User:Jameselder100/Sandbox

Landmarks

Principal landmarks, often used when racing, include (in order from Mortlake to Putney):

Landmark	Bank	Coordinates	Comments
The University Stone	South	51.472861°N 0.268151°W / 51.472861; -0.268151 (The Boat Race Finish)	Marked by a post on the north bank opposite the stone on the south bank, the finish of the Boat Race and the start of the Head of the River race. Just downstream of Chiswick Bridge.
Stag Brewery	South	51.470474°N 0.266376°W / 51.470474; -0.266376 (Stag Brewery)	Previously owned by Watneys, now brewing Budweiser beer.
Barnes Railway Bridge	n/a	51.472736°N 0.253758°W / 51.472736; -0.253758 (Barnes Railway Bridge)	When racing, crews must pass through the centre arch.
The Bandstand	North	51.476572°N 0.252149°W / 51.476572; -0.252149 (The Bandstand)
The Crossing	n/a	51.47879°N 0.250583°W / 51.47879; -0.250583 (The Crossing)	Marks the start of the long Surrey bend.
Chiswick Pier	North	51.482452°N 0.250937°W / 51.482452; -0.250937 (Chiswick Pier)
Chiswick Eyot	North	51.487596°N 0.245814°W / 51.487596; -0.245814 (Chiswick Eyot)	An uninhabited river island. There is a channel behind (north of) the eyot navigable at high tide, but it is never used for racing.
Fuller's Brewery	North	51.487182°N 0.250411°W / 51.487182; -0.250411 (Chiswick Eyot)	Just visible to crews, behind the eyot.
St Paul's School	South	51.488983°N 0.235855°W / 51.488983; -0.235855 (St Paul's School)
Hammersmith Bridge	n/a	51.488129°N 0.230536°W / 51.488129; -0.230536 (Hammersmith Bridge)	Coxes use a particular lamp-post that shows the deepest part of the river and therefore the fastest line.
Harrods' Furniture Repository	South	51.484633°N 0.227956°W / 51.484633; -0.227956 (Harrods' Furniture Repository)	Previously the warehouse for the famous shop, now apartments.
The Crabtree	North	51.482041°N 0.223482°W / 51.482041; -0.223482 (The Crabtree)	A pub.
The Mile Post	South	51.47852°N 0.226987°W / 51.47852; -0.226987 (The Mile Post)	A stone obelisk forming a memorial to Steve Fairbairn, founder of the Head of the River Race. It was erected by members of Jesus College Boat Club (Cambridge), Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club and is precisely a mile from the Putney stone marking the end of the course.
Fulham Football Club	North	51.474895°N 0.221655°W / 51.474895; -0.221655 (Fulham Football Club)	The stadium is known as 'Craven Cottage': crews stay wide round the bend as the area in front of the ground is shallow, with slack water.
The Black Buoy	South	51.471211°N 0.221132°W / 51.471211; -0.221132 (The Black Buoy)	The large buoy marks the start of the area of the Putney Boat Houses. It has a reputation for ensnaring inexperienced crews when there is a fast ebb tide, for example during the various Head of the River races.
The Putney Stone	South	51.467319°N 0.213756°W / 51.467319; -0.213756 (Boat Race start)	The University Stone lies on the south bank, marking the end of the Championship Course and the start of the Boat Race, just upstream of Putney Bridge.

Proposed rewrite of History of rowing

Rowing has a history dating back at least 6000 years. Although pre-dated by paddling, it is one of the oldest forms of transport. Until relatively recently, rowing was in widespread use for industry and warfare. In modern times, rowing is almost exclusively a recreational or sporting pursuit, having been made obsolete by the advent of the motor-driven screw in most other maritime arenas.

Rowing in commerce, industry and warfare

Ancient

The ancient Egyptians were one of the earliest societies to develop rowing. Rowing was considered a sacred activity, and all boats divine property. Most Egyptian ships were 30-oared, though some may have been as large as 500 oars. Instead of rowlocks, the oar pivoted on a thole pin which stuck up from the gunwale.

The Greeks developed the trireme, a huge warship powered by 170 rowers seated in three tiers, around 500BC. In some cases these ships were able to travel 24 hours a day, by rowing in shifts and eating on the job. Modern research has suggested that the rowers of a trireme would have to have been as fit as today's elite athletes to sustain the speeds the ships were known to travel.

• Romans
• Norse
• Venetians

Competitive rowing

• Origins - Oxford and cambridge
• Growth in popularity

Amateurism and professionalism

• Professional match racing
• Amateurism in England elsewhere (restrictive ARA/Henley definition of amateur; ARA/NARA split)
• Amateurism elsewhere
• The end of the amateur/professional divide (FISA removal of all references to amateurism in 1998)

International competition

• Olympics
• Growth of institutes

Evolution of style

• English Orthodox, sliding seat, Ned Hanlan, Steve Fairbairn, Stan Pocock, Karl Adam

Evolution of equipment

• elimination of keel, outrigging, gate, clinker vs skinned, timber vs composite, cleaver blade

See also

• Anatomy of a rowing stroke
• Oar (sport rowing)