An octuple sculling shell, often simply called an oct and abbreviated as an 8x
[''2023 Rules of Rowing'', p. 28.]
''USRowing''. Retrieved 21 May 2023. or 8x+,
[ is a ]racing shell
In watercraft, a racing shell (also referred to as a ''fine boat'' (UK) or simply
a ''shell'') is an extremely narrow, and often comparatively long, rowing boat specifically designed for Rowing (sport), racing or exercise. It is equipped with lon ...
used in the sport of rowing.
Unlike the eight (8+), a racing shell with a crew of eight rowers and 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 wiktionary:cockboat, cockboat, a ...
(cox)[ that can be seen at the ]Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
and the Boat Race
The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the U ...
,[ in which each of the eight rowers have one oar (or blade) which they pull with both arms,][Rowers in eights use a rowing technique called ']sweep rowing
Sweep rowing is one of two disciplines of the rowing (sport), sport of rowing. In sweep rowing each rower has one oar, usually held with both hands. As each rower has only one oar, the rowers have to be paired so that there are equal numbers of ...
'. in the octuple each of the eight rowers has two oars, one in each hand and use a rowing technique called 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, its ...
. Similar to the 8+, the oct must always have a coxswain to steer and direct the crew.["Classic Rowing" (see also "Types of 'sculling' boats").]
British Rowing. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
Although the octuple had earlier been used for recreational rowing in Britain, it was used competitively for the first time at the annual regatta of the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen, the predecessor of USRowing, at Baltimore in 1905. According to British Rowing, the octuple is owonly used by the youngest juniors.[
An octuple is typically long][ ''fuzilogik.com''.] and has a minimum weight of , excluding oars.[
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 structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
, shells are now almost always made from a composite material
A composite or composite material (also composition material) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a ...
(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 comp ...
) for strength and weight advantages.
The riggers in sculling apply the forces symmetrically to each side of the boat, whereas in the " eight", where each of the eight rowers pull one sweep oar, the forces are staggered alternately along opposite sides of the boat.
Notes
References
External links
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{{fineboats
Rowing racing boats