Rowing

Rowing, propelling a boat by means of oars operated by hand. In sport there are 2 types: sculling, in which each member of the team (2, 4, or 8 people) uses 2 oars, and sweep rowing, in which each has 1. In the United States competitive team rowing is known as crew. For speed, the craft (shells) are long, narrow, and light. The team may be steered by a coxswain, who also sets the rhythm and speed for the crew's strokes. The first recorded race was held on the Thames River, London (1716). The annual Oxford-Cambridge race (England) began in 1829, and the Yale-Harvard race in 1852.