Gunwale bobbing and the effect of heave and pitch during a rowing race #

Graham P Benham

10:30 Tuesday in 2Q42.

Part of the Mathematical modelling in sport session.

Abstract #

During canoe and rowing races, the boat is rocked backwards and forwards by the motion of the athletes’ bodies. This motion causes the boat to pitch and heave, thereby interacting with its own wave field. In this talk, I will discuss the possible effects this pitching/heaving motion may have on rowing performance. Negative effects may include drag due to an increase in the effective wetted area of the boat. Positive effects may include increased thrust due to pushing downwards onto positive surface gradients of the surrounding wave field, thereby inducing a ‘surfing effect’. To illustrate the latter case, I will also present some recent results of gunwale bobbing, a phenomenon in which a person jumping on the gunwales (sides) of a canoe achieves horizontal propulsion by forcing it with vertical oscillations.