Oar (sport rowing)

Last updated September 07, 2023

In rowing, oars are used to propel the boat. Oars differ from paddles in that they use a fixed or sliding fulcrum, an oarlock or rowlock attached to the side of the boat, to transfer power from the handle to the blade, rather than using the athlete's shoulders or hands as the pivot-point as in canoeing and kayaking.

When the rower uses one oar on one side, it is called sweep rowing that the single oar is called a "sweep" oar.^[1] When the rower uses two oars at the same time, one on each side, it is called sculling, and the two oars are called a pair of "sculls". Typical sculls are around 284 cm - 290 cm in length — sweep oars are 370 cm - 376 cm. A scull has a smaller blade area, as each rower wields a pair of them at any one time, operating each with one hand. Since the 1980s many oars have been adjustable in length.

The shaft of the oar ends with a thin flat surface 40 to 50 cm long and 25 cm wide, variously called the blade or spoon. Further along are the loom (or shaft), 2⁄3 of the way up which is the sleeve (including a wearplate) and button (or collar), and at the very end the handle. The handle may revert to wooden or, particularly in the case of sculls and some 21st century models of sweep-oar blades have rubber, cellular foam, suede or for example wood veneer grips over glass fiber.

The part of the oar the rower holds while rowing is the handle which is longer for sweep blades as each is held using both hands, than for sculls which are held with one hand.

There are hundreds of different variations of oars in terms of size and manufacturer specifications. "Macon" or "Cleaver" blade shapes of carbon-fibre are the most common in modern-day rowing. Classic oars were made out of wood. Since the use of such synthetic materials, first mass-produced by the Dreissigacker brothers in 1975,^[2] the weight of an oar has come down from over 7 kg to less than 2.5 kg and 1.275-1.8 kg in the case of sculls.^[3] While rowing in the most common competitive boats, fine boats (racing shells), oars are since the early part of the 20th century supported by metal, fibreglass or carbon fibre frames attached to the side of the boat called riggers for extra leverage.

Blade shapes

Cleaver

The most common shape now seen is the "cleaver" (also called "hatchet"), which is used almost universally. Cleaver blades are asymmetrical, with a somewhat rectangular shape resembling a meat cleaver, hence the name. The shaft of a cleaver blade connects to the blade offset to the top corner of the blade. The shape of the face and the offset connection is designed to maximize the surface area of the blade in contact with the water during the rowing stroke, while also minimizing the amount and depth of the shaft that is submerged and contributing to drag. As the cleaver blade is asymmetrical it may only be used on one side of the boat or the other. Technically, this is true of all oars, as the blade sits at a slight angle to the squared off surface on the sleeve. Thus, when the oar is allowed to rest, it is not parallel to the water surface. If used on the wrong side of the boat, the blade would dig into the water rather than skimming across its surface.

Cleaver blade designs were first developed by Dick and Pete Dreissigacker in 1991.^[4] They are now manufactured by most major rowing oar suppliers, including Concept2 and Croker.

There have been three major types of blades used over the past century. Oars have generally become shorter, and blade area has been increased. SquareMaconCleaver.jpg — There have been three major types of blades used over the past century. Oars have generally become shorter, and blade area has been increased.

Macon

Some clubs use the older "macon" style blades (also called "spoons" or "tulips" or "shovels") for novice crews, usually to develop the basic technique of the rower without the extra complexity of a cleaver blade. A minority of coaches favor macons, but it has been generally accepted since their introduction in 1992 that cleavers give a speed advantage over macons under most conditions.^{[ citation needed ]}

Macon blades are symmetrical, with an elliptical shape and a ridgeline running down the center of the blade face. The blade is squared off at the end. Despite the blade being symmetrical, modern asymmetrical collars or aesthetic issues regarding decorative paint on the blade face may dictate which side of the boat the blade can be rowed on.

Macon blades achieved prominence at the 1959 European Championship in Mâcon when they were used by the West German national team. West Germany won all the male sweep events that year, except the coxless four.

Square

Before macons a longer, thinner shape was used, known as "square" or "standard" blades. Some rowers of traditional skiffs use them but macons or wider oars dominate in dinghy rowing. A few racing shell clubs/coaches keep some for training for technique in their learner boats.

At any given moment a propelling blade seen stationary, outboard of that point shifts water providing guaranteed drive (linear velocity), and inboard of it relative drag (radial velocity). Shorter, wider blades concentrate the former yet must be in a design not liable to snap. Thus the development from standard to macon to cleaver is a progression from long, thin blades to shorter, wider ones and more durable material. Each stage is a reduction in the solid-2D-profile, current and eddies that, at typical speeds, may work the wrong way and chiefly in a purely radial way in favour of pure lineal velocity.

Related Research Articles

Rowing, sometimes 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 oarlocks, 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">Oar</span> Implement used for water-borne propulsion

An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Rowers grasp the oar at the other end.

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.

Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically attached to the boat, and the rower drives the oar like a lever, exerting force in the same direction as the boat's travel; while paddles are completely hand-held and have no attachment to the boat, and are driven like a cantilever, exerting force opposite to the intended direction of the boat.

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:

Croker Oars is an Australian manufacturer of rowing oars that was started by Howard Croker OAM in Sydney, Australia. They are now manufactured on Oxley Island, Taree, on the banks of the lower Manning River, in New South Wales. During the 1950s, Croker and his two brothers were students at Newington College and their father was a rowing coach at the school. Howard Croker went on to be a successful rower in the 1960s, winning both State and National rowing titles. Croker rowed for the then Haberfield Rowing Club at Dobroyd Point and was a coach in the years 1975 and 1976 at The Scots College. Croker Oars currently produce sculling and sweep oars for the Australian and international market. Croker also manufactures surf boat oars. Many elite rowers use Croker oars and together with Concept2 oars they make up the majority of oars used in international competition.

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.

In rowing, the stroke is the action of moving the oar through the water in order to propel the boat forward. The two fundamental reference points in the stroke are the catch where the oar blade is placed in the water, and the extraction where the oar blade is removed from the water. After the blade is placed in the water at the catch, the rower applies pressure to the oar levering the boat forward which is called the drive phase of the stroke. Once the rower extracts the oar from the water, the recovery phase begins, setting up the rower's body for the next stroke.

A single scull, abbreviated as a 1x, is a racing shell designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand.

Boats used in the sport of rowing may be adjusted in many different ways according to the needs of the crew, the type of racing, and anticipated rowing conditions. The primary objective of rigging a boat is to accommodate the different physiques and styles of rowing of the crew in such a way that the oars move in similar arcs through the water, thus improving the crew's efficiency and cohesiveness.

A quadruple sculling boat, often simply called a quad and abbreviated as a 4x, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four people who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, or "sculls", one in each hand.

<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.

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".

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 is an oar 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.

An octuple sculling shell, often simply called an oct and abbreviated as an 8x or 8x+, is a racing shell used in the sport of rowing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human-powered watercraft</span>

Human-powered watercraft are watercraft propelled only by human power, instead of being propelled by wind power or an engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stern sculling</span> Rowing technique

Stern sculling is the use of a single oar over the stern of a boat to propel it with side-to-side motions that create forward lift in the water. The strict terminology of propulsion by oar is complex and contradictory, and varies by context. Stern sculling may also simply be referred to as "sculling", most commonly so in a maritime situation. In fresh water, and particularly in sport rowing, sculling is use of two oars on either side of the boat by each person, in contrast to sweep rowing, whereby each boat crew member employs a single oar, complemented by another crew member working on the opposite side with their oar.

References

↑ "Croker USA". Archived from the original on August 27, 2002.
↑ "Oars and Sculls" (PDF). Concept 2. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
↑ "Sculling Oars". Croker Oars. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
↑ Miller, Bill. "The Development of Rowing Equipment". Friends of Rowing History. Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2016.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Croker USA". Archived from the original on August 27, 2002.

[2] "Oars and Sculls" (PDF). Concept 2. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.

[3] "Sculling Oars". Croker Oars. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.

[4] Miller, Bill. "The Development of Rowing Equipment". Friends of Rowing History. Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]