RegattaCentral

NEW in 2025: Youth and U17 1x, Youth 2-, and Youth and U17 2x  time trials on Friday afternoon. 3:00pm first launch.  All other events remain on traditional Saturday / Sunday schedule.

Welcome to the 2025 Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta!  After a 2024 regatta that was our largest ever, Oak Ridge Rowing Assocation made some small adjustments to accommodate demand for this very competitive event. At a glance -

• The overall sequence of events is revised to better allow athletes to pursue and progress through multiple events. Whether your athletes want to compete in small boats, sweep, or sculling events, the event order, from Time Trials through Semi-Finals and Finals is structured to eliminate concerns about tight event-to-event centers and support progressions including 1x->2x, 2x->4x, 2- -> 4+, and 4+ -> 8+.
• We will execute the Youth and U17 1x, the Youth 2- and the Youth and U17 2x Time Trials on Friday afternoon. 
• Based on a statistical review of the on-water results over the last three years, adjustments were made to the progression schedule based on the number of entries in those events.
• We moved the 2V and 3V Petit Finals to Saturday. 2V and 3V Grand Finals and all Youth Finals remain on the Sunday schedule.
• Individual event caps, based on 3-year demand, have been implemented for every event. This allows us to generate a more accurate schedule at the close of Standard Registration.
• The Saturday pm 500-meter DASH for 1x and 8+ transitions to an optional event and may be offered at the close of regular registration as event schedule/volume allows.

By moving just the small-boats to late Friday afternoon and leaving large boats on the regular schedule, ORRA hopes to minimize the travel cost/impact to our coaches, teams, and athletes. We expect most small boat participants to arrive on Friday- early afternoon, while the rest of the athletes can travel on the traditional schedule. The adjustment with the 2V/3V Petit Finals also shortens the overall schedule for Sunday, allowing everyone to get back home on an earlier schedule.

ORRA seeks comment from coaches!  A significantly larger DRAFT document that describes the order of events, the progressions, and other information is posted here. The final version will post in early 2025.

2025 Event Structure

The following events are offered for 2025.

Progressions and the use of a Time Trial

ORRA will use a 1750-meter Time Trial on Friday p.m. (1x/2-/2x) and Saturday a.m. (4x-+/8+) to establish a rank-ordered list for Events with eight or more entries.  Progressions using the rank-ordered list are as follows.

The following progression is anticipated. Based on entries/distribution, minor adjustments may be made. 

• If a single entry is received in an event, the LOC will work with the team/athletes to either shift them to another event, potentially run them combined with a similar event, or allow a cancel/refund.
• For entries of 2-7, that event will go straight to final, racing on Sunday. ORRA may combine two smaller/similar events in to a single event in the interests of total schedule.
• For entries of 8-12, based on the results of the time trial, the Top 7 progress directly to the Sunday Final.
• For entries of 13-18, ORRA will use a time trial, with the Top 6 progressing directly to a Sunday Grand Final and the 7-12 to a Sunday Petit Final.
• For entries of 19-24, a Time Trial will determine rank-ordered advancement of the top 12 to two semifinals and Petit/Grand Finals. 
• For entries of 25 or more, a Time Trial will determine rank-ordered advancement of the top 18 to three semifinals and Petit/Grand Finals. 

Events with 2-12 entries will progress seven and use the 7-lane 2000-meter stake-boated course for their final. All other progressions (semifinals, petif finals, grand finals) will use a 6-lane 2000-meter stakeboated course.  The Chief Referee will manage the division of entrants for all progressions.

Time Trial Schedule: Time Trials will start late Friday (1x, 2-, 2x) and early Saturday (4x-+ and 8+), and run across two parallel lanes on approximate 7-minute event centers.  On Saturday, ORRA will have a short break immediately after Time Trials to rotate referees and LOC to the marshalling and start dock and start platform positions. Semi Finals and 2V/3V Petit Finals will immediately follow Time Trials on Saturday afternoon. Youth Petit Finals and all Youth Grand Finals will be executed on Sunday.

Inclement Weather: We anticipate the race schedule to run from 3pm-7m (launch to dock) on Friday for the 1x/2-/2x, 7am-7pm on Saturday and 7am-4pm on Sunday. In the event of inclement weather, the Chief Referee and Local Organizing Committee will revise the schedule to accommodate the event timing accordingly. We will use GroupMe, a message service available for both iPhone and Android, for communicating real-time updates. The following general tenets apply:

• In the absence of further progressions, the results of an Event's Time Trial will determine the order of finish.
• In the absence of further progressions, the timed results (not semi-final order of finish) of an Event's Semi-Finals will determine the order of finish, without regard for the execution of multiple semi-finals. i.e. if an event has two semi-finals, but the final cannot be executed, the three fastest times across the Event semifinals will determine the order of finish.
• Edge cases may exist, based on the time/duration of inclement weather in the schedule where the results of the Event's Time Trial may be used to seed crews directly to (optional Petit Finals)/Finals, with semifinals, intended to seed PF/F, discarded.
• Event Priority (highest to lowest), given appropriate safety considerations of smaller boats
  • Events that require Time Trials
  • Events that have up to 7 entries (normally straight to Finals) since they would not have a TT
  • Finals, largest boats to smallest boats
  • Petit Finals, largest boats to smallest boats
• Because of the commitment of (everyone) to a timely conclusion, racing on Sunday cannot extend past 6pm.

Tweaks from 2024:

Reference Dates and Deadlines. Clubs remain responsible for scratches for the duration of the event, i.e. if a scratch is necessary at any point during the race schedule, Clubs have the responsibility to notify the LOC no less than 45 minutes before the race time.

Did Not Start fees. Coaches and crews understand that they should typically launch NO LATER THAN 45 minutes prior to the start of their race. That is considered the minimum time to check in with the Referee, ensure safety items, launch, exit the embayment, row to the starting area, and prepare to race. Referees are specifically capturing the launch time for every single boat in every single event. When crews do not launch, the control commission, marshaling and starting referees must identify and confirm that the crew is not present (or late to start) and not participating. Crews that must race-day scratch are required to notify the LOC at the boathouse office no less than 45 minutes prior to that event's start time to avoid a $20 per incident fee.

Links

Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta Coaches and Coxswains Meeting via:

Zoom (Live) - YouTube (Recording)
Time: Wednesday Apr 23, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Coaches and coxswains are responsible for the content.  

2025 GroupMe: ORRA will use an instant messaging service, through GroupMe, to make timely announcements about registration deadlines and practice/race day announcements that affect the regatta schedule. Please join this announcement-only group at https://groupme.com/join_group/104865617/7KWPOGVi or by scanning the QR code here.

2025 Schedule via HereNow (link pending)

2025 Heat Sheets via HereNow (link pending)

2025 Results via HereNow (link pending)

2024 Results via HereNow   for reference                     2023 Results via HereNow for reference

2025 Team Tent Orders: (link pending)

2025 Paid Parking Passes: (link pending)  Parking passes guarantee in and out privileges Friday 2:00 p.m. through Sunday. Passes available for pick up with paid receipt starting Friday morning.

We will have a two-minute drop off zone on Melton Lake Drive for all the general coming/going madness, and a medical disability drop off location adjacent to the peninsula. See Parking Attendant for details.

Volunteer

ORRA can always benefit from a few volunteers to help us with the regatta execution. We use SignUp Genius to manage volunteer opportunities, and it comes with appropriate on-site training. If you are an experienced launch driver (coach, former referee, or similar) and want the best seat in the house, consider being a launch driver and chase the races with a referee on-board. There are also opportunities on-land, from Control Commission to Start to Finish Tower, and everywhere in-between. Volunteer shifts are short, knowing that everyone has many demands. All efforts are welcome. Free stuff. See https://www.signupgenius.com/ (link pending) for opportunities.

Site Maps
     Trailer/Venue/Athlete Area   Practice Day Traffic Pattern
      Time Trial Traffic Pattern    Sprint Race Traffic Pattern

Practice Schedule

Teams may practice on Thursday, from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Last launch on Thursday is 5:30 p.m. Teams may practice on Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Last launch is 1:00 p.m. The Practice Day Traffic Pattern is in effect through 2:30 p.m. Friday

Official SWAG

Get your official 2025 Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta Apparel both on site and directly from the supplier. Hours from Friday afternoon through Sunday. Click here (pending) for the online store.