# Bowloader

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowloader
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{{Short description|Type of boat used in rowing}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
[[File:Evert Kroes and Peter van de Plas 1977.jpg|thumb|right|The Dutch [coxed pair](/source/coxed_pair) at the [1977 World Rowing Championships](/source/1977_World_Rowing_Championships), [Evert Kroes](/source/Evert_Kroes) and [Peter van de Pas](/source/Peter_van_de_Pas) with coxswain [Poul de Haan](/source/Poul_de_Haan) in the bow]]

A '''bowloader''' or '''bow-coxed''' shell is a [racing shell](/source/racing_shell) (a type of [boat](/source/boat) used in [rowing](/source/rowing_(sport))) in which the [coxswain](/source/coxswain) lies semi-[supine](/source/supine_position) in the [bow](/source/bow_(watercraft)), as opposed to the normal seated position at the [stern](/source/stern).  

Bowloaders are often seen as [coxed four](/source/coxed_four)s and also [coxed pair](/source/coxed_pair)s. A small number of bowloader [eights](/source/eight_(rowing)) exist, and one was raced by the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union) in the [1988 Olympics](/source/Rowing_at_the_1988_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_eight) and the 1989 [Royal Henley Regatta](/source/Royal_Henley_Regatta), as well as the Russian men's crew at the 2002 [World Rowing Junior Championships](/source/World_Rowing_Junior_Championships). Steering is difficult because the bow swings less than the stern, so that the coxswain has trouble judging how much the boat has moved laterally, and this problem is exacerbated in an eight.<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 February 2020|title=What's the Best Place for a Coxswain?|url=https://heartheboatsing.com/2020/02/06/whats-the-best-place-for-a-coxswain/|access-date=15 April 2021|website=Hear The Boat Sing|language=en-GB}}</ref>

A bowloader is slightly faster than a stern-coxed boat, since the mass of the coxswain in the bow reduces [porpoising](/source/porpoising), and the semi-supine position puts the coxswain's center of mass below the waterline, reducing roll. Both of these factors help to reduce drag.  The cox also has better forward vision in a bowloader: in the conventional stern position the cox cannot see directly ahead.

Novice coxswains often have difficulty with bowloaders, however, since the rowers and their oars cannot easily be seen. Experienced coxswains learn how to feel the movements of the rowers in the boat, as well as visualising the position of the shell itself to safely and effectively maneuver it.

Bowloaders require an [amplifier](/source/amplifier) (usually using a [cox box](/source/cox_box)) and [loudspeakers](/source/loudspeakers), to be used so that the cox can communicate with the crew, and unlike in the conventional coxing position there is no opportunity for personal communication between cox and [stroke](/source/stroke_(rowing)) on race tactics.

==References==
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Category:Rowing racing boats

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bowloader](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowloader) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowloader?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.