By Sam Sheppard
Randallfoil’s are primarily an implement technology as they are an attachment to the top of the blade. They are also in the field of movement technology as they improve the drive pattern the rower makes with the blade underneath the water. The Randallfoil’s have been developed by Ian Randall since 2016 and they were first used at an international regatta in August 2019 by Martino Goretti of Italy. The fundamental aim of the design is to create less blade slip which occurs as the blade enters the water and the rower begins to drive back through the water.
Randallfoil’s made their first international appearance in August 2016 by Italian lightweight sculler, Martino Goretti who won the World Rowing Championships. This followed coming 3rd at the European Rowing Champions two months earlier without the use of Randallfoils. This highlights that he was able to improve his technique and therefore his speed to get a better performance outcome. Randallfoils faced very little opposition from the World Rowing group and national governing bodies which meant they were able to bring the foils to the international circuit. The Randallfoils perform the intended benefit by attaching to the top of the rowing blade with screws and glue which is well detailed on their website (Randall, 2021a). The foil then creates less blade slip which means the boat can move further with a reduction in blade positional movement. Having a more stable and fixed fulcrum within a lever system can greatly improve the amount of force that can be utilised by the athlete during the drive phase (Maarit Edy and Hunter, 2016, pp.47-54). The Randallfoil adds this stability to the blade by locking the blade in position at the catch by increasing the surface area on the transverse plane which means greater force would be needed to cause vertical movement.
A barrier that Randallfoils face is that there is a lack of evidence and results of Randallfoils within sweep rowing and in crew boats especially on the international circuit. Ian has got some masters rowers using the foils in sweep rowing as well as a school, Montgomery Bell Academy, who are using them in their eight (Randall, 2021c). This would cause hesitation for elite programmes and other clubs when deciding whether to invest in the foils as they have not been proven on the international circuit in any sweep category or in a scull crew boat. A potential reason for the national teams and high-performance clubs not purchasing and utilising the Randallfoils is that they prefer to train their athletes over time to be strong enough and technically skilled to be able to perform and control the blade to create an efficient and repeatable stroke. This could be due to the fact that when rowing at top speed every movement has got to be completed with purpose to ensure that all of the drive phase is being utilised. Some coaches tell their athletes to ‘let go of the blade’ at the catch to allow gravitational acceleration to get the blade in the water. Slip is noticeable even when athletes are moving at top speed because there is very little resistance to the blade stopping it moving vertically in the water because it is a thin material to keep weight down. Slippage leads to decreased propulsive efficiency through the blade and creates energy losses which form a positive feedback loop to not having an efficient and effective stroke that is repeatable. The foil creates a wider surface area and therefore more resistance to the vertical blade movement thus reducing the effect of slip and creating a stronger fixed catch and fulcrum for the drive phase to be completed efficiently.
In conclusion, it would be recommended to purchase and utilise the Randallfoils if you are a single sculler due to their recorded improvement with Goretti at the World Championships and especially if disposable income is available due to the potential speed increase that you can gain over a 2km race. This is also true if you are rowing in sweep rowing or in a crew boat even though it has not yet been tested on in these categories, the cost of them is minimal when taking to account the cost of the main components of the sport so financially shouldn’t be a problem for crews and clubs. These Randallfoils can become part of the normal rowing equipment if results keep coming out with strong correlation to be caused by the foil. The Randallfoils purpose is clear and functionally works which brings real benefits to the athletes that have used them with options for further development of the product, greater outcomes could still be found.
Update: Since writing this essay there has been some notable successes with the aid of Randallfoils which include wins at the 2022 Head of the Charles, 2022 USA National Championship and 2022 Australian National Championship. 1st place in the B-final at the Tokyo Olympics as well as 2 Talisker Atlantic Crossing in 2020 and 2022.
Maarit Edy and Hunter, M. (2016). Edexcel GCSE physical education. Student book. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.47–54.
Pinkerton, P. (1992). The Big Blade goes big time. Australian Rowing, September, 10-11.
Pomponi, R. Innovations in oar technology: transition to a new dominant design. http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=renata- 2012941115460001%40ctpid-mac-13.mit.edu.
Randall, I. (2021a). Courses – RANDALLfoils. [online] randallfoils. Available at: https://www.randallfoils.com/our-courses/ [Accessed 24 Oct. 2021].
Randall, I. (2021c). What others say – RANDALLfoils. [online] randallfoils. Available at: https://www.randallfoils.com/what-others-say/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2021].
Schneider, E. & Hauser, M. (1981). Biomechanical analysis of performance in rowing. In Biomechanics VII-B, eds. Morecki, A., Fidelus, K., Kedzior, K., & Wit, A., pp. 430-435. University Park Press, Baltimore
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