The Science of Rowing Shells

Rowing became a popular sport in the US in the late 19th century, and it wasn't long before it became a racing sport. Since then, rowboats have developed into contemporary rowing shells, applying scientific principles to make them as fast as possible.

Rowing shells are now very long and narrow to reduce drag and resistance. If you cut across the middle of a rowing shell, you'll see it has a semicircular shape. The rounded shape also reduces drag, but it also makes them very unstable in the water; part of the skill of rowing is being able to balance the rowing shell. As shells get lighter and sit higher on the water, aerodynamics are as important as water dynamics.

Originally, oars were attached to the boat's gunwales. Rowing shells use outriggers to hold the oars, which places them away from the boat. Putting the oars on outriggers allowed the boats to get narrower. Since the oarlock serves as a fulcrum, putting them on outriggers also allowed for longer oars, which means more powerful strokes with the same effort.

In the 19th century, when people raced rowboats, well-developed arm muscles won the races. Now rowing shells have sliding seats that allow you to use your leg muscles as well as your arms, resulting in much more powerful strokes.

The current technical horizon for rowing shells is weight. Designers search for ever-lighter materials that still have the strength to carry the weight of a rower and to resist the stress of moving rapidly through water. Although rowing shells for recreational rowers may still be made of wood or fiberglass, racing shells are usually made of polycarbonate. It will be interesting to see where 21st century technology takes rowing shells and racing.