Steering adding distance

[DAW118]

Does anyone remember reading anything a while back of how much distance would be added if a boat snaked their way down a 2000 meter course in their lane?

[sandor]

Does anyone remember reading anything a while back of how much distance would be added if a boat snaked their way down a 2000 meter course in their lane?

calculus?

the arc length of a parabola multiplied by the number of times that parabola occurs in the 2000 meter course.
so the variables that would make a big difference would be boat length & boat speed.
both which would play a rather large factor into the diameter of the parabola.

assuming a 2000 meter course, FISA 13.5 meter lane width, and a parabola diameter (aka how far down the course you move while bouncing off one side of the lane) of either 2x boat length or 3x boat length (i wouldn't be surprised if real serpentine rowing was more like 3-4x boat lengths per parabola...)

this is me trying to remember high school calculus. please excuse decades of altered memory.

lane.jpg (85.6 KiB) Viewed 2612 times

EDIT***

just for good measure, if the diameter of the parabola (point A to B) is 4x boat length for an 8+, the total distance rowed is 2037.35 meters


40 meter parabola diameter = 2142.89 (i.e. an 8+ touched the opposite buoys 50 times)
60 meter parabola diameter = 2065.58 (i.e. an 8+ touched the opposite buoys 33 times)
80 meter parabola diameter = 2037.35 (i.e. an 8+ touched the opposite buoys 25 times)

[fullmetal]

The amplitude is much less if you assume that the oars stay within the lane buoys--what you have illustrates the hull (stern) staying between the lane buoys.

I think the worst of poor steering is the decreased speed and increased hydrodynamic friction you get from a shell not pointed in the direction of its momentum. That's a more complex problem...

[1xsculler]

I don't care to even look at the math as I know not going straight in a 1k or 2k costs you seconds and will cost you a lot more seconds in a 5k. Course and boat management are critical, IMHO.

[KitD]

The amplitude is much less if you assume that the oars stay within the lane buoys--what you have illustrates the hull (stern) staying between the lane buoys.

I think the worst of poor steering is the decreased speed and increased hydrodynamic friction you get from a shell not pointed in the direction of its momentum. That's a more complex problem...

There's been a discussion on RSR recently about the effectiveness of forward skegs/canards on minimising drag losses due to steering and crosswinds. It's something I wouldn't mind seeing a Boat Race crew try, given that the cox has to spend about as much time on the rudder than not.

[Rowcoach]

On the Tideway if you get your boat in the right place in the stream you hardly use any rudder. Assuming you are going with the tide.

[masterscox]

Exactly how many meters do you save at the Head of the Charles if you place starboard riggers over the buoys all the way around Magazine Beach, and then port riggers over the buoys all the way around "the big bend" leading to Elliot bridge, compared with having the buoys one meter outside of your blades all the time? (i.e. is it worth the risk of misjudging and accidentally missing one buoy, or getting one caught on a blade?)

[sandor]

Exactly how many meters do you save at the Head of the Charles if you place starboard riggers over the buoys all the way around Magazine Beach, and then port riggers over the buoys all the way around "the big bend" leading to Elliot bridge, compared with having the buoys one meter outside of your blades all the time? (i.e. is it worth the risk of misjudging and accidentally missing one buoy, or getting one caught on a blade?)

quick & dirty method:
lay down a courses on a GPS tracking app, following the HOCR course, and then lay down a parallel one 2 meters off it.



***EDIT
eh, Gaia GPS doesnt go down to a fine enough resolution to make a difference.
Magazine Beach had 1100 m for both tracks i laid.

That means a couple things - even if it is mathematically significant for those two curves:
rowing nervous over the buoy line will probably cost you more
you can probably make the distance up by taking the inside line on other curves


***EDIT 2
for a 1000 m, 180 degree curve, a 2 m "offset" increases the length to 1006 meters

(1/2c=πd)

[fullmetal]

It's not even worth the first buoy (5 sec penalty), much less any subsequent buoys (10 sec each).

Having said that, steering a turn while maintaining best speed should probably be approached as a race car driver would, right along the racing line.