Rules for which boats require a rudder

[Leif]

I have lurked in the group for quite some time and gleaned a great deal of useful information, for which I am very grateful.
I have tried to find definitive rules on which boats require a rudder while racing, but cannot find any mention of rudders in British Rowing's rules of racing, or in the FISA rules either.
Does any one know if there are such definitive rules?
Many thanks.

[Richard]

Congrats on "de-lurking".

Simple answer to your question - there aren't any rules about rudders (other than if you've got one, the steering lines etc. need to be in good condition - and that's not a rule per se, just common sense).

Convention suggests that sweep-oared boats and octoples always have one, quads usually do, doubles usually don't and why on earth would you want one in a single?

[Paul]

On Friday, June 14, 2013 4:57:27 AM UTC+12, Richard wrote:
> On Thursday, 13 June 2013 16:48:08 UTC+1, Leif wrote: > I have lurked in the group for quite some time and gleaned a great deal of useful information, for which I am very grateful. > > I have tried to find definitive rules on which boats require a rudder while racing, but cannot find any mention of rudders in British Rowing's rules of racing, or in the FISA rules either. > > Does any one know if there are such definitive rules? > > Many thanks. Congrats on "de-lurking". Simple answer to your question - there aren't any rules about rudders (other than if you've got one, the steering lines etc. need to be in good condition - and that's not a rule per se, just common sense). Convention suggests that sweep-oared boats and octoples always have one, quads usually do, doubles usually don't and why on earth would you want one in a single?

I've actually wondered if a double or single could benefit from a rudder or a bow fin in heavy side wind conditions. I'll probably never try either though...

[Carl]

The 2x benefits greatly. And it'd be the same for a 1x.

There are no rules against rudders on any class of shell, but rowing is
deeply conservative so we don't do what our forebears didn't do. And
why didn't they do it? Because the kinds of rudders they had really did
slow you down. Not that they slowed you down much more than the sort of
rudders in general use today, but that's another matter.

As for a twin-fin system? Yes, of course you should have that.
Especially if you mean to win more races. Here's a short video to show
how it works:
www.carldouglas.co.uk/downloads/HyperSteer.mov
I hope that's clear enough? And it works well!

When, in the normal way, an eight takes a tight bend (e.g. in a head
race) it is like someone strapped a bungee around the boat - the brakes
go on. That's because the boat inevitably slews around the bend, making
lot's of leeway & with it lots of drag. When you take the same bend
with the benefit of HyperSteer the boat runs as if on rails and corners
with minimal loss of speed.

But please don't fix up a "sort-of like that" and add it to whatever
steers your boat today - at best that'd be a poor compromise, at worst
it'd slow you down or make steering more tricky. We have the full
HyperSteer� system (AeRowFin� plus canard C-Fin�) ready to fit for
eights & fours. We have the (essential) AeRowFin steering foil:
www.carldouglas.co.uk/downloads/2012fins.pdf
for pairs & doubles, and we will soon have the correctly sized C-fin for
that class too.

[We developed HyperSteer back in 2000, supplying the complete system to
the winning GBR 8+ although they were so cautious that they used only
the AeRowFin for the Olympic regatta. And I do accept that it is hard
to persuade coaches that putting anything extra under the hull can
possibly enhance crew performance. Since then, while AeRowFins have
steadily penetrated the rowing world (& were imitated for a period of
time by a maker of primrose-coloured shells), just a few of the full
Hypersteer system have been used by coaches & crews willing to act on
the clear evidence before them. Only for the last year or have we been
in any way promoting the full twin-foil shell control system.]

So why do rudders help doubles and why might they help singles?

When you oar-steer a boat that means you either have to overload one arm
or underload the other. You cope with that, but it is not beneficial to
performance. And to make the course correction you also have to
overcome the resistance of the existing fin, which wants to keep the
boat going straight, & that adds parasitic drag.

While it's the same for all, that's hardly a sound reason for
intelligent athletes (who may spend small fortunes on boats & blades in
the hope of extra speed) to go with the herd & ignore real science.

Think too of those races we've all had, when there's a strong side-wind,
especially in your lane or your side of the river. After a few hundred
metres, one arm is knackered while the other could go on for ever, all
due to having to keep steering against the wind. That means your speed
is dictated by the most fatigued arm. Now imagine sculling a 2x
steadily, everything working at optimum load, yet be able to take the
bends & crosswinds without varying that load. When you try it (with the
right steering gear!) it's a revelation - provided you're steering with
an AeRowFin.

Obviously I have a vested interest which, as designer & maker of these
systems, I must declare. And this is blatant self-promotion, I know.
But I think every regular RSR reader knows that I have to have sound
scientific reasons before I'll write about equipment or boat propulsion,
that if it didn't work I wouldn't make this kit, & nor would I write
about it. The choice of whether to believe me or not is yours.

Cheers -
Carl

--
Carl Douglas Racing Shells -
Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
Write: Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
Find: tinyurl.com/2tqujf
Email: ca...@carldouglas.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1932-570946 Fax: -563682
URLs: carldouglas.co.uk & now on Facebook @ CarlDouglasRacingShells

[wmar...@gmail.com]

Carl states a bunch of good "why" on having a rudder. I recall the son of boat-builder Kreutzmann, in New Zealand, showing me his adaptation of his (Kreutzmann) single - with a rudder. Toe-steered with bungy-cord return to straight. His rationale was that he could steer the boat while training and racing on Karapiro, and push evenly on the foot-stretchers, pull evenly on the handles, and not fatigue one side more than the other during training and racing.
Should have taken photos...
W

[stew...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, 13 June 2013 16:48:08 UTC+1, Leif wrote:

As others have stated, it is not a requirement for any boat to have a rudder, but as Carl has elaborated, having one is a good idea in all boat types, as (with a well-designed rudder) it is simply the best way to steer. In the US people race quads without a rudder, which seems frankly insane to me. IMHO, large boats (fours, quads, eights) should require a rudder purely on safety grounds. Small boats should have a rudder on efficiency grounds, provided it's well-made and functional.

On the subject of rudders, I had an opportunity last weekend to test out one of your gripes, Carl - the idea of putting a rudder right out on the stern in 'smaller' boats. I spent an evening coxing in a bow-loading 4+ down at Wallingford which was made by Janousek, with a rudder an inch or two from the stern. It may have been related to the setup of the steering (too much slack in the cable giving a very vague feel) but it's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to steer. Unresponsive and overreactive, and almost impossible to get to go straight.

By contrast, the next morning I went out on the Isis in an Empacher 4+ with its rudder in a more conventional position, directly astern of the fin, which is a foot or so astern of Stroke's feet. Simple, smooth steering all the way around, despite some twit having put the wires on the wrong ends of the rudder bar. I'm now convinced that putting the rudder by the fin is the right solution.

Stewie

[gsl...@gmail.com]

After many years of rowing a 2x's without a rudder, our club recently purchased a Hudson double with a rudder, and I've gotten to row another much older Hudson double with a rudder. I'm going to push the club to put rudders on our other doubles. Rowing with the rudder is so much better especially on our smallish lake with lots of turns.