Rowing Illustrated

It all comes down to 90% the rower and 10% the equipment. Having said that, I have to admit to having tried out the foils on a pair of Croker Arrows for six months. I raced with them but didn't seem to be going any faster. Then on a bad day in windy choppy conditions, I found them really scary to ro...

Weird that you would catch the tops of waves with the hanging belly of the Fat blade, but not the Comp, as they are precisely the same width. Maybe because of different rigging? I cannot get past the lack of connection at the finish for either of them. My favorite continues to be original issue cle...

Over the last three months I've been testing the C2 Fat2 v Croker S39 Arrows v C2 Skinny Comp oars. I already own the S39 arrows but borrowed the other two C2 oars. I tested them with my Fluidesign single over the same stretch of water using nothing more scientific than two NK stroke coaches ( GPS &...

Over the last three months I've been testing the C2 Fat2 v Croker S39 Arrows v C2 Skinny Comp oars. I already own the S39 arrows but borrowed the other two C2 oars. I tested them with my Fluidesign single over the same stretch of water using nothing more scientific than two NK stroke coaches ( GPS &...

What was your rig for both? What sort of workout and rates? My previous rig with Croker Arrows was: Spread 157cm, Inboard 87cm Outboard 197 cm I rowed with Fat2s again this morning. About 13km rating between 28 and 31 spm, mostly up tempo steady state, but no race pieces. I noticed this morning tha...

It was a beautiful summer's morning on the Yarra today, so when I went for a scull in my Fluid, I borrowed my friends C2 Fat2s with skinny shafts. I've always been a Croker man, through and through, so I went in as sceptical as can be, expecting a dog of a row. I made no adjustments to the oars or r...

With nobody currently "in charge" in the USA, new daily cases have surged past 100,000. In contrast, Australia's heavy handed strict approach to combating the virus, is now paying dividends with currently zero daily cases for the whole of the country. Manufacture of the Oxford vaccine begi...

"At what cost ? To GDP? And to mental health and suicide rates ?" Two interesting points: 1) Cost to GDP??? Well, just before going into the Covid-19 crisis, Australia posted a substantial economic budget surplus. Therefore, unlike many other countries in the world, it was well placed econ...

So if they are producing a new cockpit, I imagine this is to be able top accommodate the new carbon rigger. Therefore, is it correct to assume that the new carbon rigger won't retro fit existing Fluids?

With zero new Covid-19 cases and deaths recently in many Australian States (less than 20 new cases nationally), Australia is now easing restrictions and crew rowing commences on Wednesday. Summer is just over a month away and regattas are already being planned. Australia & New Zealand have prove...

My Fluidesign 1x is now 10 years old and has endured heavy use over that period. To date it's been very reliable. I look after it the best I can with regular maintenance. However, I have seen photo's of failed Fluid riggers from aluminium fatigue. One in particular on the Rec sport website with the ...

Goretti just won his 1x semi final quite easily at the worlds using Randall Foils. The British commentator calling the race wouldn't stop talking about them. Looks like lots of free advertising for the foils. Did anyone notice the constant jerky/wobble in the first part of Goretti's stroke throughou...

To all you doubters and hecklers out there that need scientific evidence before you get on-board with a new product: I've been using Randall Foils with Braca-Sport oars for the past month and are 100% certain that they offer at least one advantage over oars without them. STABILITY. I don't give a ra...

I borrowed my friends C2 oars with the Randallfoil this morning. Conditions were perfect. Warm sunny morning, no wind and flat water. Initially I tried them with 4 degrees pitch and it didn't feel right so I changed it to 3 degrees. The first thing I noticed, without any concentration on technique, ...

He attached them to his C2 sculling oars, which also have the vortex edge Is that like using a condom and a diaphragm? Given how few elite crews are using the vortex tips these days, you might have some variable creep in play. Simplify. Isolate. Quantify. Perhaps! One might compliment the other, vo...