standard race.​​ These races generally take 5-8 minutes and can be won by just a few milliseconds.

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​​Indoor or Erg Race: Rowers compete on rowing machines indoors in a simulated race of 2000 meters (2K) supported by software. ​While an erg machine is not an exact simulation of the pace of a boat in the water it does highlight the level of conditioning and fitness.

Stages of a Race

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Start: The beginning of the race. Crews will have a specified starting sequence of strokes to get the shell up to speed as quickly as possible. Stroke ratings during a start sequence range from the low 40s to the high 50s.

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Settle: Refers to a down shift in stroke rate after the start of a sprint race. Crews use the settle to get to their base stroke rating they will row the body of the race.

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Sprint: The last portion of a race. Usually the last 250-500 meters of the race are run at a maximum stroke rate in an attempt to get to the finish line first. A traditional sprint tactic is a 'Power 10' call by the coxswain for the crew to row the next 10 strokes at maximal effort in an attempt to increase boat speed and take water on the opponent. A crew has finished the race when its bow crosses the plane of the finish line. A horn is sounded as each crew finishes the race.

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Race Events

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  • Lanes: There are typically six lanes on the race course. If there are more than six entries for an event, heats will be held to determine finalists. The center lanes are reserved for the fastest qualifying times as they often have the least wind. 

  • Bow Number: A card attached near the bow of each shell that identifies the lane to which the crew is assigned. 

  • Buoy: Colored flotation devices that mark lanes and other various areas of the racecourse. Also used for marking hazards.

  • Launch: Motorboat used by referees and other race officials during a race.

  • White flag: This flag indicate that a crew is about to hit an obstruction or interfere with another crew. The umpire will also call the crew's name and point the flag in the direction they should move.

  • Red flag: When the umpire uses this flag, it stops the entire race. They will also ring a bell or sound a horn and call out "STOP".

Keep Learning

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​Have you visited each of the 'learn rowing speak' pages yet? 

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