Empacher dominance

[FriarsRowing]

I’m looking forward to the day when a crew wins at the highest levels in a “lower level” companies boat and shows it’s not about the equipment. That will also help the sport be more accessible to a larger population maybe not at the top of the economic scale.

My favorite is seeing kids in older (less popular) singles crushing it

[rowing]

the alums would rather pony up for yellow, then it's a no brainer

You got the last part right.

[sandor]

I’m looking forward to the day when a crew wins at the highest levels in a “lower level” companies boat and shows it’s not about the equipment. That will also help the sport be more accessible to a larger population maybe not at the top of the economic scale.

My favorite is seeing kids in older (less popular) singles crushing it

Being that IRAa are not terribly accessible anyway, does what those few schools choose even matter?

Looking at photos from the Olympics, there is a much broader variety of boats.
Looking at the photos from women's NCAA championships, there is a much broader variety of boats.
Looking at photos of the junior racing, there is a much broader variety of boats.

The gated community of IRA schools will do what they do, but they are a small market compared to the rest of the college rowing world (women outnumber men what, 3:1?)
I think the sales network & push is probably the bigger key in terms of who races in what boat & with what oars.

[rowing]

Interesting that the same sport that defends Empmonkey see Empmonkey do also delights in watching a 17 year old take silver in the U23 W1x while rowing macon blades in a Swift.

Yep.

[str8four]

Thanks for the feedback. I will posit four "plausible" explanations for why college heavyweights show a clear preference for Empachers while Women and Lights do not (maybe a slight preference in some years, but not a clear one):
1. Heavys are psychologically fragile and don't feel they can perform unless they are rowing what the other top teams are rowing.
2. Heavys row so poorly (compared to Women and Lights) that they need an easy-to-set tub to produce reasonable speed.
3. Heavys have such great feel (compared to Women and Lights) they can tell subtle differences in performance between an Empacher and other shells.
4. Heavys have so much more power (compared to Women and Lights) and the "Empacher difference" only matters with that much power.

The other option is some percentage combination of the four explanations, which is where I'd lean.

[fullmetal]

Not every Empacher you see is brand new. FullSend's exchange rate reasoning was what I heard about the IRA scene a few years ago when the Euro weakened relative to the dollar.

There's also manufacturing capacity/scale. I doubt Empacher could promise enough boats to supply the entire US women's collegiate varsity landscape's demand + support + spare parts, so they're likely not pushing hard for sales/support contracts in the collegiate women's scene.

And as always...alumni donations sometimes come in the form of specific boats.

[ieatergsforbreakfast]

Thanks for the feedback. I will posit four "plausible" explanations for why college heavyweights show a clear preference for Empachers while Women and Lights do not (maybe a slight preference in some years, but not a clear one):
1. Heavys are psychologically fragile and don't feel they can perform unless they are rowing what the other top teams are rowing.
2. Heavys row so poorly (compared to Women and Lights) that they need an easy-to-set tub to produce reasonable speed.
3. Heavys have such great feel (compared to Women and Lights) they can tell subtle differences in performance between an Empacher and other shells.
4. Heavys have so much more power (compared to Women and Lights) and the "Empacher difference" only matters with that much power.

The other option is some percentage combination of the four explanations, which is where I'd lean.

I think we’ve solved the mystery, folks.

[KitD]

This topic has been discussed here a few times already. ISTR the prevailing opinion was that what the big programs want most of all is extensive and responsive after-sales service as much as boat quality (or colour).

[cjrows]

Thanks for the feedback. I will posit four "plausible" explanations for why college heavyweights show a clear preference for Empachers while Women and Lights do not (maybe a slight preference in some years, but not a clear one):
1. Heavys are psychologically fragile and don't feel they can perform unless they are rowing what the other top teams are rowing.
2. Heavys row so poorly (compared to Women and Lights) that they need an easy-to-set tub to produce reasonable speed.
3. Heavys have such great feel (compared to Women and Lights) they can tell subtle differences in performance between an Empacher and other shells.
4. Heavys have so much more power (compared to Women and Lights) and the "Empacher difference" only matters with that much power.

The other option is some percentage combination of the four explanations, which is where I'd lean.

I posit that it's the same reason men all wear tuxedos and women have to be different.......whatever reason that is......

[cjrows]

This topic has been discussed here a few times already. ISTR the prevailing opinion was that what the big programs want most of all is extensive and responsive after-sales service as much as boat quality (or colour).

Now THAT is funny......

[str8four]

5 of the 6 Dad Vail V8 Finalists (Drexel, Temple, Colgate, GW and Delaware) are rowing Empachers.

2022 is a really down year for Vails with only 13 V8 entries (no Michigan, Purdue, FIT, Marist, UVA, MIT, etc). I'm not sure if the low turnout stems from COVID, the loss of the AQ for IRA, or a combo of factors.

[rowing]

ACRA should provide an answer to some of those. If they don't show there either, it's the echo from 2020.

[sandor]

5 of the 6 Dad Vail V8 Finalists (Drexel, Temple, Colgate, GW and Delaware) are rowing Empachers.

2022 is a really down year for Vails with only 13 V8 entries (no Michigan, Purdue, FIT, Marist, UVA, MIT, etc). I'm not sure if the low turnout stems from COVID, the loss of the AQ for IRA, or a combo of factors.

But at least numbers are up from last year?

Michigan - not on their schedule https://michiganrowing.org/schedule/
UVA - not on their schedule https://aig.alumni.virginia.edu/virgini ... /schedule/
MIT heavies -not on their schedule https://mitathletics.com/sports/mcrewhv ... h=mcrewhvy


Purdue - on their schedule https://www.purduecrew.com/schedule
FIT - on their schedule https://floridatechsports.com/sports/me ... g/schedule
Marist - on their schedule https://goredfoxes.com/sports/mens-rowing/schedule
MIT LWT - on their schedule https://mitathletics.com/sports/mcrewlt/schedule

[andpaddle]

5 of the 6 Dad Vail V8 Finalists (Drexel, Temple, Colgate, GW and Delaware) are rowing Empachers.

2022 is a really down year for Vails with only 13 V8 entries (no Michigan, Purdue, FIT, Marist, UVA, MIT, etc). I'm not sure if the low turnout stems from COVID, the loss of the AQ for IRA, or a combo of factors.

I’m guessing it’s more budget and covid and not the sketchy AQ situation. MIT already qualified so no reason to go, FIT is racing the 4 so I’m guessing that’s all they’re sending to IRA. Marist is odd - as another poster said, it’s on their schedule. Otherwise, most of the varsity usual suspects are there, it’s the clubs that are missing.

[rowing]

Losing 18+ months of novice development can't be good for business.