Page:Boating - Woodgate - 1888.pdf/134

 As a second advantage, the sliding seat decidedly relieves the abdominal muscles and respiratory organs during the recovery. In dealing with scientific racing we have previously remarked that the point wherein a tiring oarsman first gives way is in his recovery, hecanse of the relative weakness of the muscles which conduct that portion of the action of the stroke. Ti therefore is obvious that any contrivance which can enable a man to recover with less exertion to himself will enable him to do more work in the stroke over the whole course, and still more so if the very contrivance which aids recovery also gives extra power to the stroke. 5

On the other hand, there are two drawbacks to the slide. Oneé of these is, that when sliding full forward the legs are more bent than would be the case on a fixed seat. The body cannot reach quite so far forward over the toes on a full slide as it can ona properly regulated fixed seat. This slightly detracts from the work of the dody at the beginning of the stroke.

Again, when a slide is used to best advantage, the greatest mechanical benefit occurs just when the body arrives at the perpendicular, and when the legs are beginning to do the greater portion of their extension. This causes the greater force of the stroke to be applied behind the rowlock, in contradiction of all old theories of fixed-seat oarsmanship,

Taking all gros and ¢oxs together, it has been practically proved beyond doubt to every rowing man for more than a decade that the slide gains much more than it sacrifices. Even bad sliding secures sufficient adyantage to beat fixed-seat raw- ing (ceteris paribus), and good sliding completely distances fixed-seat performances. It is often remarked that the ‘times’ performed by sliding-seat crews are not glaringly superior to those of: fixed-seat annals, This is correct. Nevertheless the balance is clearly in favour of sliding performances. The actual difference is much greater than times happen to disclose ; it is somewhat fallacious to draw deductions from ayerages of recorded. times, unless the individual condition of wind and weather, and of close or hollow races, be also chronicled for each year. On