This is a great piece of film.
It goes way back, to the days of old.
I must give credit to Tim Reinard of Sunset Gondola for finding this film clip; I actually first watched it on his Facebook page.
The film is interesting to watch from a rower's standpoint - some of the guys in the single-rower gondola regata row in ways you don't often see.
I often find myself explaining to students the reason we place the right foot behind when rowing. As it was demonstrated to me years ago by maestro Arturo Morucchio at the GSVVM: when you row a poppa, with your right foot aft, it allows you to take advantage of the full reach of your body at the end of your stroke. Look at some of the rowers in this film - at full extension, you can see how they use the technique.
Also see if you can spot the extended pontapie platform - which allows the gondolier to step closer to his forcola and lean his boat over more.
Rowing a full-sized gondola in competition is no small feat, doing it solo is reserved for the best-of-the-best.
In his book "Forcole Remi e Voga alla Veneta" Gilberto Penzo refers to single-oar regatas as "the university of Venetian rowing".
Watch the video on YouTube and you'll gain an appreciation for this most extreme version of our style of rowing.
I'd grab the clip and put it here, but if you go to YouTube you'll see it in a larger window.
Enjoy the Regata.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgCaBqPgwWo
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