A bowloader (also known as a bow-coxed shell) is a type of racing shell used in the sport of rowing in which the coxswain lies semi-supine in the bow of the boat, as opposed to the conventional seated position at the stern.
Characteristics
Bowloaders are most commonly seen as coxed fours and coxed pairs. A small number of bowloader eights exist; notable examples include a boat raced by the Soviet Union at the 1988 Olympics and the 1989 Royal Henley Regatta, as well as a Russian men's crew at the 2002 World Rowing Junior Championships.
In this configuration, the coxswain is positioned in a partially enclosed compartment near the bow rather than sitting upright in the stern. The position requires the cox to communicate with the crew through an amplifier system (typically using a cox box) and loudspeakers, since face-to-face communication with the stroke seat is not possible as it is in a conventional stern-coxed boat.
Advantages
A bowloader is generally considered slightly faster than a stern-coxed boat for several reasons:
- The mass of the coxswain in the bow reduces porpoising (the rhythmic pitching motion of the hull).
- The semi-supine position places the coxswain's center of mass below the waterline, reducing roll.
- Both factors help to reduce drag.
- The coxswain has better forward vision in a bowloader, as in the conventional stern position the cox cannot see directly ahead.
Challenges
Steering a bowloader is comparatively difficult because the bow swings less than the stern, making it harder for the coxswain to judge how much the boat has moved laterally. This problem is exacerbated in larger boats such as eights.
Novice coxswains often experience difficulty with bowloaders because the rowers and their oars cannot easily be seen from the bow position. Experienced coxswains learn to feel the movements of the rowers through the boat and to visualize the position of the shell to maneuver it safely and effectively.
