New boat...new rig

[Grover]

So i went out in a different boat today..an F15 italian stallion with 3 stay old school riggers

this boat is smaller then the normal single i have used in the past (a mid weight fluid) so i am trying to figure out just how much adjustment i need in order to get it trimmed / running correctly.

My issue is how far past the pin should my hips be in order to be at maximal body position in comparison with the settings. I am not the best rigger in the world but have always thought at the catch at full compression an athletes should have their hips / pivot point roughly in line with the gate..even a bit beyond....is this correct??

As currently i am falling short of being level with the pin with the hip joint however if i am to move the feet any further i feel i will be sinking the stern as presently i at the catch am into the blue stripe of the boat and that seems quite "low".

Thoughts on the italian makes would be great

Cheers

[1xsculler]

F-15 is a great boat but about 6" shorter than a mid-weight Fluid. I never thought it was a problem or even noticed that difference.

[suahoi]

And that's why wing riggers are better.

But since you don't have wing riggers, I think the trim trumps optimal hip/pin orientation, especially at race pace.

[KiwiCanuck]

the trade-offs...
My usual practice rigging people is to set the spread, usually 159 or 160 in singles depending on a bunch of things, sometimes depending on 'how it looks being rowed'.
Then inboard = 0.5(spread) + 8 cm per scull.
Then the foot stretchers get positioned where you can scull well and get your handles about 8-10 cm apart at the finish without jamming on your body.

If your anthropometrics and ranges of motion give you "hips through work" then I guess you're in a good place. It's difficult to impossible to give more than that without a video or something.

Re: the trim. If your catch timing is very good and quick with minimal time spent waving your blades around before you put them in the water and if you put them in the water before you stomp on the stretcher, the stern being down is less an issue because you don't spend so much time there.

[completeIgnorance]

for trimming I use pin shifters. Milled aluminum that bolts in place of the pin and allows you to move the pin between 5 and 10 cm in either direction.

I have pictures of the shifters if you want. There may be a boat manufacturer that sells them now. I am not certain.

[Grover]

Pin shifters would work on a 3 stay?

[Grover]

And that's why wing riggers are better.

But since you don't have wing riggers, I think the trim trumps optimal hip/pin orientation, especially at race pace.

the only problem with this is that if i sit further back to help with the stern dip i have so much room at the finish between the handle grips...i can always make blade adjustments to compensate for this by increasing the inboard length but i would prefer not to do that

[completeIgnorance]

in shifters would work on a 3 stay?

that is why they were made. These anyway.

[Grover]

the trade-offs...
My usual practice rigging people is to set the spread, usually 159 or 160 in singles depending on a bunch of things, sometimes depending on 'how it looks being rowed'.
Then inboard = 0.5(spread) + 8 cm per scull.
Then the foot stretchers get positioned where you can scull well and get your handles about 8-10 cm apart at the finish without jamming on your body.

If your anthropometrics and ranges of motion give you "hips through work" then I guess you're in a good place. It's difficult to impossible to give more than that without a video or something.

Re: the trim. If your catch timing is very good and quick with minimal time spent waving your blades around before you put them in the water and if you put them in the water before you stomp on the stretcher, the stern being down is less an issue because you don't spend so much time there.

So in regards to catch timing i feel my catch is pretty quick, i got a friend to video me on the dock for a few strokes and my blades get in within a few frames and no skying..but even so at the catch the boat just feels so heavy. As if i am dragging a lot of boat through the water and not as light as the fluid i normally row. And since using this model i am finding my lower back is taking a beating as the front end is quite heavy. I will be lightening my gearing on the blades in hope that helps but it won't really address the stern digging just be lighter on my back.... Fingers crossed it is only a short stay this boat..and besides it is just for fitness really nothing more but i would like to be able to walk around without back pain haha

[Steven M-M]

Is the F15 too small for you?

[Grover]

Is the F15 too small for you?

I'm told the F15 is the boat most top lwt internationally men use and i am of that weight class (160-163lbs)..however they normally have a wing rigger which they move back towards the stern to help keep the boat running more level.

[KiwiCanuck]

So in regards to catch timing i feel my catch is pretty quick, i got a friend to video me on the dock for a few strokes and my blades get in within a few frames and no skying..but even so at the catch the boat just feels so heavy. As if i am dragging a lot of boat through the water and not as light as the fluid i normally row. And since using this model i am finding my lower back is taking a beating as the front end is quite heavy. I will be lightening my gearing on the blades in hope that helps but it won't really address the stern digging just be lighter on my back.... Fingers crossed it is only a short stay this boat..and besides it is just for fitness really nothing more but i would like to be able to walk around without back pain haha

PM sent

[Steven M-M]

Grover -- I doubt your problems with the F15 are primarily rigging. I've know excellent rowers who have had trouble setting the F15. Your technique may be better suited to the longer, more stable Fluid. Even the Filippi website notes (in their uncertain English translation) "The best one to improve your skill because it’s hard to row but with high performance." If you are only in this shell for a little while, you might see if you can tweak your technique to make her go and if that improves your sculling overall.

[aks753]

This post is timely because I have a similar issue. I am also a lightweight (162 lbs) with an Empacher R15 hull. I find that the bow comes up out of the water at the catch. I had it rigged with the wing rigger one notch towards the stern from center. Today I moved it back to center and the shoes back one notch, but the bow is still coming up about an 1.5 inches at the catch. I know I hesitate a bit at the catch, which is either contributing to or causing the problem. But, any other thoughts. I could move the shoes one more notch back - but that is as far back as I can go.

[1xsculler]

What is meant by the term "setting" a boat?