For 34 years the fourth weekend in April, the Oak Ridge Rowing Association has sponsored the annual Dogwood Regatta. The Oak Ridge Dogwood Regatta is a two-day event with youth and master events. ORRA hopes you enjoy a great weekend of rowing. The Oak Ridge Dogwood Regatta is a registered regatta and requires USRowing organizational membership this must be taken care of prior to arriving on site to participate. USRowing Membership can be done on-line at http://www.usrowing.org. The Oak Ridge Dogwood Regatta will be conducted in accordance with the USRowing “Rules of Rowing”. The regatta is not an NCAA regatta and NCAA rules will not apply. Please familiarize yourself with these rules before attending the coaches and coxswains meeting. If you would like to get involved and volunteer you can sign-up www.orra.org.

EVENT DATE: April 28 - 29, 2012

ENTRY WINDOW: March 15 - April 23, 2012  www.regattacentral.com                                 

LOCATION: 697 Melton Lake Drive, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, (865) 482-6538                                                

FEES: 8+: $80, 4+/4x: $60, 2x/2-: $40, 1x : $20 (There is not a fee cap for this event.)

LATE ENTRIES: Late entries are subject to a late fee of 50% and will be accepted only if there is an open slot. Withdrawals or scratches received on or before Monday, April 23 will be entitled to a full refund. Withdrawals or scratches received after Monday, April 23 but on or before Wednesday, April 25 will be subject to forfeit of their entry fee. Withdrawals or scratches received after Friday, April 27 will be subject to forfeit of their entry fee, plus and additional $25 scratch fee. Any scratches made on race day will be subject to a mandatory $100 scratch fee, payable immediately, except for those due to a documented medical circumstance.

WAIVERS: Waivers deadline: Tuesday, April 26. Waivers must be completed on-line https://rosters.usrowing.org/ as no ‘hard-copy’ waivers will be utilized. Each team shall be responsible for the conduct, physical fitness, including the ability to swim, of its competitors.

CHECK-IN: Teams may sign-in at the ORRA Boathouse:

• Saturday Events: Friday April 27 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM for
• Sunday Events: Saturday, April 28 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM                                                                                         

Coach and Cox Meeting: There will be two C&C meetings for the Oak Ridge Dogwood Regatta. The meetings will be held on the south side of ORRA Boathouse. At least one representative from each crew must attend to cover event specific details. All crews will be responsible for the information delivered at the meeting, regardless of attendance.

• Saturday Events: Friday April 27, 7:00 PM for Saturday events
• Sunday Events: Sunday, April 29, 7:00 AM for Sunday events.                 

Regatta STAFF

• Director:                                 Allen Eubanks, [email protected]
• Register:                                 Jon Neveu
• Parking Chairman:               Bob Franks
• Launch Captain:                   Gary Giles, Bob Leicht
• Course Chairman:               Joe Carlson, Bill Garland
• Vendor Coordinator:            Candace Eubanks
• Volunteer Coordinator:       TBA
• Referee Coordinator:         Joe Carlson
• Control Commission:         TBA
• Start Line Coordinator:       John Vitek
• Finish Line Coordinator:     Karen Clark

EVENT ENTRY LIMITS, DESCRIPTIONS, & PRIORITY

Club Events will not be open or club events at the 2012 Dogwood Regatta. Sorry for the inconvenience.

SATURDAY EVENTS

Youth Events will be open to all athletes who in the current calendar year do not attain the age of 19, or who are and have been continuously enrolled in secondary school as a full time student seeking a diploma. Athletes may compete in only two (2) events. The coach and competitor shall decide which event shall be their priority. Coaches should take into consideration that an illness or injury on race day should require an alternate rower not already seated in an event. Hot seating must be arranged with the dock master before the scheduled race. No consideration shall be given to scheduling conflicts of competing in multiple events; the regatta will proceed on time and will not be held for hot seating crews. Coxswains are NOT limited in the number of events they may enter; due to skill level, gender, or number of events that they may enter. However, Novice coxswains must be used in novice events. Events will race 2000m from fixed starting positions. Each event must have a minimum of three entries to constitute a race.

ENTRY LIMITS                                    8+                  4+                  4x                  2x                  1x                  2-                 

1st Boat                                               1                     1                   2                      2                  2                  2                 

2nd Boat                                              2                     2                   -                        -                  -                  -                 

Lightweight                                         1                     1                    -                       1                  1                  -                 

1st Novice                                          1                     1                     -                       -                  -                  -

2nd Novice                                         2                     2                     -                       -                  -                  -                 

Mixed Boats                                       2                     2                    2                       2

1st Boat Events: Category intended for 1V crews.

2nd Boat Events: Category intended for 2V crews. A 2V event may not be entered without entering a 1V event of the same boat class. Rowers that compete in the 1V may not enter a 2V event of the same boat class.

Lightweight Boat Events: Crews competing in the lightweight category are required to meet the weight standards described under lightweight in the packet.

Novice Events: A novice event shall be defined as any athlete who started competing after May 1 of the previous year. A rower who has previously competed only as a coxswain can compete as a novice rower. A coxswain who has previously competed only as a rower can compete as a novice coxswain.

U17 Events: (U17): In addition to Novice events in the Oak Ridge Dogwood Regatta will have U17 events. Participation is allowed in a U17 rowing event until December 31 of the current calendar year in which the competitor reaches the age of 16. Athletes that do not meet this category must be entered in 1V, 2V, or LT events. U17 coxswains must be used in U17 events. U17 or “Junior B” is Sub-classification by Age found in USRowing rule 4-104(A.2), as opposed to the advisory definition “novice” which is not an official classification of USRowing.

Mixed Events will be open to all athletes, which half of the crew shall be female and half shall be male. The coxswain may be of either gender.

LIGHTWEIGHT AND COXSWAIN WEIGH-IN RULES

NOTICE: There is a potential danger of excessive and rapid weight reduction in the form of dehydration and severe dietary restriction.

Excessive water loss by sweating can seriously compromise the ability of the body to regulate temperature, can negatively impact athletic performance, and more importantly, can threaten the health of the athlete. Catastrophic injury can result from excessive dehydration and there have been deaths in top level athletes. Water loss of more than 2% of body weight can reduce competitive and training performances. Re-hydration during the two-hour period following weigh-in may not adequately restore an athlete to a healthy hydrated state for racing.

It is the responsibility of all athletes, coaches, medical staff, and officials of the rowing community to work together to ensure that lightweight rowing is healthy and safe. This means that no athlete should voluntarily or upon instruction, resort to extreme measures for excessive and rapid dehydration by use of occlusive clothing, saunas or diuretics. The practice of dehydrating by the use of diuretics and re-hydrating by intravenous infusion are both banned. It is recommend that lightweight rowers and coxswains intending to compete at Southeast Youth Championship Regatta should weigh no more than 6.5 pounds above the required racing weight on January 1. By March, they should weigh no more than 4.5 pounds above their racing weight. It is recommended that in the 24 hours prior to racing, weight reduction should not exceed 2.2 pounds.

The LOC strongly urges all coaches to refrain from unnatural weight requirements for rowers. A rower who appears severely dehydrated or to have used extreme means to lose weight shall be required to be checked by on site medical personnel before being cleared to race.  A rower who requires intravenous re-hydration will not be allowed to race.

LIGHTWEIGHT category for men’s crews shall weigh a maximum of 160 lbs, with no crew averaging. A lightweight competitor in an event for women’s crews shall weigh a maximum of 130 lbs, with no crew averaging. Lightweight weigh-in will occur once a day, no more than two hours and no less than one hour before the competitor’s first race in which the weight is relevant. Crews and alternates will weigh-in together and must be accompanied by a Coach or Program Designate. Competitors shall be weighed in wearing the same uniform, identical in style, color, and detail, including any insignia without shoes or other footgear. No one will be weighed-in wearing more or less clothing. Crews are to step on the scale in the order that they row in the boat (i.e. bow to stern). Each rower shall have only one (1) initial opportunity to weigh in. Re-weighs will only be allowed if the rower is within one (1.0) pound of the event maximum as stated above and must be done within the weigh in time window. A competitor whose initial weight is greater than one (1.0) pound above the weight standard will be ineligible to compete in the event. No one will be allowed to "check their weight" on the official scale during the official weigh-in times. Un-official scales will be on site as of Friday at noon.

COXSWAINS in Men’s events shall weigh a minimum of 120 lbs and a minimum of 110 lbs for Women’s events. Coxswain weigh-in will occur once during the weekend before the competitor’s first race in which the weight is relevant. Coxswains whose body weight, while wearing unisuit/ racing shirt, shorts and socks, is less than the required standard, will be required to carry deadweight such as sand or other ballast, in order to achieve the minimum weight. Any such deadweight shall be placed in the boat as close to the torso of the coxswain as possible, and it is specifically forbidden to distribute deadweight throughout the boat. Excess clothing, equipment, electronic systems, tools, or other utilitarian devices germane to competition, shall not be considered part of the coxswain’s weight and shall not be included as part of any required deadweight. The LOC will supply sand weights of small weight increments to the correct any difference in weight up to 5 pounds. Crews are to bring deadweight to weigh-in if coxswains are more than 5 pounds beneath minimum weight standards. DEADWEIGHT, whether provided by LOC or not, must be weighed and marked by the Clerk of Scales for specific individuals at the time of the coxswains weigh-in. Coxswains are required that they must display their weight to the Referee, if so requested.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Times for all final events are tentative and subject to change, actual order of events will be published by on www.regattacentral.com under the events tab once registration opens. This is a tentative schedule created with 2011 entry numbers for your planning purposes.                                  

Master Events will be open to all athletes who have attained or will attain the age of 21 during the current calendar year. A competitor’s age is determined as of December 31 of the current calendar year, rounded down to the nearest whole number.

• A Masters crew shall be comprised of Masters rowers, excluding the coxswain.
• A Masters crew may compete in a younger age category but not in an older age category.
• Events will include novice, lightweight and open weight boat classes in both genders.
• Athletes in each event are required to be of the same gender as well as in the similar uniform.
• Events will race 1000m from fixed starting positions ending at the 1000m line.
• A Master competitor’s eligibility to compete in Masters events is not affected by his or her classification by skill. 
• Every athlete in this category must be in a position to prove his age by presentation of an official document if requested.
• Master rowers are not limited in the number of entries.
• Events will be run in a flight only format with medals awarded to the top three winners of each race. Each event must have a minimum of three entries to constitute a race.
• Master events will be grouped for registration purposes.
• Athletes will be scheduled against rowers of similar age and not have time handicaps.
• Coxswains for Master and Open events are not required to weigh-in
• Once the entry window closes, entries will be divided into the following categories:

Master                   21 to 35 years                             Senior-Master    36 to 49 years

Grand-Master      50 to 59 years                             Veteran                60 to 69 years

Senior-Veteran    70 to 79 years                             Grand-Veteran   80 and over

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Times for all final events are tentative and subject to change, actual order of events will be published by on www.regattacentral.com under the events tab once registration opens.

This is a tentative schedule created with 2011 entry numbers for your planning purposes

Lane Selection: Random lane selection will be done using regatta software. This regatta management software collects the data from Regatta Central and automatically seeds crews. Please note that we will be downloading and drawing the lanes draw on Wednesday evening. It will be posted on the web at www.regattacentral.com under the “Heat Sheet/Draw” tab that evening. This will not be the final heat sheet and will be subject to changes. The final heat sheet will be distributed to coaches on site upon signing-in. All Lane assignments and updates will be posted on the www.regattacentral.com.

PRACTICE RULES Coaches should be aware of the ORRA practice policies. The course will be open for teams arriving 24 hours prior to the start of racing for practice (Friday starting at 12:00 PM Saturday and 15 minutes after the final race of the day on Saturday). Crews arriving earlier than 24 hours to the event are subject to a guest-training fee of $3.00 per athlete per day. Coach launches will not be permitted on the water 24 hours prior to the start of the event. All practices are at “own risk”. The traffic pattern during practice times is right hand rule and use of lanes 0,1 toward the start. Lanes 2,3 are dead lanes. Lanes 4, 5, 6 toward the finish. Any questions about practice times and rules will be directed to the hosting LOC.

Protest: Intent to file protest must be indicated on the water immediately following the finish of a race. The protest must be made to an USRowing official before the crew leaves the area between the finish tower and the embayment. After a crew returns to the launch docks, all right to protest is waived. The regatta will consider protest from each coach or coaching representative (only one coach/coaching representative per protest is allowed) per USRA rules at a fee of $25.00. The protest must be filed with the Regatta Director and the fee paid within 60 minutes from the start of the race in question. The Regatta Jury will consider appeals from crews who have been assessed a penalty.

THE COURSE Rowing will be northwest to southeast downstream from the start near the Flatwater Restaurant to the UT-Battelle Finish Tower.  The distance markers are placed on the eastern shore and will count toward the finish (0000 | 0500 | 1000 | 1500 | 2000). The course will include six (6) buoyed lanes with lane markers hung from the starting bridge. The lanes will be numbered from left to right (0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6). Lane six will be closest to the finish tower on the west side of course. Lane “0” is the travel lane toward the start that is on the east side of the course. This lane may be used if a 7th lane is needed, if so caution should be used when approaching the choke point located at 500m. A “Starter’s Tower” will also be utilized to aid in the teams viewing of the starter’s flag. Each lane is equipped with an individual loud speaker.

Launching There will be three calls to launch prior to each event as scheduled. Launch officials at the launch docks will make every effort to launch boats on time. It is your responsibility to report to the starting line on time, regardless if you hear the race calls or not. A representative must check-in with the dock master before launching for every race. Coaches and coxswains should be ready to launch 45 minutes prior to the scheduled time of their event. Traffic rules will be posted at the launch docks (launch docks 1 and 2 will be used for launching of crews, recovery docks 3 and 4 will be used for recovery of crews, the two docks located closest to the boathouse are for emergency use and referees only). Approaches to and from the launching docks must be kept clear. Crews should spend no more than 2 minutes on the docks. 

Traveling to the start Exit the embayment yielding to regatta traffic approaching on course. Cross the race course at directly as possible to far shore. Turn to port after clearing all course lanes. DO NOT YIELD OR STOP INSIDE OF COURSE LANES. There should be large pink buoys to mark outer limits of racecourse. Crews can warm up with caution as they travel up the eastern shore toward the start.  Maintain single file past the racecourse. Avoid doing practice starts until you pass the starting line. Boats must yields when events on the course approach (150m).

Warm-up area Crews may proceed up stream past the railroad bridge and enter the warm up area (500m north of the bridge). Travel in a counter clockwise direction. Twin RED buoys will mark the warm-up limit. Stay with in site and audible distance of the start marshals. Check in with the start Marshal north of the bridge upon your arrival to the warm-up area.

Staging Area Staging crews will happen south of the bridge along the west shore. The “Staging Marshal” will call the race to line up in lane order to enter the course. Check in with marshal upon arrival to the staging area.

Finish Area Crews should exit the finish area as soon as possible after the “Regatta Official” has polled the crews after the conclusion of the event. A warm down area will be provided beyond the course for 250m. Crews should not travel around the next river bend while warming down. Crews will exit the finish area between the course and the finish line tower, stay off the course while exiting the course. Do not stop on the finish line while leaving the course.

PROGRESSION

The Oak Ridge Dogwood Regatta will uses the following progression systems all events shall consist of finals, and if necessary, heats, and semifinals. The regatta progression is subject to change until 24 hours prior to the first race. In the event that heat entries fall below the number that are to advance the last place crew will not be permitted to progress.

Entries                                    Heats(Adv)                                    Semi(Adv)

1-6                                             -(-)                                              FINAL ONLY

7                                               2(all but last)                               -(-)                

8-12                                         2(3)                                               -(-)  

13-15                                      3(2)                                                -(-)  

16-18                                      3(4)                                                2(3)

19-24                                      4(3)                                                2(3)

25-36                                      6(3)                                                3(2)

The assignment of lanes for advancing crews shall be assigned from the center lanes outward according to the order of finish in the previous level of competition.

Seeding for 2 events to 1:                  Lane 1                  Lane 2                  Lane 3                  Lane 4                  Lane 5                  Lane 6                 

EVENT 1                                                      B-3                   A-2                        B-1                        A-1                        B-2                        A-3                 

Seeding for 3 events to 1:                   Lane 1                  Lane 2                  Lane 3                  Lane 4                  Lane 5                  Lane 6                 

EVENT 1                                                      C-2                   A-2                        B-1                        A-1                        C-1                         B-2                 

Seeding for 3 events for 2:                  Lane 1                  Lane 2                  Lane 3                  Lane 4                  Lane 5                  Lane 6                 

EVENT 1                                                      C-4                   B-2                        A-1                        C-1                        A-3                         B-4                  

EVENT 2                                                      C-3                  B-3                         A-2                        B-1                        C-2                         A-4                 

AWARDS

Medals will be awarded as results are finalized. Medals awarded to first, second, and third place for all races. A crew must beat another crew to be awarded medals. Medals may be picked up at the boathouse and results will be posted on the bulletin board outside the boathouse.

TEAM POINTS

The club of the winning boat in each event shall receive points based a modification of the "Barnes Scoring System" on the chart below. The teams of the remaining boats in the finals race of the event shall receive points according to the following percentage of the points awarded to the champion in that event. If more than six boats raced in heats in an event, points shall be awarded as if six boats raced in the final, regardless of the number of crews that actually race in the final. In the event of a points tie, a coin toss shall be used as a tiebreak. All events will be scored. One boat per team scored in each event.   Points for events that are run as “Flights” will be awarded based on time.

The following youth team trophies shall be awarded to team based upon the points earned by teams in events

• Overall Trophy                    Presented to the youth club with the highest Combined point total.

• Men's Trophy                                      Presented to the team with the highest Men's point total.

• Women's Trophy                   Presented to the team with the highest Women's point total.

• Novice Championship Trophy

• Efficiency Trophy                  Presented to the regatta's most successful club with regard to size.

Efficiency Qualifications:

• The Club is required to participate in at least 4 final events.

• The Club must have 14 competitors entered in the regatta.

• The Club must participate in at least One Sweep Oared Event and One Sculled Event.

• One boat per Club scored in each event.

• The "Efficiency" is the percentage of Total Points divided by Total Possible Points. The club that qualifies, and is the most efficient in it's over all entries throughout the regatta, is the winner. 

(A/P=E) 

• (A) Actual Points= Total points earned based on Clubs actual finish position in final events. 

• (P) Possible Points = Total possible points if the Club placed first in each of the final events.

• (E) Efficiency Percentage = Total Actual Points divided by the Total Possible Points.                                                                                  

POINTS SYSTEM

The following table summarizes how points shall be awarded for events.

# Boats in Event                                       % of 1st Place Points

Rules of the Venue

SpectatorS There is not a charged to enter Melton Lake Park. The park is tentatively scheduled to open at 7:00 am each morning until dark each night.

Good Neighbor Policy ORRA shares the venue with the Oak Ridge Community and two local restaurants. ORRA has established the following NO PARKING ZONES, to continue to have a good relationship in the future.

• No parking is permitted in the neighborhoods that border the course.
• The Palisades, located near the starting line, has a no parking zone at the entrance of the neighborhood. Signs have been posted and citations will be given for parking here.
• The Flatwater Grill, at the start area, has asked that spectators stay off grass and from under structures, unless you are eating a meal there. Please respect the patrons and do not interfere with customers.
• The China Palace Restaurant has parking rights to the eastern half of the parking lot directly in front of restaurant is for patrons only. Please do not park in this area.

GREENWAYS local citizens and event participants alike share the greenway that runs along the entire venue. Please keep equipment a minimum of 3 feet from the trail. Groups walking along or stretching on the green way need to allow easy passage by walkers and bikers.

TENT Staking is absolutely forbidden anywhere on the venue. High power lines are buried all along the venue.  Tents must be placed in accordance with venue regulations.

Pavilion The pavilion located in the park near the playground is intended as an open access structure for non-scheduled activities. Programs that require use of the pavilion for large groups are required to contact the City of Oak Ridge to reserve the structure for a fee.

CONCESSIONS & MERCHANDISE Food and beverages will be available for purchase at the regatta site from the Atomic Rowing Booster Club, in addition to other independent food vendors.

Grilling is permitted on the peninsula area. Teams are required to have a fire extinguisher in their cooking area. 

Merchandise The official Dogwood Regatta t-shirt will be available on the day of the regatta. Unauthorized sale of merchandise, food or drink is not permitted. 

Handicapped Needs Please advise the regatta director, of any special needs regarding services for handicap assistance at least 7 days prior to the regatta. 

Spectator Parking Spectators will be asked to park along the shoulders of Melton Lake Drive. As the regatta continues to grow in size parking for teams and spectators become limited and shuttles may be used. Please follow the signs to the appropriate parking areas. Volunteers will be on hand to assist you. Spectators and non-tow vehicles are to leave the area behind the trailers for official team tow vehicles. This is a permitted area. The parking area in front of the boathouse is reserved for referees, vendors, event volunteers, and regatta officials, spectators may not park in this area. This area is by permit only.  

Security at the regatta trailer parking area will be provided from 7:00 P.M. Friday to 7:00 A.M. Saturday, as well as 7:00 P.M. Saturday to 7:00 A.M Sunday.

Accommodations For hotel/motel room rates and availability information, contact the Oak Ridge CVB, Anderson County CVB or the Knoxville Sport Corporation. Hotels in Oak Ridge are 4 miles from the venue. Additional, hotels are located in Anderson County, as well as Knoxville are within 20 minutes of the venue. 

Trailer Parking Coaches, athletes, and drivers should be made aware of the ORRA trailer policies prior to arriving at the venue. Trailer will be identified on a venue map provided for inclusion in the entry packets. The primary trailer parking area is the grass area directly adjacent to the launch and recovery docks. Over flow parking is located on the north side of the venue adjacent to the playground. Trailers will have marked spots measuring 20 feet in width (room for one shell on each side of trailer), Equipment should stay on trailer of on tees when not be used. Crews will need to bring shell storage equipment if needed. The venue must be open for boat trailers to park. The venue will be open from noon until 7 pm the Thursday before the event and 7:00 am to 9 pm the day before the event. Trailers arriving outside these hours will be required to find an alternate parking area somewhere in town.  Trailers parked illegally may be towed. Prior to parking and unloading of trailers, crews are required to check-in with ORRA. Trailers may not park in “No Parking” area. This includes the area between the stop sign for Houseboat Row and the south side public boat ramp along the waterfront.  This is to allow boat trailers area to swing and team buses room to maneuver safely through the venue parking area. The parking lot may not be used for rigging or boat storage unless directed by LOC. Trailer that are lightly loaded or car toppers may be assigned alternate locations. Tow Trucks will have priority parking along the road behind the trailers. This area will require permit to park.

Team Buses                                                     

• Team Buses may not pass through residential areas as a “short cut”. Failure to follow the above bus policies can result in ticketing and or fines from the City of Oak Ridge.                                                     
• Team Buses may not idle longer than required to load and unload.                                                                        
• Team Bus Traffic is restricted within the City of Oak Ridge limits to the following streets:

Illinois Ave. | Edgemoor Rd. | Tennessee Ave. | Emory Valley Rd. |Georgia Ave. | Lafayette Dr. | Oak Ridge Turnpike | Rutgers Ave.