_Catch._--Then the blades enter the water, turned forward so that they are held in the water vertically. The body is then swung backward from the hips; all the strength and weight of the body are put to the oars. _Pull._--As the body is swinging backward, the arms are bent into the chest. The blade of the oar is kept under water during the entire length of the pull. _Recovery._--As the hands touch the chest, the forearm is dropped quickly, thus causing the blade to leave the water. _Feathering._--The blade is carried a few inches above and horizontal to the water. It is gradually turned, as the catch is reached, to a perpendicular position, ready to enter the water as the arms are straightened ready for the catch. _Legs._--Where a sliding seat is used the object is to combine the use of the arms and legs in making the sweep of the oar longer, at full reach the body being doubled up with the knees under the chin, the stroke consisting of catching the water with the back and forcing it through to the finish by combined action of back and legs. When the finish is reached the legs are straight, the hands and oar are against the chest, and the body slightly back of the perpendicular. Racing The racing stroke is the same, except that for the four and eight-oared crews each oarsman pulls one oar, known as a “sweep,” holding it in both hands--the inside hand at the end of the oar, the outside hand a hand’s breadth away. The boats used for racing are known as “shells,” especially made for the purpose. These have sliding seats and are equipped with either oar-locks or thole pins (according to the belief of the coach) and stretchers, or boards against which the feet rest. When the body is forward, the sliding seat is forward toward the bow; as the pull is starting, the seat comes back until the body is back, then it moves forward as body swings forward. In racing, the shell is steered by a coxswain, who sits in the stern facing the oarsmen and holds the lines which guide the rudder. This is very important, since she tries to choose the best and most favorable course. She must observe all conditions closely. She alters the course as little as possible, taking care not to jerk or in any way interfere with running of the boat. She also judges the stroke, that is, when the stroke should be faster or slower. The stroke oar is the most important position in the boat, since all the others time their strokes according to _hers_, either faster or slower, according to the necessity.