The Racing Shell

Ever wonder how a boat that is so long and so delicately narrow and thin can be afloat in the water with nine people sitting in it? Well, I am here to clear things up a bit. I am going to start from the beginning of rowing time. When the racing shell was just beginning to find its shape.

The racing shell was designed based on the simple working rowboat that was used every day to transport goods and people. The sturdy hull designs, made from thick wood or metal, allowed for heavy loads and year around usage as they could withstand the constant beating of wear-and-tear. However, once boats with racing capabilities were developed in the 1800’s specifically for team racing, the same heavy materials could not be used. A more light-weight and sleek design was needed. This involved the difficult task of creating a narrower and longer boat with a sharper angle, while still remaining light and very strong. The process of lapstrake wood building was first introduction to create these boats in the early 19^th century. The labor intensive method of lapstrake wood boat building is where the edges of the boats hull planks overlap and then the planks are joined end to end into a strake. This old technique was developed in Europe and used by the Vikings, so it had to be somewhat strong. Unfortunately, due to the overlapping and hard wood that had to be used, this made the boats strong, but heavy, which detracted from the boats speed through the water. Slowly throughout rowing history, boat companies such as Resolute, Empacher, Vespoli to name a few, began to drift away from using heavy woods and instead used a composite material to decrease the weight and increase the strength. Early composite racing shells were produced from a mold of papier-mâché, which was popular in the 1870’s. The new and improved modern racing shells are now crafted out of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic that is set in a honeycomb structure. This provides an even stronger shell that lasts longer and maintains its shape through intense usage from a crew.

           

Why are there multiple racing shells companies if a boat is supposed to be made the same way with the same materials? The answer is that every company shapes their boats in unique ways that are special to the companies design. Some companies create boats that have a more prominent bow and that cuts through the water differently to maybe make the boat go faster. Some crew programs, especially at the collegiate or Olympic level, prefer specific boats that are made by a particular boat company based on how they feel the boat. The meaning behind “feeling” the boat can only be described by the crews that row in the shells. For example, how the boat sits in the water, high or low, and how the boat glides through the water, smoothly or roughly. These and many more are factors that crew programs take into consideration before buying a boat.

Interestingly, every boat company has their own thoughts on what makes a boat go faster and that is way they shape their boats the way they do. However, no company can fully prove that their boat design, with the minor changes that are different from the competitor products, is better and faster. This is because there is physically no way to accurately test the boats and compare with the various hull designs and modifications due to a row on the water being different than the next row on the water. Therefore, the companies name rests at the mercy of their boats dependability, attention to detail, and the big races that are won in them, such as at the Olympics.

Another important feature for the boats are the sliding seats that allow for the rower to move back and forth with ease while rowing with his/her oar. Now, it was not always like this. Back in the day, when rowing was first becoming a sport. The rowers did not have the luxury of the sliding seats, but rather wore thick and padded leather trousers that were greased so that they could slide back and forth while maneuvering the oar. Eventually, the sliding seat with tracks and four wheels on the bottom was invented and immediately implemented into the developing racing shells.

Lastly, the rowing shoes are an essentially part to the boat. Rowers do not just wear any ordinary shoes in the boat, as normal athletic shoes are too thick and would cause blisters to form on the feet. Also, there would be no logical way to attach them to the hull. Racing shells have evolved to have a foot plate where stationary shoes are attached at a sixty-five degree angle. The shoes themselves can pivot at the heel to get extra compression with the legs. The rowers uses the shoes with socks and straps in with either Velcro or ties. It is very important that the boat company makes good quality shoes that are padded just enough for comfort, but are not too heavy that they add extra weight to the overall boat. Some companies are now even designing special shoes that make the compression with the legs at the catch more efficient by inserting an elevation piece to make the whole foot become involved in the leg press.

As any rower knows, and now the reader as well, boat companies are constantly trying to make their boats faster and popular by advertising and showing the great crews that won races in them. Their reputation is in the hands of the rowers competing in their shells. The quality and sophistication of the boats are transforming the sport and the way people think about rowing. This is why the racing shell is a vital component to a racers speed.