Drag and power-loss in rowing due to velocity fluctuations

The flow motions in the turbulent boundary layer between water and a rowing boat initiate a turbulent skin friction. Reducing this skin friction results in better rowing performances. A Taylor-Couette (TC) facility was used to verify the power losses due to velocity fluctuations P_V′ in relation to the total power, as a function of...

Drag reduction by applying speedstrips on rowing oars

The objective of this study was to determine the advantage of the application of speedstrips to rowing oars for a lightweight single sculler. The research method comprehended three steps: (1) the analysis of the rowing oar movement, (2) the determination of the change in drag and (3) the composition of a rowing model to establish the...

Rowing faster by surface treatment

The largest part of hydrodynamic drag during rowing, sailing or canoeing is the turbulent skin friction (80-90%). Higher velocities can be achieved by reducing the friction drag as a result of surface treatment. This research focuses on the development, characterization, and testing of drag-reducing surfaces, like nano- and micro-structured...

Development of an innovative single scull for the recreational rower

Rowing is a sport which requires a proper technique, strong core balance, physical strength and endurance. Rowing boats designed for competition are built of epoxy laminate with glass or carbon reinforcement; they are lightweight, stiff, long, and narrow to achieve minimal water resistance. However, this makes them extremely unstable and...

Simulation of the dynamics of an olympic rowing boat

A tool for the prediction of the performances of olympic rowing boats is presented and discussed. The equations of motion for the dynamical system composed by the boat, oars and oarsmen are obtained by means of suitable models for the rowers motion, oar forces and fluid-structure intercation forces. The proposed algorithm is implemented in a C++...