2017 Schools Rowing

[Time there]

carbon can fail along a stress fracture from a previous impact.

This has lead to the development of the Croker stress testing machine to determine wether an oar is violable to race with. Originally used in manufacturing process this machine is now also used to test the strength, flexibility and durability of oars before big races especially after a clash in training. This machine determines wether there is a stress fracture then Croker staff can fix the fracture before the race. I am unsure of this being implemented in GPS racing but as previously stated it is used in the rowing community and I am sure the 8 Aussie boats going to Rotterdam will have their oars tested before they race. Regardless with some of the schools budgets it will soon filter down into GPS level anyways.

 

[Geoff Geoff]

This has lead to the development of the Croker stress testing machine to determine wether an oar is violable to race with. Originally used in manufacturing process this machine is now also used to test the strength, flexibility and durability of oars before big races especially after a clash in training. This machine determines wether there is a stress fracture then Croker staff can fix the fracture before the race. I am unsure of this being implemented in GPS racing but as previously stated it is used in the rowing community and I am sure the 8 Aussie boats going to Rotterdam will have their oars tested before they race. Regardless with some of the schools budgets it will soon filter down into GPS level anyways.

I was unaware, that's very cool indeed

 

[LuvToRo]

carbon can fail along a stress fracture from a previous impact.

Maybe a forum member has some inside info on any program which has broken 10 in a season, seems like poor upkeep/standard to me. Expensive at the least.

GPS schools I've been around pass down equipment from seniors through juniors so for e.g. A set of sweep blades may have gone through a few seasons of use without breakage before hitting the juniors.

I'll be sure to ask those in the know when next on Oxley island.

I have been involved with a GPS boat club previously for about 7 years with Carbon oars. It varies a lot between different schools with equipment. Some purchase new boats for the top few crews every few seasons 1st VIII - 1st IV and generally with a purchase of a new boat new oars will be purchased to go with the boat. Other schools have a hand down system where a new boat will be purchased for the 1st VIII and 1st IV and then handed over the years when they decide to buy a new boat for the 1st VIII both way are functional and work well i believe but the former obviously costs a lot more, depending on which manufacturer the school buys from.

In terms of upkeep, theres not a huge amount you can do but avoid smashing them into things off the water and washing them. They cost about $700 each i believe for a set of Croker Arrows which are the equivalent of the Concept 2 Skinny oars.

I am yet to see any GPS 1st VIII row with Concept 2 oars but i believe the Joeys 1st and 2nd IV row with them i also know that most of the Melbourne crews row with them. Must be much more of a pain to C2's as they are an international manufacturer and repairs and replacements would be a hassle. Whereas Croker are just up in Taree which is more convinient.

 

[SBrow]

I am yet to see any GPS 1st VIII row with Concept 2 oars but i believe the Joeys 1st and 2nd IV row with them i also know that most of the Melbourne crews row with them. Must be much more of a pain to C2's as they are an international manufacturer and repairs and replacements would be a hassle. Whereas Croker are just up in Taree which is more convinient.

Joeys rowed with them two years ago, Shore had them around 2010 or so (when they had their empacher) and King's had them at a similar time and now their Junior eights row with them

 

[Geoff Geoff]

I have been involved with a GPS boat club previously for about 7 years with Carbon oars. It varies a lot between different schools with equipment. Some purchase new boats for the top few crews every few seasons 1st VIII - 1st IV and generally with a purchase of a new boat new oars will be purchased to go with the boat. Other schools have a hand down system where a new boat will be purchased for the 1st VIII and 1st IV and then handed over the years when they decide to buy a new boat for the 1st VIII both way are functional and work well i believe but the former obviously costs a lot more, depending on which manufacturer the school buys from.

In terms of upkeep, theres not a huge amount you can do but avoid smashing them into things off the water and washing them. They cost about $700 each i believe for a set of Croker Arrows which are the equivalent of the Concept 2 Skinny oars.

I am yet to see any GPS 1st VIII row with Concept 2 oars but i believe the Joeys 1st and 2nd IV row with them i also know that most of the Melbourne crews row with them. Must be much more of a pain to C2's as they are an international manufacturer and repairs and replacements would be a hassle. Whereas Croker are just up in Taree which is more convinient.

Yeah both ways make sense. I was being facetious when asking if 10 had been broken in a season I thought werever that was must've been neglectful.

Always preferred Crokers to C2. I felt the blade "locked on" better at the catch and the rubber grips on C2 handle also weren't greet for the hands

 

[Geoff Geoff]

Barry I could catch you up....

You raise a good point re 150 pars in a shed, still id say that's fairly unlucky breaking 10 in a seaso. And wouldn't consider as commonplace. I don't know though maybe sheds other than those I've been involved with are breaking more oars?

 

[SBrow]

Just though I would get this blog back on track with something relevant to NSW schools, in particular GPS schools training on the Parramatta River. See the link below about a new rowing club in Homebush Bay that has been approved for development. If I could put forward my view, from a GPS rowing perspective, any new water activities on the Parramatta River is only going to add to a more congested water way and likely to be detrimental to GPS programs on the river. On the other hand, any expansion of rowing should be viewed as a positive. I am interested to see what others think about this development? (note, this is a different development that the one recently lobbied against by Rowing NSW)

https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/wentworth-point-rowing-club/

Would be great for a school to lease this, possibly a smaller girls school without their own shed, Tara who row out of Balmain? Plc who row out of Leichardt? Seems more likely than a new club being formed

 

[L.Hudsen]

Watching IV The Wins link on the previous page the Ignatius 8 snapped all of stroke sides oars (4) on what looked like the Gold cup pylon if my memory is correct. So one misfortunate day of racing can indeed cause a loss of a hefty chuck of a budget. This is highlighted by Shore at the 2016 Gold Cup as they racked up a few thousand in expenses damaging a numerous boats according to parents. Perhaps all coxswains should practice the course before the race.

 

[formerflanker]

This is highlighted by Shore at the 2016 Gold Cup as they racked up a few thousand in expenses damaging a numerous boats according to parents. Perhaps all coxswains should practice the course before the race.

Any former or current coxs out there? How the heck does a short cox see down the course with 8 hefty lumps of rowers between them and the view of the course?

 

[LuvToRo]

Any former or current coxs out there? How the heck does a short cox see down the course with 8 hefty lumps of rowers between them and the view of the course?

I was a cox during my time. I cant really say what its like for short coxes because i was the tallest cox in the shed. You just need to have a really good sense of placement of your boat particularly at gold cup as it can get quite interesting out of the start and obviously at the corner. You also need pick a very fine landmark and stick to it and know how you are going to take the corner. When i was a bit shorter, without unbalancing the boat i just took a slight peer around the stroke seat. Its a bit like driving a car with a big sticker of a man on the windscreen.

As much as i watch that Riverview 1st VIII crash into the pylon, i still can't understand how the coxswain managed to do it. especially on his home course where he trains every afternoon for 6 months. There are the bright boys on each side of the course so you know if your drifting over to one side.

L.Hudsen

As far as i am concerned most Coxswains do practice the course even if they are not part of the Riverview boat club, i think it is in the heat of racing that clashes occur. I can't believe that the Shore 1st and 2nd VIII coxes that 'racked' up a few thousand in expenses did not know the course properly last season.

Any other Coxes out there that want to comment??

 

[bigmac]

I was a cox during my time. I cant really say what its like for short coxes because i was the tallest cox in the shed. You just need to have a really good sense of placement of your boat particularly at gold cup as it can get quite interesting out of the start and obviously at the corner. You also need pick a very fine landmark and stick to it and know how you are going to take the corner. When i was a bit shorter, without unbalancing the boat i just took a slight peer around the stroke seat. Its a bit like driving a car with a big sticker of a man on the windscreen.

As much as i watch that Riverview 1st VIII crash into the pylon, i still can't understand how the coxswain managed to do it. especially on his home course where he trains every afternoon for 6 months. There are the bright boys on each side of the course so you know if your drifting over to one side.

L.Hudsen

As far as i am concerned most Coxswains do practice the course even if they are not part of the Riverview boat club, i think it is in the heat of racing that clashes occur. I can't believe that the Shore 1st and 2nd VIII coxes that 'racked' up a few thousand in expenses did not know the course properly last season.

Any other Coxes out there that want to comment??

Kings cox in 93 gold cup had a horror crash with the pylon. Tore the guts out of their flashy black carbon boat just before the hor.
Magic to watch from the sideline. Felt sorry for him though.

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[LuvToRo]

Due to the forces at race pace when sitting in the cox seat in an eight, you have to sit in a braced forward position, thus lowering you height of visibility in the boat. It is hard to hold yourself in an upright position. You also tend to look down a lot at the cox box display and focus on the stroke and the blades. You don't do big lean outs of the boat to look at the course as this would stuff the balance. The sound from the race umpire is also a blur as it is difficult to hear much over the sound of your own speaker system, the noise of the puddles and crew and the sound from the other boats. The crash clip makes it seem like the coxswain was not listening to the umpire, when in fact the directions were unlikely to be heard. The familiarity of the course should have been an asset for the cox, but there is a huge amount going on in a race that distracts the attention. Even the best people make mistakes in any field. It is easy to sit back and laugh at this crash, but the after effects for the coxswain would have been heavy and long lasting. This one is old news and it would be good to move in from it.

Serious question. Have you coxed before and if so at which boat club?

 

[bigmac]

The Kings '93 crash was carnage. If I recall correctly, the boat was either written off or needed major repairs. It was a disaster of a day for them and then they won the HOR a week later. The boys were very impressive the way they bounced back from that incident.

It got fixed just in time for hor.
I knew the five seat who required stitches in his head from flying carbon.

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[BOAT]

The Kings '93 crash was carnage. If I recall correctly, the boat was either written off or needed major repairs. It was a disaster of a day for them and then they won the HOR a week later. The boys were very impressive the way they bounced back from that incident.

Wow i never heard of this incident before, what exactly happened ?

 

[L.Hudsen]

[L.Hudsen I can't believe that the Shore 1st and 2nd VIII coxes that 'racked' up a few thousand in expenses did not know the course properly last season.

Luv to row, I believe it wasn't just the 1st and 2nd 8 but some of the Jnr boats were also damaged - accounting for a very expensive day for shore according to my sources .

 

[bigmac]

Wow i never heard of this incident before, what exactly happened ?

Final of schools first eight not gold cup final. Cox misjudged it badly. Could see it happening from the banks as the cox drifted then the riggers slammed into the pylon at full speed. The sound of cracking carbon and yelling rippled right across the water. Pieces of carbon flying. Five seat copped a nasty head wound.

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[behindtheshed]

Here here.

where? where? oh, you mean, "hear, hear".

 

[behindtheshed]

This is a school rowing blog, read widely by school kids. Bex was a highly addictive medication that was banned some time ago. It is hardly appropriate to make such a suggestion on this forum.

Classic!

 

[LuvToRo]

Luv to row, I believe it wasn't just the 1st and 2nd 8 but some of the Jnr boats were also damaged - accounting for a very expensive day for shore according to my sources .

I can't recall any of the Shore junior crews having any problems i watched the whole regatta myself, I'm happy to be wrong though. I also believe the Scots 1st VIII lost the blade of the bow seat early on in one of their races but i think it was the 2nd VIII final that was the most interesting with a blade snapping at the corner and Shore with 7 rowers just managing to hold off a fast Scots boat. From where i was standing i actually thought Scots had won due to their celebration and the fact that the finish line was obstructed due to it being in the middle of the wharf.

 

[RowingAcademy]

Just a request - Could we possibly get a poll up for HOTR winner. Similar to last seasons page.