Wisdom from George Yeoman Pocock

"Rowing a race is an art, not a frantic scramble.  It  must be rowed with head power as well
as hand power.  From the first stroke all thoughts of the other crew must be blocked out. 
Your thoughts must be directed to you and your own boat, always positive,never negative."
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"Just as a skilled rider is said to become part of his horse,
the skilled oarsman must become a part of his boat."

"When you get the rhythm in an eight, it's pure
pleasure to be in it.  It's not hard work when the 
rhythm comes---that "swing" as they call it.  I've
heard men shriek out with delight when that 
swing came in an eight: it's a thing they'll never forget
as long as they live."

"Therein lies the secret of successful crews:  Their
"swing," that fourth dimension of rowing, which
can only be appreciated by an oarsman who has rowed 
in a swinging crew, where the run is uncanny and 
​the work of propelling the shell a delight."


"Where is the spiritual value of rowing?. . . The losing  of self entirely to the cooperative
effort of the crew as a whole."

"Harmony, balance, and rhythm.  They're the three things that stay with you your whole
life.  Without them civilization is out of whack. And that's why an oarsman, when he goes out
in life, he can fight it, he can handle life.  That's what he gets from rowing."

The Boys in the Boat Book Discussion - This Thursday April 6 @ 10 AM

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