Rowing Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms rowers, coaches, parents and beginners run into. Written by active rowers, with the racing, equipment and technique context most dictionaries leave out.
Race formats
How rowing races are organised, structured and run.
Regatta
A series of side-by-side rowing races at one venue, typically over 1,000m or 2,000m. The format used at the NZ Rowing Championships, the Maadi Cup, and the Olympics.
Head race
A time trial where boats start at intervals over a 4,000m to 7,000m river course. Run through autumn and winter in New Zealand.
People in the boat
The roles, responsibilities and seat positions in a rowing crew.
Coxswain (cox)
The person who sits in the stern of a coxed boat steering, calling commands and managing race strategy. Coxswains direct the crew but do not row.
Stroke seat
The rower closest to the stern, who sets the rate and rhythm for the rest of the crew.
Boats and equipment
Boats, blades, riggers and the gear that goes around them.
Rowing shell
The long, narrow racing boat used in competitive rowing. Carbon fibre over a foam core, ranging from 8.2m for a single to 19.9m for an eight.
Rowing boat types
All eight standard racing shells: single, double, pair, quad, coxless four, coxed four, eight and octuple. Sweep vs sculling, dimensions and crew sizes.
Scull
A rowing oar held in one hand. Sculling rowers hold two sculls; sweep rowers hold one oar with both hands. The two disciplines of rowing.
Cox box
The cox's electronic dashboard: amplifier, stroke-rate sensor and timer in one unit.
Rigger
The metal arm extending from the side of the shell that holds the oar. Provides leverage for the stroke. Anatomy, materials and rigging adjustments.
Stroke phases
The four phases of every rowing stroke and the blade-turn motion that links them.
Catch
The moment the blade enters the water at full reach. The front end of the stroke. Position, timing and common errors.
Drive
The propulsive phase from catch to finish. Legs first, then back, then arms. Where boat speed is made.
Finish
The end of the drive when the blade leaves the water. Body position, blade extraction and washing out.
Recovery
The non-propulsive return from finish to catch. Hands away, body forward, slide forward. Why a slow recovery produces a faster boat.
Feathering
Rotating the oar 90 degrees on the recovery so the blade is parallel to the water. Mechanics, timing and square-blade rowing.
Training and technique
The pace zones, ergometer concepts and stroke phases that make up rowing training.
Ergometer (erg)
The indoor rowing machine that measures power. The Concept2 RowErg has been the competitive standard since the mid-1980s. Watts, splits, calories and drag factor explained.
Catching a crab
When the blade gets stuck mid-stroke and drives the oar handle into the rower. The most famous rowing mishap. Causes, recovery and prevention.
Erg pace calculator
Convert 500m split to time, watts and calories. Predict erg scores across 2k, 5k, 6k and 10k using the Concept2 formula.
Stroke rate
The number of strokes per minute the crew is rating. Standard ranges from UT2 (18-20) to race pace (32-38).
About this glossary
Rowing carries more specialist vocabulary than most sports, and New Zealand rowing adds its own layer - Rowing NZ rules, Maadi Cup traditions, regional association structures, and a competitive calendar that blends school, club, university and masters rowing into a tightly connected national programme. Someone arriving at Waitemata RC or joining a Canterbury programme for the first time will hear dozens of unfamiliar terms in a single session. This glossary gives you clear definitions without stripping out the technical depth that experienced rowers need.
Each entry covers what the term means, how it is used on the water, and - where relevant - how NZ usage compares with British conventions. Where a term connects to the practical side of running a club, you'll find links to the relevant Row HQ features - regatta entry management, coach tools, session scheduling and so on.
Missing a term? Send it our way and we'll add it. The glossary is built from questions that real rowers, parents and club administrators actually ask.
Run a club? Stop explaining the same things twice.
Row HQ gives every member their own portal with sessions, crew lists, regatta entries and an FAQ that doesn't live in the secretary's head.