WORDS KATRIN ALTMANN
A boat’s rowing speed is the combination of the stroke rate (SR) and distance per stroke (DPS). The higher the SR for the same stroke length, power and conditions, the higher the boat speed. However, the ratio between boat speed and SR is not proportional. An increase of the stroke frequency only leads to an increase of the boat speed up to a certain point. However, the stroke frequency is crucial for rowing performance as it is less afected by external conditions than boat speed or propulsion per stroke