Steering is the primary duty of the coxswain; steering a straight course in sprint races and a tight course in head races is absolutely necessary for the success of the crew. Coxswains must be able to pick out and correct technical errors in practice, and feel the acceleration of the hull from the coxswain seat. However, when coxing a 4+, from inside the bow cockpit, the job must be executed in a completely different way from when you're coxing in the stern cockpit of an 8+.