RegattaCentral

Please see the regatta Website www.johnhunterregatta.com

USRA Racing Rules
USRowing racing rules will apply. The official USRowing Rules of Rowing book is available from USRowing. Please familiarize yourself with these rules before attending the coaches/coxswain meeting. The regatta committee will not discuss rules of racing at this meeting.

One person from each team is expected to attend the Coaches and Coxswains meeting as course safety, last minute changes, flights, and start times may be discussed.  Attendance will be checked.

Final Schedule of Events
A final heat sheet schedule will be available on line by Friday evening for the college teams and Saturday afternoon for the youth teams.

There will be two calls to launch prior to each event.  Marshalls at the launch docks will make every effort to launch boats on time. Coaches and coxswains should be ready to launch 45 minutes prior the scheduled time of their event.

Traffic Pattern
The traffic pattern from the launching docks follows the East shoreline, (opposite of the Olympic Tower), upstream to the start area keeping the starboard side close to the shore. There will be no passing of boats moving toward the start. The marshal at the launch dock area will direct boats to proceed upstream. Maintain single file, following the shoreline, to the start area. Competitors must be within hailing distance of the start marshal 15 minutes before race time.

Practice Session
The course is open for practice on Friday, March 24th from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. For safety purposes, no boats will be allowed to launch before 2 p.m. or after 5:30 p.m. All crews must be off the water by 6:00 p.m. During the practice session, the race day traffic patterns will apply throughout the course.

Youth team practice will begin following the end of the college racing events, approximately 4:00pm.

Bow Numbers
Bow numbers for each boat will be required. It will be the team’s responsibility to supply their own bow numbers.  

If a team does not have their own bow number, the organizing committee will make them available to you at the control commission tent after receiving a refundable deposit of $5.00 per number. Crews will not be allowed on the water without a bow number. 

Foot Gear Release and Shell Safety
The feet of the competitor are held by footgear affixed to the stretcher of the boat.  The design of the footgear shall provide for the quick release of the competitor’s feet, without the use of hands, in case of a boat capsize. Such design may consist of Velcro or pull strings at the heels.

All boats will be checked for such appropriate footgear. If such footgear is not present at all seats that boat will not be allowed to launch. The checking of the boats will occur on Friday in the trailer park area and on Saturday prior to launch.  The regatta officials will affix a colored zip tie to the bow ball of boats that have been cleared for launch.

No racing shell will be allowed to race or practice without a bow ball.

Weigh-Ins
College teams will weigh-in on Saturday morning, March 25th from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at the upper boat house..

Youth teams will weigh-in on Sunday morning, March 26th from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at the upper boat house.

Teams must weigh-in together and rowers must wear racing uniforms at the weigh-in.  

The following are the 2017 lightweight rower qualifications:

• A collegiate men's lightweight crew shall have no rower who weighs more than 160.0 lbs
• A youth men’s lightweight crew shall no rower that weighs more than 155.0 lbs
• A women's lightweight crew shall have no rower who weighs more than 135.0 lbs

Calling Events
Crews will be called to launch by the dock master. First call will be forty-five minutes prior to the scheduled race time. No crews will be allowed on the water before being called or for additional practice time on the day of the race.

The Start
The start area marshals and USRowing referees will be positioned in launches and on the start and alignment platforms for the purpose of organizing participating crews above the start and getting the competitors into the proper starting order and time intervals. Listen to the directions of the officials. 

Crews shall be responsible for maintaining their proper order and interval between themselves and other crews as well as in the staging area at the start. 

The race will begin from the start platforms with stake boat holders at each lane position. The USRowing referee start official will call crews to the start approximately five minutes prior to the start. All crews not currently involved in the staging of the start of the next race shall yield to crews being summoned to the start by the marshal. Interference with the staging of the start may result in a penalty. Crews must be attached to their starting position at least 2 minutes prior to the scheduled start of their race.

The Finish
After crossing the finish line, crews shall return to the launch dock area keeping close to the West shoreline (finish tower side of the run out area), through the arches on the right side of Clark’s Bridge, and proceeding to the recovery dock.  Please follow the directions of the dock master. Returning crews should yield to and avoid interfering with the launching crews.

Protests
Intent to file a protest must be indicated on the water immediately following the finish of a race. The protest must be made to a USRowing official before the crew leaves the area between the finish tower and recovery docks. After a crew returns to the recovery dock, all right to protest is waived. 

The regatta will consider a protest from the coach or coaching representative (only one coach or coaching representative per protest is allowed) per USRowing rules and after a deposit of a $25.00 fee. The protest must be filed with the Regatta Director and the fee paid within 45 minutes of the finish of the race in question. The Regatta Jury will consider appeals from crews who have been assessed a penalty.

Hot Seating

Hot seating is permitted at your own risk.  

Officials at the start will not wait for boats that are doubling up athletes that are rowing in an eight and also a four.  If you choose to race both championship events with the same athletes and both boats make the finals, then you will hot seat at your own risk.  

You may notify the Dock Master at the launch that your boat is going to hot seat.  The dock master will give you a brightly colored card for the coxswain to show / wave as the boat approaches the recovery dock.  Every effort will be made to safely get your boat and/or rowers to the recovery dock for hot seating changes.

Number of Entries
Teams may have ONE entry in the varsity 4+ and 8+ events.

Teams may have MULTIPLE entries in all other events.

Teams must have an entry in the equivalent championship event before entering in the corresponding 2nd Varsity event.  Each event must have a minimum of two entries to constitute a race.

Apparel

All race participants must wear one type of representative rowing uniform.