An octuple scull (abbreviated 8X) is a

racing shell In watercraft, a racing shell (also referred to as just a ''fine boat'' (UK) or just ''shell'') is an extremely narrow, and often comparatively long, rowing boat specifically designed for racing or exercise. It is outfitted with long oars, outrig ...

or a rowing boat used in the sport of rowing. The octuple is directed by a

coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boa ...

and propelled by eight rowers who move the boat by

sculling Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, ...

with two

oars An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Rowers grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles is that oars are used exclusively for rowing. In rowing the oar is connect ...

, one in each hand. Like a coxed eight, an octuple is typically long and weighs . Rowing Equipment, fuzilogik.com
/ref> Unlike other boats, octuples are seldom seen at higher levels of competitive rowing, usually only being used for those who are newer to the sport. This is because of the high speed of the boat, which can cause greater injury to the ribcage if one lets go of their oar during a race. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to reduce drag to a minimum. They usually have a fin towards the rear, to help prevent roll and yaw. Originally made from

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of ligni ...

, shells are now almost always made from a

composite material A composite material (also called a composition material or shortened to composite, which is the common name) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or ...

(usually

carbon-fibre reinforced plastic Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

) for strength and weight advantages. The riggers in sculling apply the forces symmetrically to each side of the boat. When there are eight rowers in a boat, each with only one sweep oar and rowing on opposite sides, the combination is referred to as a " coxed eight." In sweep oared racing the rigging means the forces are staggered alternately along the boat.

Notes

References

External links

* {{fineboats Rowing racing boats