Brief Crew History

Crew, or rowing, is a highly evolved water sport. Approximately 2,000 years ago, the Greeks discovered that an oar affixed to the side of a boat working against a fulcrum was more effective than a paddle. At the time, rowing wasn't a sport, but a means of survival for the oarsmen who maneuvered large warships in battle.

Human nature being what it is, racing began as soon as there was more than one boat on the water. In America, the first rowing challenges took place in the New York harbor in the mid-1800s. Amateur rowing had been introduced during the first half of the century, and in 1852, the first intercollegiate competition ever held took place: a rowing race between Harvard and Yale.

Modern boats, known as shells, reflect the two forms of rowing: sweep rowing and sculling. In sweep rowing each rower uses a single oar; in sculling a rower propels the boat with two oars, or sculls. The word shell is used because in order to make it as light as possible, the hull is only about 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Consequently, one cannot step in the bottom of most shells. Shells are also rather long and as narrow as possible in order to maximize length at the water line and otherwise improve hydrodynamics. While originally made from very thin wood veneers, most shells today are made of carbon fiber, fiberglass, or kevlar composites.

Each rower faces the rear (or stern) of the shell, generating power through a blended sequence of the rower's legs, back and arms. The rower sits on a sliding seat with wheels on a track (the slide).

Each oar is held in a U-shaped swivel (oarlock) mounted on a metal pin at the end of a rigger, an assembly of tubes tightly bolted to the body of the shell.

There are numerous excellent websites on the history of rowing. For a short history one should consult: MIT's Collegiate Crew website or US Rowing's brief history.

A much more in depth discussion of the topic is found at the Friends of Rowing History site.

Page Last Modified: April 30, 2002

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