Steering command suggestions for the 2x?

[Bucky]

for racing in the 2x, what simple commands/communication by bow to stroke work to make course changes during a race?
Directives given in a pair are easier, maybe. In the pair, a bow command like "Stbd 1" directs the stroke to turn to starboard with the rudder just a bit, "port 2", would communicate a bigger turn and to port, and "port 3" means crank the toe to port hard.
But in the double, "port 1 might mean reach long and pull hard with the port oar, so I have found.
What do you do or coach?

[sul]

for racing in the 2x, what simple commands/communication by bow to stroke work to make course changes during a race?
Directives given in a pair are easier, maybe. In the pair, a bow command like "Stbd 1" directs the stroke to turn to starboard with the rudder just a bit, "port 2", would communicate a bigger turn and to port, and "port 3" means crank the toe to port hard.
But in the double, "port 1 might mean reach long and pull hard with the port oar, so I have found.
What do you do or coach?

Always taught power first, rudder next resort - the less rudder the better. hard port, hard stbd 1 or 2 if you need a lot of correction or taking a fairly sharp turn, else bowman corrects by himself, letting the stroke know.

If the bow needs help, it's PORT 1 PORT 2 - "enough" means you are driving harder on the portside to bring the boat to starboard.

bow says "course" when he's either making correction on his own, or going through some extreme motions to look around, IE not part of the stroke flow.

"got a point" or "point" means bow has a straight line, stroke can mark it and help keep course, particularly in cross wind.

Except in tight extreme turns, make course corrections with the leg power, not by reaching or pulling. drive on one foot harder, and that translates through
the body. When you pull around, or reach to get the extra power on one side, it might take a dozen strokes after you are straight before you re-establish
a good connection to the feet again (if at all!).

The case where one rower is telling the toe to make corrections is news to me! Why not give the person responsible for steering the toe?

[lt.wolf]

I would only have a rudder in a double for an extreme head race like the Charles. Otherwise not needed .

Commands I use when bowing double or quad

Starboard / Port blades for two or three

Starboard / Port side keep hitting hit

even - for even pressure , means you have a point .

Stop ! when in doubt , stop . Dont risk it .

[Steven M-M]

I say resist the evil sweep empire's hegemonic control over the beautiful world of sculling. When I bow a 2x (usually my own, so I get to make the rules), I prefer the simple command of "left" or "right" meaning left or right pressure on the foot and oar until I say "even." Simple, unambiguous commands are best. (As in a 1x, you can do modest steering adjustments in a 2x with just different pressure on the footstretcher.) Sometimes it is "hard left or right" which usually involves letting up a little on the opposite hand. And STOP means feathered (not squared) blades slammed hard into the water by raising the handles. Once you are nearly stopped, you square underwater. This, btw, is an essential, but completely overlooked, skill in boat-person-ship. (See Rudern, p. 96.) (Caveat: as any of my 2x partners will testify, I suck at steering.)

[Sarge]

"Right Leg" or "Left Leg" and tell your partner for how many. Using this focus taps the boat around and makes the turn "snappier" and less of a drawn-out affair.

[boston_1x]

& reduce the finish angle, pop the rate up 2... use the front end of the outside arc to push the bow over

most steering, bow can do on their own

forget rudders... w/ oars you can accelerate through a turn. rudders are only good for slowing you down.

[KitD]

& reduce the finish angle, pop the rate up 2... use the front end of the outside arc to push the bow over

most steering, bow can do on their own

forget rudders... w/ oars you can accelerate through a turn. rudders are only good for slowing you down.

Carl Douglas strongly disagrees. A proper rudder incurs much less drag than a fin being pushed sideways through the water and unbalanced power application. He even advocates having them on singles if the boat will be raced regularly on bendy courses.

[lt.wolf]

Keep it simple, do what boston says.

[KiwiCanuck]

I know a fellow who installed a rudder on his 1X - he rowed a LOT on Karapiro where there's very often a side-wind. If you're going to try to row in a course that regularly has side-winds it may be to your advantage to use a rudder to keep you headed in the right part of the lane rather than wearing out one side of your body fighting the wind. Head races where there are long curves may be made more tolerable by including a rudder. I recognize that it's not traditional, and it's another distraction for bow or stroke to have a steering foot but there are benefits to be had from including a rudder.

But if we never changed traditions in this sport we'd still wearing leather pads on our bums with lanolin grease (or is that just an ancient myth?), using pencil oars with leathers, and have a bench to sit on rather than a rolling seat. Oarlocks? Wood pins on the gunwale of our 4 foot wide boat.

[yeahbuddy]

does carl douglas install rudders in his singles ?

[KitD]

does carl douglas install rudders in his singles ?

He will do if you ask him. He'll use his Aerowfin system, where the trailing edge of the fin pivots and acts as the rudder.

Edit: sorry, Hypersteer is the fin+rudder.

[Nosmo]

After years of rowing a double without a rudder our club recently got a Hudson double with one. I'm sold on the rudder. It may not make much difference on straight courses but it is much much better for anything with significant turns. It does not slow the boat down as much as turning with power--this seems true for experienced skilled scullers and is especially true for less skilled scullers.

As for commands. "Port", "Starboard", "Even" and "Point", with minimal modifiers such as "two on Port" or "Hard on Starboard" covers about all one needs.

[tpj]

Say what you will rowing purists, but we just use "left" and "right" to indicate which side to pull harder with for steering. No processing by the brain required - highly beneficial when lactate levels are through the roof and your brain is mostly occupied with trying to figure out how exactly you are going to finish the race without an implosion occurring.

[Coach P]

My two pence (very little relation to the original question sorry...) A rudder is by far the fastest way to race a 2x on anything other than clinically still straight water. You may have personal preferences, but from a cold hard factual point of view a rudder does give a higher potential speed over the course.

If you are turning using pressure you will have to row longer on one side than the other or you will catch/finish at different times on each side. The best way to turn with pressure is to place the blade further out at the catch on one side and push slightly harder on that side throughout with the aim of finishing with both hands in a normal symmetrical position. This will (hopefully) lead to the smoothest and most efficient turn possible with pressure steering. Placing the blades accurately enough to do this requires a lot more skill and adaptability than the regular symmetrical 'straight line' stroke - you will also have problems with this if you are a less 'robust' athlete who has trained a closed skill very hard but has become very rigid and stiff.

The way I coach it is similar to the sweep stroke. The chest rotates slightly to one side and follows that handle off centre (a small sweep oar movement). This leads to one side placing slightly short and the other side slightly long. The trunk will naturally want to revert to symmetrical during the drive and will draw one blade through harder during the course of the drive.

Back to the question: I remember once upon a time just using 'harder red' and 'harder green' because all the oars we used had clear coloured markers on them. No problems for anyone be they rowers or coxes looking for emergency manoeuvres.