How Do Olympic Rowers Steer?

Rowers face backwards, so steering is a skill in its own right. How it is done depends on the boat.

Coxed boats

In an eight, a coxswain sits in the stern or bow facing forwards and steers with a rudder. The cox also calls the race plan, keeps the crew informed of position and motivates them. The cox is the only member of the boat who can see the course in front. They tend to use small, early adjustments, since a big turn of the rudder acts like a brake and slows the boat. See what the cox does for boat types.

The cox works with the crew in a number of ways:

• Calling the stroke rate, power calls and moments to push.
• Telling the crew which crews are ahead or behind, and by how much.
• Watching the lane buoys and keeping the boat straight.
• Warning the crew of problems, such as a wake or a gust.

Coxless boats

In coxless pairs and fours, one rower, often the rower in the bow seat, steers by moving a rudder with wires connected to a shoe that can pivot, nudging it with their foot. Rowers also adjust their pressure so that one side pulls slightly harder. Steering with a rudder is fine movement, and the crew still keeps looking over their shoulders. In a pair, the steering rower usually rotates the foot from the heel, a movement small enough that the stroke is not disrupted.

Single, double and quad sculls

Scullers have no cox to steer for them. They steer by varying pressure between the oars, turning the boat by taking a stroke on one side more firmly, and by glancing over a shoulder at intervals. Our guides to single scull technique and sculling for beginners cover the basics.

The basic rule

Pulling harder on one side turns the bow away from that side. If the boat is drifting towards the left bank, you add a little more pressure on the side that moves the bow back towards the centre. Beginners tend to over-correct, which is why coaches tell them to make small changes and wait to see the result.

Course and visual cues

Olympic courses are 2,000 metres, divided into lanes marked by lines of buoys. Under World Rowing’s rules each lane is 12.5 metres wide, the buoys are 10 or 12.5 metres apart, and they are closer together in the first 100 metres. The buoys also change colour in that start zone, at every 250 metre line and over the last 250 metres. Rowers use buoys, the shoreline, trees and the finish tower as reference points, and they glance back as needed. See Olympic rowing distances.

On a river or lake, the same ideas apply: pick a landmark behind you, line up two features, and keep them lined up. When they drift apart, you have drifted off line.

Quick summary

Boat	How it is steered
Eight (8+)	Cox with a rudder
Coxless pair or four	One rower with a foot-operated rudder, plus pressure differences
Single sculls	Blade pressure and body angle, with glances over the shoulder
Double or quad sculls	Pressure differences, communication and a crew member watching the line

Common steering mistakes

• Looking over the shoulder at the wrong moment and upsetting the balance.
• Over-correcting with a big pull on one side.
• Staring at the stern wake and not at the landmarks.
• Turning the rudder too hard, which slows the boat.

Why it matters

A crooked line costs time and can risk a clash with another lane. A straight course is part of speed, and good steering is calm and tiny, not a series of corrections. To see how fast a clean 2,000 metres can be, read about Olympic rowing record times. For the wider sport, visit the Olympic rowing hub.