One of our life-long dreams came true. We are now proud to present the brand-new oarlock for rowing 3.0! We have never known a product like this; able to match performance output despite the easier set-up before racing and training, and all without the need to leave the boat. This can be mastered in both river and coastal rowing, where weather conditions change very quickly. Our new oarlock 3.0 favors professional rowers, who aim for stroke perfection, but can also easily be used by club athletes, who quickly need to find their set-up in the boats that they regularly share. They can achieve this with easy movements that do not typically involve the use of tools. This latest innovation to roll off the Donoratico production line is the result of the experience-led design philosophy developed by Filippi at regatta venues all over the world, which acutely summarizes the needs of those who row and want to improve their feeling within the boat.
Features:
Filippi oarlock 3.0 was designed by our technical lab for elite and club rowing and is made of a co-molded polymer (plastic + metal) equipped with fiaxing elements in stainless steel. The stiffness ensures direct transmission of a rower’s thrust to the boat. Additionally, the new oarlock is a perfect complement with our carbon aliante riggers, which are equipped with a carbon hilt/holder (item on demand)
Three fundamental details give our new oarlock a unique value proposition in the rowing market:
1)No more pitch bushings to fit to the oarlock: this is replaced by a knob on the lower part of the oarlock that can be rotated to get the desired pitch angle, with the advantage that you can do it out on the water or maybe even during your workout. A small plastic button placed immediately over the pitch knob prevents any movement after the set up.
2) No more plastic washers: the oarlock’s height can quickly be changed by a rotation of the plastic cylinder that contains the metallic pin while sitting in the boat. The oarlock height can then be increased up to 15 mm for sculling boats and 33 mm for sweep.
3) Oar agnostic: The oarlock 3.0 fits perfectly to whichever oar sleeve you choose, thanks to plastic wedges of varying thickness (1 to 3 mm) that ensure more stability to the oar before the catch and after the finish of the stroke. This reduces the gap between the oar sleeve and the inner part of the oarlock.
Technical Benefits of New Oarlock
Height adjustment: Sometimes when you change the height of an oarlock or seat of a rower, the blade work at the catch and/or finish also changes. In fact, different rowing conditions demand different oarlock positions. In rough water, slightly increased height enables rowers to “clean” the finish of stroke. If you are testing new equipment (a new boat or new oars) little changes during the session and immediate comparison of feeling can improve your set up.
If multiple rowers are using the same boat, adjusting only the height of the seat can change the boat balance. Our new oarlock allows multiple users a fast height set up. In addition, a screw driver can be helpful in order to increase the resistance against the opening of the lock/unlock mechanism placed behind the cylinder.
Pitch adjustment: Old and worn sleeves on your scull/sweep oar can show different (unique) pitch angles. Our new oarlock helps to reset it when you are already in the boat. If you are testing new equipment (a new boat or new oars) little changes during the session and immediate comparison of feeling can improve your set up.
Gap Control: The additional plates make setting up the correct gap between the oarlock and oar shaft easier. They are fitted with the oarlock externally by two small stainless steel 316 screws. These wedges allow you to adjust the space to the size and shape of the scull/sweep sleeves, which in turn favours the rower’s feeling.
In fact different type of oars might have different sleeves shapes and diameters. A tighter gap prevents imprecise blade positioning, making your rowing technique more effective.