Light

Overview

Rowing Shells - InStep Series - Light

A specialized single for lightweight competitors!

The Light is a truly unique, performance driven racer. It shares the same durability and ease of rowing as the Endurance Series racers, and the high quality hardware and innovative design of the Torque. But what makes it stand out in the elite world of single racers is its detailed engineering for smaller, lighter people:

"The Light is made for youth rowing and men and women weighing under 130 lbs. The boat is compressed but it is not cut down. It’s 24 feet long, so it’s size specific for lightweight rowers. It’s a scaled down racer but like the Torque the hull is a little heavier in the bow to add stability at the catch. These things combined with the adjustability and quality of the hardware make it a great boat for racing as well as gaining a foundation in sculling."

– Jürgen Kaschper, boat designer

The success of the Light as a racer could only be achieved by designing the boat specifically for its weight class, as opposed to cutting down a longer boat that is engineered for a heavier rower:

"In boatbuilding there’s a point where you just cannot decrease the depth of the hull. It doesn’t work any more; it just doesn’t run in the water. So the boat has to become shorter and deeper again. Same thing for a short boat. You can’t just increase the depth more and more in a short boat for a heavier rower. It just becomes more advantageous to lengthen the boat, up to 28 ft for a 250lb rower, for instance. I designed the Light to balance its length against the depth of the hull to ensure it sets up well and has an excellent run for light rowers. And the consensus from the people who row it is that the Light really succeeds in these areas."

– Jürgen Kaschper, boat designer

The Light is a great choice for small women because it is built specifically to meet their needs. Yet even with its strengths as a performance racer it still sets up well and is forgiving, which makes it an ideal boat for youth rowing:

"If kids are interested, they are going to have a lot of fun in this. The concept with the Light is it’s a mini racing shell. It’s not a flat boat, so they won’t get bored in it. The fundamental principles of the design was first commissioned by the Germans. What the coaches did was teach kids the rowing fundamentals and let them go out and have fun. There was no competitive angle to what they were doing, for the first little while."

– Jürgen Kaschper, boat designer

Introducing youth to sculling in North America is increasing. The Light is a boat that allows youth the opportunity to experience and enjoy singles sculling now and as the foundation for a lifelong love of the sport:

"The whole thing to me is get your kid into sculling when he’s young and it will become second nature. He’ll be able to row port and starboard. If he matures into an athlete he can either be a sculler or a sweep person. If he’s a sweep oarsman by the time he’s sick of sweep rowing, at the end of his career, he’ll be able to scull. And that’s the big problem with people who don’t know how to scull – they learn how to sweep, many of them burn out and that’s the end of their rowing career. So for overall rowing development, as well as anatomically, putting young people into sweep boats is the worst thing you can do for them sometimes. The foundation of rowing should be sculling. And that’s a big reason why I built the Light."

– Jürgen Kaschper, boat designer

Get INstep with the LIGHT ! A revolutionary concept; The INstep solves a complex problem with all singles and scullers; stepping in and out of a narrow boat without harming the boat or the sculler. The solution is to lower the centre portion of the seat deck to the keel. Lowering the center of gravity gives maximum stability and also reduces the amount of tuck required to get in and out of the shell, thereby lessening strain on hips and knees. The INstep makes space for conveniant storage of water bottles and integrates a lifting handle located on the balance point of the shell.

"I like what I do"
– Jürgen Kaschper

Construction

Specs

Testimonials

Went for the first row in the boat this afternoon for a couple of hours! I'm at loss for how to describe the feeling...For the first half of the row I was rowing poorly and digging too deep on port and shooting the seat. My port oar and shaft was about two-three inches under the water on most of my strokes. This is normal for me when I switch back to sculling left over right (I scull right over left). The port oarlock was also slightly under pitched. I am telling you this though because I was very surprised that the run and set of the boat wasn't effected. I was digging to the extent that in boats I have rowed before I would have flipped, or at least, arrested the boats momentum. I expected to flip this afternoon when I began the warm up and was rowing off, yet unlike anything I've been in before, there was a feeling of stability underneath me. Almost a recognition of I could row really really poorly and this boat would still track and run, which is terrific for those beginning to scull as well and for the juniors. That I was affecting the speed but nothing else. And here's the thing Jurgen, the speed was there. On the way out I was at 20-22. On the return, I came on at 24 at 50% max with clean bladework and felt an increase in speed even though I wasn't putting much into it. The tracking is beautiful with no unwanted movement vertically or laterally. It feels smooth. It turns on a dime!

Kristen T.

I have now rowed the LevatorLIGHT four consecutive days, and have been cumulatively impressed with how she handles each time I row her. The integrated fin offers exceptional maneuverability along the many twists and turns of the Schuylkill. The detail where the seat tracks end is very thoughtful, as it offers protection from track marks on the legs, as well as secures the seat from derailing if it is flipped. I also love the step down area for entering and exiting the shell. This is the best designed boat I have seen, bar none. You also did a beautiful job with the aesthetic addition of the silver striping. My compliments. Thanks again.

B. Janet Hibbs, Bachelor Barge Club, Philadelphia, PA

I just wanted to check in with you about the Levator Light. I picked it up on Thursday and I now have it with me in Standish. Its wonderful! I took it out this morning for the first time and had a blast. I hadn't rowed since last year and so it was quite an adventure getting back in to a shell, especially since I had mostly rowed rec-racers at Durham and had only started with the racers right at the end of the season. I think I will be okay, though, with a lot of practice and more instruction (i didn't flip, though!).

Thanks so much , I absolutely love the boat and am very, very pleased.

Alex C.

Although it was disappointing to find out about the hairline crack in my boat, I wanted to express how much I appreciated your willingness to build a new boat. I'm sure not every boat builder would have taken that initiative.

This is a boat I plan on rowing for YEARS, so I am glad to know your interest is in give me the best quality boat possible.

Thank you for your honesty and willingness to start a new boat from scratch... I think that says a lot about the integrity of your company.

Jennifer M.

Although, launching me in the boat was a Laurel and Hardy (or a Lucy and Ethel) act in and of itself the boat is AMAZING!

We don't have a floating dock yet, but our neighbors have a nice ramp under their boathouse , so the initial maiden row was trying to get me in the boat from fairly deep water. I talked Dennis into wading neck deep in the water and pushing the boat over to the side of our bulkhead, keeping the rigger clear, removing the port oar then THANK GOD FOR THE INSTEP I was able to S T R E T C H my body over and into the boat. Then we put the oars back on and off I went.

This is the awesome part: Every time I have EVER rowed I have felt tippy for the first three minutes of 'take off'. I never realized that in spite of being in boats for lightweights, that I was still too light for the lightweight boats.

After all the hullabaloo of getting me in the boat there was not one second that I was in control of the oars that I felt even remotely 'tippy'. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

E.C.

Thanks for the time on Saturday. I love the boat. The maiden voyage went flawlessly.

I am excited.

Greg B.

Now that I've rowed my "new" boat, I can let you know that it is amazing! I love it. I'll try and remember to bring my camera next time...should have this morning, the lake was like glass.

Kathy H.

I received my levator single spring of 2007 and was estatic because of the design. Never being in a single before and being able to set the shell up was surprising. The smoothness of run in the shell, and power you feel is amazing. Keep up the good work.

Jimmy Wilkie

Although I've had my new boat for about a month, last night was the first time I could take Wasser Drache out for its maiden voyage! Wind, current, and water depth were finally just right. It was a great row! The boat and I had a great connection and everything "clicked."

Ducks and Canadian geese swam around as I rowed and a fly even hitched a ride with me...it landed on my stern and stayed there during the entire row!!! It is an amazing difference finally being in a boat that fits me...I don't have to overcompensate now! For example, I can pull the oars into my navel instead of high into my chest. I especially like how the smooth deck curves down behind my ankles...usually the backs of my legs get beat up from rubbing on the rough edges of other boats. I also really like the step-down (makes getting out very easy and a great place for my water bottle), the handle, and I felt very stable going out in it for the first time. I'll have to play around with tweaking the adjustments to get everything just right, but I love it and had an instant bond with it! Oh, I also got lots of compliments on the color!

Thanks so much for the beautiful boat!

Jennifer M.

Thanks Joe is BEAUTIFUL!!! And the rigger is like its own work of art. I used to do metal sculpture in the old days and I always love anything made of metal and I had to just keep stroking it! Love that my name is on it as well.

Al, the truck driver was great...such a nice guy. Kept me very informed as to his whereabouts.

Elodie