This regularly gets asked by new coxswains at the start of each season so hopefully this helps you learn the order of the switches, as well as who’s being switched in and out.
It’s not nearly as difficult as it looks but it does help to familiarize yourself with the transitions before you actually need to call them.
Surely its better to go the opposite direction (stern 6 to bow 6 etc), so if you need to go all eight you only need to bring in 3 and 4 (with people to follow already), rather than stern pair and them having to set a new rhythm.
Doesnt really matter though tbh
They’re not setting a new rhythm though because the drill started with them and presumably that pace (or something close to it) was maintained throughout the entirety of the rotation. Even if it is slightly off, it’s never THAT egregious that it’s comparable to setting an entirely new rhythm when they switch back in for bow pair. If you want to get into the nitty gritty of it, does going from stern to bow or bow to stern REALLY matter? Debatable … but stern to bow is the conventional way of rotating through the pairs, fours, and sixes and going against convention doesn’t really make sense here.