Sculling
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Sculling is a form of rowing in which a boat is propelled by one or more rowers, each of whom operates two
oars, one held in the fingers and upper palm of each hand.This contrasts with the other common method of
rowing, sweep rowing, in which each rower may use both hands to operate a single oar on either the port or
starboard side of the boat. Sculling is generally considered the more technically complex of the two
disciplines. Sculling, one of the two major divisions of crew (or competitive rowing), is composed of races
between small, sculled boats crewed by various numbers of rowers. Generally, one, two, or four athletes row
these shells. Sculling can either be competitive or recreational, but the watercraft used will vary between
the two as the racing shells of competitive rowing are built for speed rather than stability.
The physical movement of sculling is split into two main parts: the drive and the recovery. These two parts
are separated by what is called the "catch" and the "finish". The drive is the section of the rowing stroke
where the face of the oars, also known as blades, are firmly placed in the water and the rower is propelling
the boat forwards by pulling against the anchor the oars provide. The recovery is the section where the
rower's blades are not in the water, but instead gliding above it as the rower prepares for the next stroke.
The catch is the moment the blades are dropped into the water at the end of the recovery and the start of
the drive, while the finish is when the blades are slipping out after the drive is done and the recovery is
beginning. In order to improve balance on the recovery, the blades are feathered, or held parallel to the
surface of the water, at the finish, and squared (perpendicular to the water surface) at the catch.
Competitive crew requires an efficient stroke with all rowers matching the cadence and movements of the
stroke seat, the rower closest to the shell's stern.