Crew Boats

• Sweep Boats (each rower has one oar)
  These shells can have a coxswain---a person who steers the shell (using a rudder) and urges the rowers on. Shells without a coxswain are steered by a foot pedal on the bow persons' stretcher.
• Coxed Pair (2+) Two sweep rowers with a coxswain.
• Coxless Pair (2-) Two sweep rowers without a coxswain.
• Coxed Four (4+) Four sweep rowers with a coxswain.
• Straight (or Coxless) Four (4-) Four sweep rowers without a coxswain. Steering is usually accomplished via a rudder attached to a cable that is connected to one of the rower's foot stretchers (this an adjustable bracket to which the rower's feet are secured). The coxless pair has a similar type of rudder setup.
• Eight (8+/8o) Eight sweep rowers with a coxswain. Eights are 60+ ft long and weigh about 250 pounds (~114 kg). Sculling Boats (each rower has two oars) Only in rare cases do these boats have a coxswain. Steering is generally when rowers increase power or pressure to the oar(s) on a designated side of the shell. The hands may overlap (usually left over right in the US) during part of the rowing cycle, or may be in a fixed left in front of right position.
• Single (1X) One rower or sculler. Singles are about 26 ft (8 m) long and less than a foot (0.3 m) wide. Racing singles can weigh as little as 30 pounds (~13.5 kg). There are heavier (~45 to 50 pounds), shorter and wider versions often referred to as recreational singles.
• Double (2X) Two scullers. Most racing doubles can also be used as a pair with a different set of riggers designed for sweep oars. When used as a pair a rudder is usually added. There are also recreational versions of sculling doubles.
• Quadruple (4X) Four scullers. Often referred to as a 'quad' and usually has a rudder attached to one of the sculler's foot stretchers (as in the sweep boat straight four). Most quads can also be rigged as a straight four using a different set of riggers.
• Octuple (8X) Eight scullers. This is rarely seen, but is occasionally used in the UK in junior competition, where sweep rowing is not allowed.
  

Weight Classifications
There are basically two weight classes for rowers---heavyweight (HWT) and lightweight (LWT).

Men (M)
For team LWT boats, there is a 72.5 kg (~160 lbs) individual maximum, and the boat must average no more than 70 kg (~155 lbs).

Women (W)
The individual maximum for team LWT boats is 59 kg (~130 lbs), and the boat must average no more than 57 kg (~125 lbs).

In the US, the women have an individual max only; no average. In some regattas in the US (usually head races late in the season) these limits are increased by 5 lbs.

A rowing shell is usually built with a particular weight class of rower in mind. Until just recently the Olympics effectively had only HWT classifications.

Page Last Modified: April 30, 2002

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