The Albano lane system is a method of marking

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

and rowing racecourses using lines of buoys. It was first used internationally in the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...

held on Lake Albano, Italy. It has since become an international standard for most FISA events and is used in Olympic rowing events.

Technical description

The marked course is typically straight, and 2000 meters in length. The buoy system usually consists of six adjacent 13.5 meter-wide lanes, outlined by 7 lines of small, spherical buoys placed 10 or 15 meters apart. The buoys are red for the first and last 100 meters, the rest being white. The six lanes are used for racing, and there may also be a separate lane for boats moving from the end of the course to the start line (the up channel). Some courses have as many as eight racing lanes. Distances along the course are often marked at intervals, usually every 250 metres, with prominent numbered signs on the shoreline. The lane buoys remain in place in most water and weather conditions due to longitudinal wires that are suspended from the buoys at a depth of about 1.5 metres. Depending on local conditions, cross-links between the longitudinal wires are attached every 500 metres along the course.Rowing Olympic Handbook of Sports Medicine Ed. by S. Volianitis and N.H. Seche. Wiley-Blackwell. 2007. . Chapter 1: History. The system is anchored at intervals and tensioned with weights both in the water and on the shore. This allows the entire system to ride up and down with varying water levels. In some locations, the entire Albano system can be removed from the racecourse in as little as four hours.

References

{{Rowing (sport) Rowing equipment Canoeing and kayaking equipment 1960 in rowing