Does a Power Meter Actually Make You Faster?

I've spent the last couple of years asking rowers, coaches, and the people who literally build power meters the same question: does knowing your wattage actually make the boat go faster, or does it just give you a more precise number to obsess over? Turns out the answer depends entirely on who you ask.This is the Power Meter Series roundup — the best of five conversations in one episode. Pete King and Dick Smith, racing out of an uncoached four at Wallingford, on the coaching cliché their own data proved wrong. James Goodwin, Swiss Rowing's Head of Sports Science, on why power beats boat speed as a measure and what "critical power" actually means. Michael Naughten, who helped build the EmPower Oarlock, on a half-second-per-500m gain from one rigging fix. Noel Donaldson — the coach behind two Olympic gold medal crews — on why he calls power "an interesting one, and a dangerous one." And Boston masters rower Greg Benning on why "fewer bad strokes" beats chasing a target number.Five very different answers. None of them what I expected going in.Full interviews are in the archive if you want to go deeper on any one of them, and there's a companion article — the Power Series Roundup — at whchambers.com.