WO2011008079A1

WO2011008079A1 - Rowing boat

Info

Publication number: WO2011008079A1
Application number: PCT/NL2009/050438
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christiaan Alexander Robin Kuyper
Original assignee: Roei- En Zeilvereniging 'de Amstel'
Priority date: 2009-07-16
Filing date: 2009-07-16
Publication date: 2011-01-20

Abstract

The invention relates to a rowing boat having an out- skirt provided with at least one outrigger with a rowlock for a scull or oar placed on said outrigger on the far side from said outskirt, which boat is further provided with a rower's seat and a stretcher, wherein - the at least one outrigger comprises a first arm that is hingedly connected to the outskirt such that the rowlock on said outrigger can swing from a first distant position to a second position close to the outskirt and back - the rower's seat is fixed in the boat, and - the stretcher is displaceable over a predefined stroke length, and are provided with a connecting second arm that links the stretcher to the outrigger's first arm.

Description

Rowing boat

The invention relates to a rowing boat having an out- skirt provided with at least one outrigger with a rowlock for a scull or oar placed on said outrigger on the far side from said outskirt, which boat is further provided with a rower's seat and stretcher.

Such a rowing boat is known particularly from boat racing, the outrigger of such a rowing boat is introduced in 1846 in Newcastle, England.

The known race rowing boat is further equipped with a rower's seat that is placed on a sliding, which construction is already introduced in 1857 in New York, USA.

A considerable disadvantage of the sliding rower's seat is that with every stroke the rower has to displace a substantial part of his body in order to complete the rowing stroke with the scull or oar. This means that a considerable amount of the rower's energy has to be used ineffectively. Calculations show that approximately 50-60% of the rower's energy is absorbed this way and not used efficiently as driving power for the propulsion of the boat.

It is one of the objectives of the invention to provide a rowing boat in which the rower's energy can be used more effectively for the propulsion of the boat.

A further objective is to limit the movement of the rower's body so as to save on energy that is used inefficiently and without immediate effect for the propulsion of the boat.

Still another objective is to provide a rowing boat which agrees with international rules on the construction of a racing rowing boat having however improved properties and better racing efficiency.

The rowing boat of the invention is to that end characterized by one or more of the appended claims.

Essentially, the rowing boat of the invention is characterized in that

- the at least one outrigger comprises a first arm that is hingedly connected to the outskirt such that the rowlock on said outrigger can swing from a first distant position to a second position close to the outskirt and back

- the rower's seat is fixed in the boat, and

- the stretcher is displaceable over a predefined stroke length, and is provided with a connecting second arm that links the stretcher to the outrigger's first arm.

This provides the advantage that at the beginning of the stroke wherein the outrigger is in the first distal position from the outskirt, the scull or oar can be dipped into the water and subsequently the handle of the scull or oar can be moved towards the rower, said rower being placed stationary in the rower's seat that is fixed in the boat. Simultaneously as the scull or oar is moved away from the rower same is moved closer to the boat's outskirts which is beneficial for the rowing stroke that is made by the rower. One thing and another results in that the stroke of the oar in the water is approximately 50 cm longer than in the prior art, and the side-displacement of the oar is 30 cm less than in the prior art.

By virtue of the rower's feet resting on the stretcher and by displacing this stretcher, the said displacement of the scull or oar both away from the rower and towards the outskirts of the boat can be effected. By displacing with his feet the stretcher that is displaceable in the boat, the outrigger's arm is moved due to the link provided by the connecting second arm that links the stretcher to the outrigger's first arm.

In connection therewith it is beneficial that the stroke length of the stretcher corresponds to the rowlock' s swing from the first distant position to the second position close to the outskirt.

It appears that due to the improved efficiency that the rowing boat of the invention affords, it will be possible to make use of the hydrodynamic lift that the rowing action induces to the boat such that the boat will plane and higher boat velocities will be feasible.

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the rowing boat according to the invention and the enclosed drawing of a single schematic figure concerning this rowing boat.

In the drawing, a single figure shows very schemati- cally a topside view of the rowing boat of the invention.

In Fig. 1 the rowing boat 1 is shown to have an outskirt 2 that is provided with at least one outrigger 3.

The outrigger 3 has a row lock 4 for a scull or a oar 5, which rowlock 4 is placed on said outrigger 3 on the far side from the outskirts 2 of the boat 1.

Fig. 1 further shows that the boat 1 is further provided with a rower's seat 6 and stretcher 7 where the rower can place his feet on.

According to the invention the outrigger 3 comprises a first arm 8 that is connected to the boat's 1 outskirt 2 by means of a hinge 9 such that the rowlock 4 on said outrigger 3 can swing from the first distal position indicated with arrow A to a second position indicated with arrow B that is more close to the outskirt 2 of the boat.

In order to effect the movement from the first distant position A to the second position B closer to the outskirt 2 and thereafter back from this second closed position B to the first distant position A, the stretcher 7 is displaceable and for this purpose placed on a sliding 10 that is provided with a predefined stroke length. Due to this stroke length the stretcher can be displaced from the position indicated with arrow C corre- sponding to the beginning of a rowing stroke, to the position indicated with arrow D in which the stretcher 7 is moved furthest away from the rower's seat 6 which is the position arrived at at the completion of a rowing stroke.

Fig. 1 further shows that the stretcher 7 is linked to the first arm 8 of the outrigger 3 by means of a second arm 11. Thus, any movement of the stretcher 7 induces a corresponding movement of the first arm 8 of the outrigger 3 due to the link that is provided by the second arm 11 between the stretcher 7 and the first arm 8 of the outrigger 3.

From the foregoing it is clear that the rowing boat 1 of the invention allows the rower to occupy a relatively stationary position in the boat 1 sitting on the rower's seat 6 going from the beginning to the completion of a stroke with the scull or oar 5 which is represented by respectively the full line (start of a stroke) and the stripe line (end of a stroke) . During said stroke the rowlock 4 carrying the scull or oar 5 moves from the first position A distant from the boat's outskirt 2 to a second position B away from the body of the rower and closer to the boat's outskirts 2. This displacement of the row- lock 4 is caused by the rower having its feet rest on the stretcher 7 and displacing said stretcher 7 from position C at the start of the rowing stroke to position D at the end of the rowing stroke. This movement of the stretcher 7 from position C to position D is transferred to the first arm 8 of the outrigger 3 by means of the connecting arm 11 linking the stretcher 7 to said first arm 8 of the outrigger 3 that is hinged with a hinge 9 to the boat's outskirt 2.

Claims

1. Rowing boat (1) having an outskirt (2) provided with at least one outrigger (3) with a rowlock (4) for a scull or oar (5) placed on said outrigger (3) on the far side from said out- skirt (2), which boat (1) is further provided with a rower's seat (6) and a stretcher (7), characterized in that

- the at least one outrigger (3) comprises a first arm (8) that is hingedly (9) connected to the outskirt (2) such that the rowlock (4) on said outrigger (3) can swing from a first distant position (A) to a second position (B) close to the outskirt (2) and back

- the rower's seat (6) is fixed in the boat (1), and

- the stretcher (7) is displaceable over a predefined stroke length, and is provided with a connecting second arm (11) that links the stretcher (7) to the outrigger's first arm (8) .

2. Rowing boat according to claim 1, wherein the stroke length of the stretcher (7) corresponds to the rowlock's (4) swing from the first distant position (A) to the second position (B) close to the outskirt (2) .

3. Rowing boat according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the stretcher (7) is placed in a sliding (10) that is provided with said stroke length.