| April 2010 |
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Depending on your age, or location, you have either just commenced your season, or are now enjoying a well earned break. Regardless, we hope that this email finds you well and if there is anything that Sykes can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sculling Rigger SimulatorOver the past few months we set up a dry land sculling boat simulator which reproduces the on water set up of a sculling boat and enables coaches to check catch and finish angles on land and compare with those measured on the water. It also has the benefit of quickly assessing changes made to rigging that may affect these angles. Many coaches would be surprised at the small changes to the catch and finish angles that occur with quite large changes to the span Since the introduction of adjustable length oars, span measurements are not as critical as in the past where a span change almost always necessitated a change in inboard and so gearing or load was of course affected. So we believe coaches can confidently try rigging changes based on inboard and outboard relationships rather than worry too much about the affect of the span. A unit like this was recently supplied to the AIS which we hope will assist coaches make quick records of athletes 'in boat set ups' and together with on water testing build a clear picture of the affects of rigging changes in a less time consuming manner. Read more details on rowing and sculling angles (including a helpful reference sheet) on our website. New Wave Shoe Velcro We now stock replacement velcro straps for New Wave shoes. Replacement is an easy case of cutting out the old straps and feeding the new ones through the stainless steel loops. The straps are sold in a set of 6 for $22.00 and are enough for a pair of shoes. To purchase, visit our online store.
Investment in RowingRowing is Sykes reason for being, and our primary goal is to promote and encourage the growth of rowing whether on the water, or indoors. Since 2000 Sykes has contributed over $1 Million across the Australian Rowing community to assist in development of our sport. Some of our initiatives include:Breaking The Drought, Australian U23 and Junior Rowing Teams, Sykes Coaches Conference, National and Local Regatta Support, Off Water to On Water transition.
Winter TrainingThroughout the summer coaches are regularly making small changes in rigging trying to get the best uniform stroke lengths in crews but soon realise that there is a limit to what can be achieved with alterations to the equipment. For most athletes far more can be achieved through good posture and flexibility if given the time to work on specific areas and allow time to adapt and become efficient in a wider range of movement.What better time to assess and start to work on better flexibility than the start of winter training so you have months of many hours in the gym and on the water specifically working on this very important but often neglected area. Order TimesMany customers are now taking advantage of our extremely short 6 to 8 week lead time for boat orders. With our new production systems, we can have a new boat completed in a short period of time after the order is confirmed.In some cases we are even able to have orders completed and available to you in less than six weeks - contact us to find out more. |