Sykes Racing is an Australian manufacturer of

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

shells. The boats are widely popular by Australian rowers from schools through to

Olympians Olympian or Olympians may refer to: Religion * Twelve Olympians, the principal gods and goddesses in ancient Greek religion * Olympian spirits, spirits mentioned in books of ceremonial magic Fiction * ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'', fiction ...

History

The company was founded in

Geelong, Victoria Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

, in 1966 by the Australian champion lightweight rower Jeff Sykes. Sykes saw the need for innovation in the Australian boat-building industry and set out to build world-class boats. Sykes had been apprenticed to his father's boat-building business in Geelong.Jeff Sykes History at Guerin Foster
/ref> In 1966, Sykes built his own

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 ...

to compete in the

Australian Rowing Championships The Australian Rowing Championships is an annual rowing event that determines Australia's national rowing champions and facilitates selection of Australian representative crews for World Championships and the Olympic Games. It is Australia's pre ...

and this was the genesis of Sykes Racing. Sykes Racing initially focussed on smaller boats and had success as rowers of their sculls and pairs won Australian national championships. In 1973 the Western Australian senior men's eight had King's Cup success in a Sykes boat and from 1974 Sykes boats were being used in all boat classes for Australian representative crews. The company's products are suitable for novice rowers through to world-class, elite athletes. The company has developed a reputation for developing high-class racing sculls. Since 1992, 75% of Australia's rowing medals from

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

and

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 ...

have come from rowers using Sykes Racing shells. Sykes' first boat is still in existence today.

Types of boats

Sykes Racing uses three different composite materials, which include Honeycomb Carbon Composite Boats, Honeycomb Kevlar Boats, Honeycomb Glass Boats. These different materials are used in the eight boat types they produce, which are: *Single Sculls (1X) *Pairs - Coxless (2-) *Double Sculls (2X) *Fours - Coxless (4-) *Fours - Coxed (4+) *Quad Sculls - Coxless (4X) *Quad Sculls - Coxed (4X+) *Eights (8+)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Sykes RacingSykes Racing North AmericaSykes Racing Japan
Rowing equipment manufacturers Geelong