Other Terms of Interest

• bow – the forward end of the shell; also used as the name of the person sitting nearest to the bow
  
• stern – the rear end of the shell
  
• port – the left side of the boat facing the bow
  
• starboard – the right side of the shell when facing the bow
  
• coxswain – the person who steers the shell and urges the rowers on during practices and in a race; a knowledgeable coxswain can also serve as a coach for the rowers and can be the difference between winning and losing a race
  
• the stroke – the rower sitting nearest the stern (and the coxswain, if there is one); responsible for setting the stroke length and cadence (with the coxswain’s gentle advice)
  
• ratio – the ratio of the recovery time to the drive time; recovery time should always be longer than the drive
  
• rating – the number of strokes per minute; also known as stroke rating
  
• set (set of a boat) – The definition that comes closest to what rowers mean by the set of a boat is “form or carriage of the body or of its parts.” The ‘body’ consists of the shell and the rowers. It is not unusual for rowers within a shell not to agree on what needs to occur to establish a “good” set, or a level, stable shell that will provide the basis for that symphony of motion. Items that can affect the set of the boat are the
  
• rower’s posture, hand levels
  
• rigging (the favorite culprit, especially with the more advanced rowers)
  
• timing at the catch and release
  
• outside conditions such as the wind
  
• backsplash – refers to the water thrown back towards the bow direction (towards the direction of motion of the shell) by the blade as it enters the water at the catch
  
• check – any abrupt deceleration of the shell caused by some uncontrolled motion within the shell; an interruption in the forward motion of the shell
  
• crab - a problem encountered by a rower when his or her oar gets ‘stuck’ in the water, usually right after the catch or just before the release, and is caused by improper squaring or feathering. The momentum of the shell can overcome the rower’s control of the oar. In more extreme cases, the rower can actually eject from the shell by the oar.
  
• jumping the slide – another problem encountered by a rower when the seat becomes derailed from the track during the rowing cycle
  
• missing water – the rower starts the drive before the catch has been completed (or even started in some cases); also referred to as a rowing into the catch
  
• skying – the fault of carrying the hands too low during the recovery especially when a rower dips his or hands just prior to the catch (a sort of winding up); usually results in the blade being too high off the water’s surface