Sculling in fours. The length is 13.4m, and the weight is 52kg. Men's and women's events After the eights, the quickest boats have eight blades and four rowers. These are known as sculls. The rest of the boats have six blades and two rowers or four blades and three rowers. Quads have longer blades and so can reach higher speeds. They also require more skill to drive. An eight-man boat can go faster than a quad because it has more crew members and therefore more weight over the blade. A quad cannot go as fast because it is easier to capsize than an eight. In practice, most regattas offer choices of both types of boat. The decision will depend on the size of the field and the type of race being held. In general, quads are for smaller courses up to about 500 meters long, while eights are usually used for longer races. However, in some cases you may come across older races where only quads are allowed. Also, in major regattas such as the Olympic Games, only quads are permitted because they provide a closer race. Eight-man boats tend to be wider and so can hold more people. This means that they are likely to have more sponsorship logos visible during the race.