Viking ship regatta in Norway

Viking ship during the start of a rowing regatta in 2003. The "Norse Cultural Festival" is held every second year in Nordfjordeid, north-western Norway. The festival includes a popular regatta, where teams rowing traditional wooden boats compete in different classes.
See more viking ships at http://www.vikingskip.com

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• viking
• ship
• rowing
• regatta
• nordfjord
• norway
• vikings
• longship
• longboat

[vikingskipdotcom]

One of the advantages of the viking ships was that the mast could be taken down when rowing against the wind, as shown in this video. Rowing directly against the wind is usually faster than tacking in a zig zag pattern. Full speed when rowing a short distance is about 7 knots.

[Pudersepp]

You're the expert, seems. Did viking ships have coxswains to keep the rowing in rhythm? I imagine there must have been, since rowing 15 pairs is not that easy.

[vikingskipdotcom]

Yes, probably, as commands shouted by the helmsman at least in the start. A wooden megaphone was found together with the Kvalsund ship, dated to 690 AD. The rower sitting next to the helmsman on the starboard side is usually the "strokesman". He sets the pace, and the rest of the crew follows him. After a while the movements and sounds in the ship makes it easy to fall into the pace. If anyone fails, he skips a stroke before he follows the rest.

[lachmeneger]

7 knots for you or for the athletic vikings?

[vikingskipdotcom]

We do 7 knots at our best, which probably is not too different from what a mixed crew of vikings would have done on a sprint. Most guys on the team work as farmers, lumberjacks and carpenters and stay pretty fit. But where a viking could go on for hours, we get exhausted after a short while. ;o)

[VeldigdeiligfraNorge]

Bare utrolig

hilsen fra Oslo

[DarkWolfen]

And mobility.

[sauenkalle]

Viking ship is maked for Speed

[MidgardEagle]

No sails? C'mon, they need sails.

I want one, too:).

[Burankhan]

Damn, I gotta get me one of those.