In rowing, there are two types of boats: "sweep" boats and "sculling" boats.  In sweep rowing, each rower handles one long oar. In sculling, a rower uses two  smaller oars, or sculls. Sweep boats can have two, four, or eight rowers.  Sculling races use one, two, and four-person boats.

Each oar is placed in a swiveling "oarlock", which keeps the oar firmly in  place. This oarlock is attached to the boat's body by a series of bars called a  "rigger."

Each rower sits in a sliding seat , and places their feet into stirrups  called foot stretchers. Just like on a racing bicycle, these foot straps help  keep the rower's feet in place.

Each rower is named by their position on the boat, or "seat." The seat at the  bow, (front of the boat) is known as "bowseat," while the seat at the stern  (back of the boat) is the "stroke seat."

Many boats also have room for a coxswain, a person who steers the boat. The  coxswain can sit at the bow or stern of the boat, depending on how big the shell  is, and how it’s constructed. Steering can also be accomplished by rowers by  using a foot-controlled rudder. This is known as "toeing." Single and double  boats are usually steered by changing the pressure applied to the port (left)  and starboard (right) oars.

Race boats are expensive with prices ranging from $8 to $45k per shell. Over  the years, boats have changed dramatically. It used to be that racing boats were  mostly constructed from wood, which in races can create heavy drag. Today's  manufacturers, like Vespoli, construct their racing boats using efficient and  light weight carbon or fiberglass. Two of our newest shells purchased from Vespoli are made of fiberglass.

The table below provides a full description of the types of boats constructed  for today's races.