THE LESSONS OF 200 YEARS British Movietonenews, 37002, 7/10/39, Henley Finals Joe Burk, 1938-39 Diamond Sculls Champion Back swing of only +30° to -5° championship regatta today, witness English Orthodox crews of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Hints on Rowing, 1901: “Row a full stroke, taking care to get the longest and steadiest pull possible with your build.”8462 It is also possible to effectively and successfully row a relatively short pullthrough, witness the sculling stroke of Joe Burk in the mid-1930s. He limited length at the finish by limiting layback and set a record at the Henley Royal Regatta that lasted for decades.8463 American coach John Riley:8464 “There will come a point where your layback angle gets to where you could be Hercules and your upper body will not hold your butt suspended any more, and you’ll settle back down. You should never work while your butt’s coming back onto the seat. The work is to hold you up. The minute you can’t hold yourself up, working is a waste of time because all you are doing is plowing the bow down.”8465 The Field, March 1, 1873: “It has been practically found in rowing that a long, 8462 Hints on Rowing By A Country Man, Boys of Our Empire, Volume 1, Andrew Melrose, London, 1901, p. 766 8463 See Chapter 58. 8464 See Chapter 132. 8465 Riley, op. cit. strong and comparatively slow stroke of 34 or 36, although it will be beaten in a spurt by quick, sharp and comparatively weak stroke of 42 or 44 to the minute, will win over the distance. Hence, length of stroke is to be desired.”8466 Theo Körner, DHfK, 1978: “One result [of my research] is indisputable: the oarsman must use his strength for propulsion over the longest possible range.”8467 Although it has long been generally accepted that, all other things being equal, a longer pullthrough will beat a shorter pullthrough, often all other things are not equal. Many individuals and crews have chosen to row a relatively shorter pullthrough and compensate, usually by rowing a higher rating. Many individuals and crews have also chosen to row less than their full length on specific occasions. From one stroke to the next, any rower or sculler can change at will his length at the entry and/or at the release. This is often done during races for tactical effect. Racing starts often employ half- and three-quarter-length strokes, and many crews delay reaching their intended full length for some significant length of time after leaving the starting line. 8466 The Field, March 1, 1873 8467 Körner, qtd. by Klavora, Rowing 3, pp. 31-2 2377
