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BOATS
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Scull boats (2 oars, one in each hand)
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Single Scull
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1x
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Double Scull
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2x
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Quadruple Scull
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4x
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Sweep boats (1 oar in both hands)
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Pair
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 -2
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Coxed Pair
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+2
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Four
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 -4
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Coxed Four
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+4
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Coxed Eight
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+8
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There are currently less coxed four and doubles in use, as there are no races for these categories in the Olympic Games.
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ABOUT ROWING History Rowing is one of the oldest sporting activities. Evidence exists of competitive rowing as far back as the days of ancient Egypt and Rome. Ancient cultures used rowing both in times of war and in peacetime, as a means of transport, in exploration and in conquests.
Rowing was initially popular among sailors. The competitions that began early in the 18th century in England on the River Thames increased the popularity of the sport.
Competitive rowing, as we know it today, began in 1829 with the first Oxford-Cambridge boat race on the Thames. Competitive rowing became an event at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896.
The design of rowing boats changed as the sport became more competitive, and the need for faster boats grew more apparent. At first the boats were heavy and wide, the seats in them were fixed and the oars rested on the side of the boat.
The first significant development in the boat's design occurred in 1846, when Oxford developed outriggers. This change allowed the oars to be secured away from the side of the boat, provided more leverage and stability, and therefore leading to the boats themselves becoming narrower and more streamlined.
The second significant development occurred in 1870 when rowers from Yale University replaced the fixed seat with a sliding seat on a rail.
Since then many minor modifications have been made, in terms of materials used and boat design. The object of these changes was to make the boat as light and as fast as possible.
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