Elderrowing - Riggers and fittings

Riggers & fittings

All of the fittings we use for Swift Racing Boats were designed with one thought in mind, “What is the best design we can make?”

For most fittings this involves designing within a certain weight limit, as well as considering performance and ease of use.For riggers we have found that different rowers have very different needs and preferences, thus we offer a wide range.

Riggers The following rigger types are available on any boat type;

European
traditional type

Aluminium 3 stay rigger (1 forestay and 2 mainstays) with a rigger block as seen on many German and Italian boats. There is at least 30mm of height adjustment and 30mm of span adjustment per rigger.

Carbon tube back type
(not available as traditional)

Carbon 2 stay rigger (no forestay, 1 mainstay and 1 “back” stay). The mainstay supports the backstay, and the backstay holds a steel C bracket which holds the pin.There is at least 30mm of height adjustment and 25mm of span adjustment per rigger. The pin angle is also adjustable.

--------------------------The following rigger is currently available on 1x and 2x boats only.---------------------------
Carbon wing	Carbon wing rigger with aluminium block. There is at least 30mm of height adjustment and 30mm of span adjustment per rigger.

Top stays

These are supplied as standard on sweep and sculling boats, except for carbon tube riggers.

Fittings

Stretcher and shoes
Most boat builders' fours and eights generally have enough width across the boat to allow some room between the feet, however this is not usually true with singles and doubles. Swift boats overcome this by doing away with the traditional stretcher and shoe plate system.Our stretchers are made using carbon so they are lightweight and stiff.We use a carbon shoes plate that is easy to adjust for heel depth, and has the shoes positioned on the very outside edges, so that rowers can have the widest stance possible.This allows the maximum application of power and is also the most comfortable position.
In addition, as some other boat builders are now doing, for singles we position the stretcher channels on the saxboards, taking advantage of the slope of the saxboard to create even more space, and further adding to saxboard stiffness. All stretchers are easily adjustable for rake (stretcher angle). All boats are fitted with the same high quality shoes with velcro straps that have a single, quick release pull tag. Heel restraints are attached as standard.

Shoulders

All of our boats, from the cheapest to the most expensive have carbon laminated shoulders. Shoulders are the "bones" of a boat and have to keep the shape of the hull. Also, together with the riggers they are responsible for ensuring that every possible ounce of power applied to the oars is transformed into boat speed, with the minimum loss through twisting and bending.

Seats and rails
All Swift boats use the same hybrid carbon seat tops to combine excellent stiffness with durability, while keeping weight to a minimum. The undercarriage is made from nylon with the axles made from anodised aluminium. Single action seats have ball bearing wheels for a smooth movement and are supplied as standard. Exceptionally tall rowers may need our double action seats, which are also made from carbon. Seats are painted with clear paint to show the carbon cloth finish. Seat rails are made from anodised aluminium, and are 80cm long as standard.For 85cm long seat rails and double action seats, please specify at time of order.
Fins and rudders
All Swift boats have easily replaceable anodised aluminium fins, that are secured to the boat with an aluminium fin box. There are 4 sizes of fin, one each for 1x, 2x/-, fours and eights. Rudders are stainless steel, with the yoke being anodised aluminium. Our rudder wire is steel that has been coated with clear nylon to prevent any scratching or damage to the boat.
Hatches
We put easily opened, but secure nylon hatches on both the stern and bow canvas deck.The stern hatch is positioned as close to the fin as possible to make any necessary repairs as easy as possible. We also put hatches on the seat deck between the seat rails, one for each rower. We have 3 sizes of hatch, and use the largest one possible, depending on the boat type, and the hatch position.