Cox box

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A Nielsen-Kellerman cox box in a rowing shell Cox Box crop.jpg
A Nielsen-Kellerman cox box in a rowing shell

A cox box is an electronic device used in competitive rowing that combines a digital stroke rate monitor, stopwatch, and voice amplifier. [1] It is generally used by a coxswain to monitor the crew's performance, and amplify instructions given by the cox using a microphone and series of wired loudspeakers. [2]

Contents

Although the term "cox box" is often used as a generic descriptor of this type of device, multiple companies have registered trademarks of similar terms. [3] For instance, Cox-Box, CoxBox, and Cox Box are all registered trademarks of Nielsen-Kellerman. [4]

Use

Cox boxes are mainly used in eights and fours rowing, where the readouts are used by the coxswain to monitor the performance of the crew and manage the race. [5] This is of particular importance in time trial races where crews race astern (as opposed to side-by-side) and so the performance of other crews cannot be easily gauged. It is also critical to assisting the coxswain in sticking to the race plan, which usually involves strategic changes of stroke rate (the number of strokes executed per minute by a crew.).

The amplifier is linked to one or more loudspeakers inside the boat, making it easier for the crew to hear commands. This is particularly important for rowers towards the opposite end of the boat, or the entire crew in windy conditions. The coxswain typically wears a headband-mounted microphone. Some units have a walkie-talkie connection to the coach, allowing direct communication with the crew.

Rowing shells fitted with speed measuring impellers or GPS can report boat speed to the amplifier display, typically measured in m/s or 500 m predicted split time.

Stroke rate

Almost all modern coxswain's amplifier systems have a liquid crystal display, [1] showing the stroke rate. On most systems, a magnet is positioned under the stroke rower's seat. In bowloaders, the magnet is placed under the bow rower's seat. As the rower moves up the slide (moving forward to prepare for the next stroke), a measurement is taken and fed to the system. Additionally, the display usually features a timer that can be stopped, cleared, and reset, along with a stroke counter. The display is often equipped with a backlight, useful in poor lighting.

History

Before the development of the cox box, a commonly documented practice was to use a megaphone to improve audibility, strapped to the head of the coxswain. [6] At the same time, the coxswain would use an analog stopwatch and rate watch, which was often cumbersome during races. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowing (sport)</span> Sport where individuals or teams row boats by oar

Rowing, oftentimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using rowlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is divided into two disciplines: sculling and sweep rowing. In sculling, each rower holds two oars, one in each hand, while in sweep rowing each rower holds one oar with both hands. There are several boat classes in which athletes may compete, ranging from single sculls, occupied by one person, to shells with eight rowers and a coxswain, called eights. There are a wide variety of course types and formats of racing, but most elite and championship level racing is conducted on calm water courses 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long with several lanes marked using buoys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sculling</span> Type of rowing when a rower has two oars

Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, its oars may be referred to as sculls and a person rowing it referred to as sculler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racing shell</span> Rowing boat designed for racing or exercise

In watercraft, a racing shell is an extremely narrow, and often comparatively long, rowing boat specifically designed for racing or exercise. It is equipped with long oars, outriggers to hold the oarlocks away from the boat, and sliding seats. The boat's long length and semicircular cross-section reduce drag to a minimum. This makes the boat both fast and unstable. It must be balanced by the rowers to avoid tipping. Being able to balance – or "set" – the boat while putting maximum effort into the oars is therefore an essential skill of sport rowing.

In competitive rowing, the following specialized terms are important in the corresponding aspects of the sport:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowloader</span> Type of boat used in rowing

A bowloader or bow-coxed shell is a racing shell in which the coxswain lies semi-supine in the bow, as opposed to the normal seated position at the stern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowing at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed pair</span> Rowing at the Olympics

The men's coxed pair was one of the competitions in the Rowing at the 1900 Summer Olympics events in Paris. It was held on 25 August and 26 August 1900. 7 boats, involving 22 rowers from 3 nations, competed. The event was won by a mixed team; Minerva Amsterdam's Dutch crew replaced its coxswain with a local French boy for the final. François Brandt and Roelof Klein were the rowers, with Hermanus Brockmann the cox in the semifinals; the French cox is unknown. Second and third places both went to French boats; Société nautique de la Marne took silver while Rowing Club Castillon earned bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coxswain (rowing)</span> Member who steers the boat in a rowing crew

In a rowing crew, the coxswain is the member who does not row but steers the boat and faces forward, towards the bow. The coxswain is responsible for steering the boat and coordinating the power and rhythm of the rowers. In some capacities, the coxswain is responsible for implementing the training regimen or race plan. Most coaches cannot communicate to boat/coxswain, so the coxswain is the "coach" in the boat. A coxswain is necessary in the first place because the rowers sit with their backs to the direction of travel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coxless pair</span> Boat class used in competitive rowing

A coxless pair, abbreviated as a 2- and also known as a straight pair, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowing at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed pair</span> Olympic rowing event

The men's coxed pair event was a rowing event conducted as part of the 1964 Summer Olympics programme. It was held from 11 to 15 October. There were 16 boats from 16 nations, with each nation limited to a single boat in the event. The event was won by American crew Edward Ferry, Conn Findlay, and coxswain Kent Mitchell. Findlay had been on the United States gold medal crew in 1956 and bronze medal crew in 1960; he was the first man to earn two gold medals in the event, as well as the first man to win three medals of any color in the event. Mitchell had also been on the 1960 crew, and was the seventh man to earn multiple medals in the coxed pair. Jacques Morel, Georges Morel, and cox Jean-Claude Darouy took silver to earn France's first medal in the event since 1952. Herman Rouwé, Erik Hartsuiker, Jan Just Bos earned what was formally the Netherlands' first medal in the event; a pair of Dutch rowers had won the first edition in 1900, but had jettisoned their cox in favor of a local French boy between rounds and thus that medal was a "mixed team" medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowing at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Men's eight</span> Olympic rowing event

The men's eight was a rowing event held as part of the rowing programme at the 1904 Summer Olympics. It was the second time the event was held at the Olympics. The competition was held on Saturday, July 30, 1904. Two crews, one from the United States and one from Canada, competed. The American team won, successfully defending their Olympic title from 1900.

In the sport of rowing, each rower is numbered by boat position in ascending order from the bow to the stern. The person who is seated on the first seat is always the 'bow', the closest to the stern is commonly referred to as the 'stroke'. There are some exceptions to this: Rowers in continental Europe number from stern up to bow. Certain crew members have other informal titles and roles. Stroke seat in most cases is responsible for keeping pace for the boat, while the coxswain is responsible for the steering of the boat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed four</span> Olympic rowing event

The men's coxed four was a rowing event held as part of the Rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event, which had been held at the 1900 Summer Olympics but had been replaced by coxless four at the 1904 and 1908 Games. The standard coxed four event allowed for outriggers, while another event was held in 1912 for boats with inriggers. The competition was held from 17 to 19 July 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coxed four</span> Boat class used in competitive rowing

A coxed four, abbreviated as a 4+, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a coxswain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coxless four</span> Boat class used in competitive rowing

A coxless four, abbreviated as a 4- and also called a straight four, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coxed pair</span> Boat class used in competitive rowing

A coxed pair, abbreviated as a 2+, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a coxswain (cox).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eight (rowing)</span> Boat class used in competitive rowing

An eight, abbreviated as an 8+, is a racing shell used in competitive rowing (crew). It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or "cox".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweep rowing</span>

Sweep rowing is one of two disciplines of the sport of rowing. In sweep rowing each rower has one oar, usually held with both hands. As each rower has only one oar, the rowers have to be paired so that there are equal numbers of oars on each side of the boat. In the United Kingdom, rowing generally refers to sweep rowing only. The term pulling was also used historically. In the other rowing discipline, sculling, each rower holds two oars, one in each hand.

Elizabeth "Lizzy" Patrick is an Australian rowing coxswain – a national champion, world champion and a dual Olympian. From 2005 to 2014 she was the prominent coxswain in Australian women's rowing, steering every Australian representative senior women's eight raced at a premier international regatta in that decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowing at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed pair</span> Olympic rowing event

The men's coxed pair competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich took place from 27 August to 2 September at the Olympic Regatta Course in Oberschleißheim. There were 21 boats from 21 nations, with each nation limited to a single boat in the event. The event was won by East German crew Wolfgang Gunkel, Jörg Lucke, and coxswain Klaus-Dieter Neubert; it was the first medal in the event for East Germany as a separate nation. Czechoslovakia (silver) and Romania (bronze) also won their first medals in the men's coxed pair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowing at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's coxed pair</span> Olympic rowing event

The men's coxed pair competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics took place at Virgilio Uribe Rowing and Canoeing Course, in the Xochimilco borough of Mexico City. It was held from 13 to 19 October. There were 18 boats from 18 nations, with each nation limited to a single boat in the event. The event was won by the Italian crew, rowers Primo Baran and Renzo Sambo and coxswain Bruno Cipolla; it was Italy's first victory in the event since 1920 and second overall. The Netherlands made the podium for the second consecutive Games, though with an all-new team: Herman Suselbeek, Hadriaan van Nes, and cox Roderick Rijnders took silver. A Danish boat medaled in the event for the first time since 1952, with Jørn Krab, Harry Jørgensen, and Preben Krab earning bronze. The American medal streak of three Games ended with the United States boat placing fifth.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nielsen-Kellerman: Inside the Cox Box". Coxing Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  2. Sequin, Molly (2018-09-27). "The college rowing coxswain, explained". NCAA.com . Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  3. Loh, Wei-Yin (2004-07-15), "Box–Cox Transformations", Encyclopedia of Statistical Sciences, Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., doi:10.1002/0471667196.ess4017, ISBN   0471667196 , retrieved 2022-11-28
  4. "Registered Trademarks of Nielsen-Kellerman Co". Ambient Weather. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  5. Freedman, Rachel. "CoxBox 101: Is This Thing On?". RowSource. Archived from the original on 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  6. "Chapter 5: The Boy Scouts of America", Neo-PR, Peter Lang, 2016, doi:10.3726/978-1-4539-1660-5/14, ISBN   9781433125348 , retrieved 2023-02-03