Itchenor sailors delighted to see special delivery arrive

She was named “Quadrille” by ISC member Clare Blevins to the delighted applause of Itchenor members.

Quadrille is a coastal quad sculling boat with sliding seats for a crew of 4 plus cox. She is 10.7 metres long and weighs 150 kilos, so 4-6 people should be able to lift her.

This type of boat, although very racy looking, has been used by other clubs to cross the Channel and the Irish Sea. So we expect her to be quite stable.

Itchenor’s existing two boats are fixed seat rowing boats - each person has two hands on one oar. In this new Swift Racing quad each sculler has one oar in each hand. The sliding seat takes the power from one’s legs and should reduce strain on the lower back. This boat will travel much faster than the existing rowing boats and will extend the range of destinations which are accessible from Itchenor club.

The cox steers the boat around the moorings into the channel and coaches the crew.

Oars are made of carbon and fibreglass. Racing oars are shaped like “cleavers” (see picture).

Chris Blevins, Itchenor’s Captain of Rowing, commented. “We hope our new sculling boat will encourage a broad range of members to come and have a go - in particular the young.”