Welcome to the Midwest Junior Rowing Championships! The 2006 championship races will be held May 20th and 21st, at Harsha Lake in East Fork State Park, Bethel, Ohio.  The Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club hosts the event.  All races are 2000 meters and events are offered in singles, pairs, doubles, quads, and coxed fours and eights for juniors in novice, lightweight, and varsity categories.  The course is fully buoyed and has a starting platform. In fact, it’s the same course used for the USRowing Youth National Championships held in June.  The course itself is declared a “no wake” zone during racing and will be patrolled by the State of Ohio Water Police and East Fork Park Rangers.

New for 2006, for each event that corresponds to an event at the USRowing Youth National Championships, three (3) invitations will be issued.                 

All races are conducted under MJRA rules and USRowing Rules of Racing.  Exceptions to the rules are rare and are only made by the executive committee. Chief referee will be Gregg Harris.

REGATTA DIRECTOR:  Please refer questions to Regatta Director, Mary Fran Piepmeier. Home phone: 513.771.5357  Cell phone: 513-503-5036   Fax: (513) 771-7351  E-mail: [email protected]

PROGRAMS ELIGIBLE: Teams must have paid their annual MJRA dues, of $30.00, by May 1, 2006, and submitted an annual information update to the Association ten days prior to the race deadline, May 10, 2006. See classifications for the MJRA definition of “team”.  Mail to:

                                                                                                   Greg Harvie      5355 Norwich Street     Hilliard, OH  43026

ENTRIES: Packets are available online at the Midwest Junior Rowing Association website, www.mjra.org 

REGISTER entries through Regatta Central (RC): www.regattacentral.com.  DEADLINE is at or before midnight May 13, 2006  If you have an account just log-in.  If you need to start an account, go to New Users, Join Now!            

Each participant must submit a waiver.  Athletes who are USRowing members with a current waiver on file, can mark this area as you register through Regatta Central. For Non-USRowing members with no waiver on file - print and sign and mail waiver available on Regatta Central.  FEES, WAIVERS AND ENTRY INVOICE FROM RC are due in the hands of the local organizing committee BY Tuesday May 16.  If fees/waivers are sent by overnight mail, please indicate that recipient need not sign. Mail to:

                                                                                              
                                                                                                Stephanie Harty – MJRC     1212 Herschel Woods Lane     Cincinnati, OH  45208
                                       

Entry must be complete for your boats to be entered into heats. FEES, WAIVERS AND ENTRY INVOICE FROM RC are needed for a complete entry.

If you prefer mail-in entry registration, contact the Entry Coordinator, Stephanie Harty by

Phone: 513-871-5791 or email: [email protected]

ENTRY FEES: as voted by the Association, $10 per competing athlete (rower and coxswain), even if that athlete enters two events. This fee includes costs of USRowing Sanctioning Fee, medals, and plaques.

Note: The Association receives 10% of the entry fees to help defray the cost of the annual meeting, the coaching clinic and other organizational expenditures. Aside from that 10%, the Association does not give to or receive money from the Local Organizing Committee. Any income derived from entry fees and concessions go to the Local Organizing Committee, and they are responsible for the providing of sanctioning fee, medals, plaques, and for the expenses of the course and officials.

ERRORS ON ENTRIES: The coach of any entry that contains an error will be notified by phone or e-mail and given 24 hours to correct the error. If the time limit passes without resolution satisfactory to the regatta committee, the crew’s entry from that particular event will be dropped and will become subject to the Late Entry rule should the coach try subsequently to correct the error and reenter the crew.

LATE ENTRIES: Any entry made after the deadline of midnight May 13, 2006, will be accepted at the discretion of the Regatta Committee based on the availability of a lane and only with a $25 per boat late fee. A Late Entry will not be accepted if it creates a heat. If entries are sent by overnight mail, please indicate that the recipient need not sign.                                                                                                 Mail to: Stephanie Harty– Entry,        1212 Herschel Woods Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45208.

SCRATCH FEES: Any team that scratches an entry after May 15,, will forfeit its entry fee. Those scratching after the start of the Regatta will forfeit their entry fee and be assessed a $25 Scratch Fee to be paid prior to competition by any other boat from that team in subsequent races. 2006

HOT SEATING:  You may hot seat crews in events 50 min apart. Hot seating equipment or rowers is not permitted in events that are less than 50min apart on the race schedule.

RACETRAK.COM: Crews can review their entries and lane draws at www.racetrak.com

REGISTRATION CHECK-IN:  Hours of registration: Fri., 5-8 PM; Sat., 6:30 - 7:30 AM.

BOAT LINE-UP CHANGES:  Boat line-up changes must be corrected at registration check-in.  After this check-in, boat line-up changes can only be made for illness or injury.  With any changes, remember that a rower can only participate in two events.

COACHES  & COXES: meeting promptly, 6:30 AM, Saturday, in the main tent. Make certain your coxswains and crews have practiced the use of a starting platform.

CLASSIFICATIONS: Exceptions to the rules are rare and are only made by the executive committee. Please do not violate the rules.  We do not allow composite teams-  teams racing must fall under the definition of “team” below. Also, athletes that row in the first and second boat events MUST be your top tier athletes as described in the definitions of 1^st and 2^nd boats below.

Maximum race day age – a rower must be 19 years of age or younger as of May 21, 2006, and must be currently attending high school grades 9-12.

Number of events a rower may enter – a rower may be entered in no more than two events, whether rowing or sculling. Coxswains are exempt.

           TEAM – a team is considered to represent the usual way the program practices and competes; a club or varsity program that represents a single Organization (being a single high school OR club program), with distinct location, colors, and coaches for the entire competitive season (starting March 1,  to and including, June 11, 2006) is a team.

           NOVICE – a novice rower began rowing after the Midwest Junior Rowing Championships in 2005. A novice sculler began sculling after the Midwest Junior Rowing Championships in 2005.

          VARSITY – a varsity athlete is a junior competitor on a team.

          1^st BOAT – varsity athletes comprise the 1^st boat, only one entry allowed per team

          2^nd BOAT – the 2^nd boat is made up of athletes not competing in the 1^st boat. In order to enter a 2^nd boat, the team must also be entering a 1^st boat in the same event. Exceptions: 1-2 year old programs. Coxswains are exempt. Only one entry allowed per team.  *Rowers in the first eight may enter the second four so that a 1st eight might be split into a 1^st and 2^nd four. In races where there are only 1^st and 2^nd boat events unlimited entries are allowed in the second boat race.

          3^rd BOAT– the 3^rd boat is made up of athletes not competing in the 1^st or 2^nd boats. In order to enter a 3^rd boat, the team must also enter a 1^st and 2^nd boat in the same event. Coxswains are exempt. Unlike the 1^st and 2^nd boat events, there is no limit to the amount of entries per team.

          COXSWAINS- May cox in any boat, regardless of male, female, novice or varsity status. There is no weight minimum for coxswains. Coxswains of lightweight crews DO NOT have to weigh-in.  Unlike rowers, there is no limit to the amount of events a coxswain may enter. *Make certain your coxswains and crews have practiced the use of a starting platform.

          LIGHTWEIGHTS- Boys 155 lbs individual maximum, girls 130 lbs individual maximum. There are unlimited entries allowed in lightweight events.

WEIGH-IN RULES

             All lightweight competitors must Weigh-In once each day they row.

            Members of each crew must weigh-in together and be accompanied by a Coach or Club Official. 

                   Crew members are to step on the scales in the order in which they row in the boat, bow to stern.

                 Clerk of the Scales or Registrar will communicate only with the Coach or Club Official.

                   Weigh-in scales will open 2 hours before and close 2 hours after the time of the first scheduled lightweight race of the day. In addition, athletes must weigh-in and meet the required weight no later than 1-hour before the scheduled start of their race. 

                   No one will be allowed to check his weight on the official scale during the official weigh-in times. 

                Priority on the scale goes to those entered in earlier races.

QUICK RELEASE: Check your equipment for race readiness, including the proper tying of heels of shoes (3 inches).

WEIGHING BOATS:  Boats will NOT be weighed.

BOW NUMBERS: Teams must provide their own bow numbers 1-7.  Note - the lane numbers were changed so that the lane closest to the beach is lane 7.

BOAT STORAGE:  Please provide your own stands for your boats. Trailers will not be allowed to stay on the beach. Once your equipment is unloaded all crews must move their trailers to the trailer storage lot. Security will be provided overnight Friday and Saturday. All equipment must be removed from the regatta site Sunday evening.

CREW TENTS: Crews may put up their tents in designated areas. Please refer to enclosed beach area map. Any questions must be referred to the regatta director.

PARKING: Cars must park in paved lots only, and not on the grass along the roadways. A shuttle bus will be available to transport spectators from the parking lots throughout the park. There will be designated areas for team buses and vans.

PRACTICING FRIDAY:  Crews will be allowed to practice at their own risk Friday from 2PM to sunset. All crews must follow the below traffic pattern; lanes 3 and 4 are dead lanes, crews heading towards the start must row outside the course on the north side (farthest from the beach), crews heading from the start to finish should be in lanes 7, 6 and 5 only (closest to beach). Please do not bring a launch.  Please refer to enclosed practice pattern map.

STARTING PLATFORM: All crews must be able to get aligned on the starting platform. Please make sure your coxswains and crews know how to back on to the platform and maintain a point while locked on.  Crews will be expected to know how to “scull” to keep their point (2 sculling with bow’s oar, etc.)

RESULTS: All results will be posted online at www.racetrak.com.

AWARDS

 Medals awarded for FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD place for all events. (Exception: Events 1A,1B, 1C and 8A, 8B, 8C medals awarded to A level Grand Final only)

 AWARD PLAQUES will be given to the winning team for each event.

 All Points Trophies are awarded according to the Barnes Scoring System.

USROWING YOUTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:

 For each event that corresponds to an event at the USRowing Youth National Championships, three (3) invitations will be issued.

 Lightweight 4+ (women’s and men’s) events will be extended 3 invitations each.  The USRowing Youth Committee has decided to add these events permanently to the schedule.

 Any team that qualifies for a USRowing Youth  National Championships event can substitute up to only 50% of it’s rowers in the boat.

PROGRESSION SYSTEM:  For varsity eights only, repechages will provide placements in a, b, and c level finals.