Nolte, Volker
Biographical Display
VOLKER NOLTE, engineer, designer, coach
In the spring of 1980 Volke Nolte wrote a programme to simulate boat speed by changing lengths of arms, speed on slide etc to see what would happen to velocity of boat. He entered data for a boat equiped with a fixed seat and sliding riggers and foot stretchers, a concept at least as old as 1870 when John Babcock was exploring it while developing the sliding seat. The boat speed that came out was significantly different.
Nolte was studying at Cologne University, and he persuaded Leo Wolloner at Empacher to build the boat which is in the River and Rowing Museum collection. Nolte tested the boat himself and matched well to the leading German international scullers. He had succeeded in designing the first reliable sliding rigger boat. From 1981-83 such boats caught on for top competitors, until an International Rowing Federation ban on them came into force.
Nolte moved to Canada and became a successful coach there.
In the spring of 1980 Volke Nolte wrote a programme to simulate boat speed by changing lengths of arms, speed on slide etc to see what would happen to velocity of boat. He entered data for a boat equiped with a fixed seat and sliding riggers and foot stretchers, a concept at least as old as 1870 when John Babcock was exploring it while developing the sliding seat. The boat speed that came out was significantly different.
Nolte was studying at Cologne University, and he persuaded Leo Wolloner at Empacher to build the boat which is in the River and Rowing Museum collection. Nolte tested the boat himself and matched well to the leading German international scullers. He had succeeded in designing the first reliable sliding rigger boat. From 1981-83 such boats caught on for top competitors, until an International Rowing Federation ban on them came into force.
Nolte moved to Canada and became a successful coach there.
