Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T16:51:55.967Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A METHOD OF IMPROVING OAR EFFICIENCY

Part of: Physiological, cellular and medical topics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2009

MAURICE N. BREARLEY
MAURICE N. BREARLEY*
Affiliation:
2/29 Clifton Springs Road, Drysdale, Victoria 3222, Australia
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In boats used for competitive rowing it is traditional for the rowers to use strokes in which the angle between the oar shaft and the perpendicular to the hull centre line is much greater at the catch than it is at the end of the power stroke. As a result, the oar blade is even more inefficient in its action at the catch than it is at the end of the power stroke. This paper shows how boat performance in a race would be improved by reducing the difference in these starting and finishing angles. The claim of improved race performance is supported by a detailed investigation of the dynamics involved in the case of a particular coxless pair whose performance has been recorded by the Australian Institute of Sport. We also suggest an easy way to make the necessary change in boat design.

Keywords

oar efficiencycoxless pair

MSC classification

Secondary: 92C10: Biomechanics
Type
Research Article
Information
The ANZIAM Journal , Volume 50 , Issue 4 , April 2009 , pp. 534 - 540
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Mathematical Society 2009

References

[1]Australian Sports Commission, , AIS Rowing Telemetry System (Internal Report, 1995).Google Scholar
[2]Brearley, M. N. and de Mestre, N. J., “Improving the efficiency of racing shell oars”, Math. Gaz. 84 (2000) 405–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[3]Wellicome, J. F., “Report on resistance experiments carried out on three racing shells”, Nat. Phys. Lab. Ship T.M. (1967) 184.Google Scholar