THE SECRET CITY HEAD RACE

        Clinch River, Melton Hill Lake Reservoir, Oak Ridge TN

 

Distance- 4702 meters 

Check-in- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Friday or  6:30 AM - 8:00 AM Saturday

• Crews are required to check in before anyone from that team is allowed to race.

• Crews must have all USRowing waivers compliant and all entries paid for prior to racing. This will be verified at check in.

Waiver Requirements

• Every competitor must complete an online USRowing Regatta Liability Waiver. Competitors under the age of 18 must sign and have a parent or legal guardian sign an individual minor's waiver. No Paper waivers will be accepted.

Coaches and Coxswains Meeting -7:30AM, Saturday, at the ORRA’s Boathouse

• At least one representative from each crew must attend. All crews will be responsible for the information delivered at the meeting, regardless of attendance.

Weigh In - No Weigh Ins (rowers or coxswains)

              

Registration:

• Entries should be made on the Regatta Central web site: http://www.regattacentral.com

• A preliminary schedule of events will be posted  prior to the regatta on the regatta central under lane draws. This will not be the final heat sheet and will be subject to changes. The final heat sheet will be found online

Late Entry

• Crews missing the entry deadline will be considered a late entry.  Late Fee (per entry) $10

Refunds

• Fees for events cancelled due to acts of God are not refundable.

Scratches

• If a scratch occurs after the normal entry deadline, no refund will be given.  Events with only one entry may be scratched. Fees for such scratched events will be refunded. Payment is due on the Wednesday after entries are due to give teams more time to upload payments.  However, Teams will be charged for all entries, including any scratches that are made after the entry period is over.

Practice

• Any competitors practicing on the course before the day of the regatta do so at their own risk. The Secret City Head Race Regatta committee does not schedule supervised practices.

• There will be NO Practice after racing Saturday afternoon/evening. 

Dock Master

• The Dock Master has absolute authority over the dock area. All competitors must return to these docks after their race. Each competitor is required to report in before boarding launching dock. Competitors arriving late to the starting line for an event may be Held at start area until a safe window for start is identified. The crew will race separate from other crews in the category. Outgoing boats will have priority over incoming boats. The Dock Master will get your crew to the water as soon as possible.

Launching

• Crews will launch from the labelled launch docks in the marina harbor. There will be no time for equipment adjustment on the docks. Crews should plan to adjust foot stretchers and tie shoelaces after launching. Crews are responsible for getting their boat to the start on time.

Safety Equipment

• Every competing boat must be properly equipped with a bow ball. Every competing boat shall also be equipped with quick-release shoes. Control commission will check before boarding launching docks (per rule 3-109).

Boat Numbers

• Assigned numbers for all boats will be distributed when each crew picks up a competitor's' packet at the registration table for each event or at control commission. Attachment of your boat number on the back of Coxswain and Bowman is critical for your time to be recorded correctly. Boat numbers will also be placed on the bow of each boat entered.

Hot Seating

• Coaches must notify the dock master of their intention to hot seat. Events will not be held up to accommodate hot seating crews.  The Chief Referee and Dock Master have the final say in regards to a crew that wishes to hot seat.

Rowing to the Starting Line Saturday

• Immediately after launching rowers will hold to the starboard side (coxswain’s right) of the harbor entrance to cross to the opposite (eastern) side of the river - there is a blue buoy marking the point to pass and the turn to proceed to the start. After crossing the river, the crew will proceed upstream staying at least 10 meters away from the bank as a precaution keeping the orange buoys on the port side (coxswain’s left). Crews must pass under the right arch of the railroad bridge. PLEASE USE CAUTION! Traffic maps for both races will be set up at the Coaches and Coxswains Meeting and at the regatta site. When boats reach the starting line at Gibbs Ferry Park, they must check-in with the start Marshall.

Rowing to the Starting Line Sunday

• Immediately exiting the embayment all crews will turn to your starboard and follow the shore line to your port (right hand rule). Follow the shore through the right hand arch of the bridge, and continue past the downstream start past the power plant.

Warm up

• You have 5000m to warm up to the start. Please complete it by the time you reach the 5K start. The red buoy 500m above the start is the turn around point for staging. warm ups should be complete bvy then. There is additional room upstream but there will be no marshall to collect you if you are out of ear shot. Crews should be conscious of the fact that other boat traffic on the river will not be suspended during the head race. Traffic may be encountered.

Staging

• Approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start of their event, boats should proceed to the staging area at the red buoy above the blue starting chute buoys (500m above the start). Line up in numerical sequence of boat numbers. USRowing officials will assist in the staging area. The start chute will consist of the shore on the starboard side and a row of buoys on the port side. 

Late Boats

• Late arriving boats should not cross the line of buoys to jump into the Starting Sequence, but should await instructions from the Marshals or Starter.  Any boat that starts out of sequence against orders of the Starter will be disqualified.

Equipment Failure Prior to Start

• If a competitor loses his/her bow marker or experiences equipment breakage prior to Start, he/she should notify Marshals as soon as possible upon entering the chute.  

The Start

• All boats must pass through the starting chute to begin the head race. Events will be started at about 5 minute intervals. The spacing between each boat in an event will be about 15-20 seconds (or 3-4 boat lengths). The starting marshal will direct each boat to begin rowing in the chute. The start official may direct a crew to stop rowing in the chute if the spacing is too small. There is absolutely no passing in the chute.

The Race

• During the race, boats should keep the large course buoys on their port side (coxswain’s left) at all times.. Hazards areas on the starboard shore will be marked with red buoys. Passing a course buoy with the buoy on the starboard side will result in a 30 second time penalty for each buoy violation. The only exception will be at the finish line, where double buoys mark the finish line gate. USRowing officials will be stationed along the course to monitor this as well as for safety.

 

Passing and Being Passed

• Slower boats must give way to overtaking crews, allowing the overtaking crew the shortest course. Failure to give way may result in a time penalty of 15 seconds or disqualification. If you are being overtaken on a corner you move to the outside. 

The Finish

• The finish line is the white tent just downstream of the blue pavilion. Two large red buoys will mark the finish line. Keep rowing after you cross the finish line. Do not stop on or near the finish line! Boats should move toward the Oak Ridge bank and proceed in toward the harbor entering on the right side of the mouth of the harbor.  

Coxswains

• May be of either sex for any event. Any experience level.  No weight restrictions apply. Coxswains are not required to weigh-in.

Weigh-Ins

There will be NO weigh ins this year. All crews should use the HONOR SYSTEM. 

Due to US Rowing removing Youth LtWt rowing from the 2022 schedule this may be the last time we offer it at this regatta as we begin to shift to more age based categories.

• Lightweight Youth Men        150.0 lbs (max - no avg.)

• Lightweight Youth Women        130.0 lbs. (max - no avg.)

Rules and Regulations

• The Secret City Head Race will follow the USRowing Rules of Rowing.

 

Protests

• Intent to file protest must be indicated to an official (referee / regatta director) immediately and within 15min of the conclusion of the race. The regatta will consider a protest from a coach or coaching representative (only one coach/coaching representative per protest is allowed) per USRA rules at a fee of $50.00. The protest must be filed with the Regatta Director and the fee paid within 60minutes from the start of the race in question. The Regatta Jury will consider appeals from crews who have been assessed a penalty.

Event Definitions

Note: It is expeceted that all competitors can handle themselves and row the full race course. If officials see unsafe or dangerous boat handling they will instruct the crew to return to the docks ASAP.  Coaches, please prepare your crews accordinly (especially middle school / U15). 

Open events are restricted to individuals age 19 as of December of the same year as the event and older. (No Youth crews will be allowed in this category). 

Novice events are restricted for individuals who have less than 12 months rowing experience in any form. From the date of their first organized practice. NOT one year from their first regatta.

Jr events are restricted to rowers that have not attained the age of 19 as of December of the same year of the event. See US Rowing rules for U19 athletes. (A youth is a Competitor who in the current calendar year does not attain the age of 19. An athlete who is and has been continuously enrolled in secondary school as a full-time student seeking a diploma may attain the age of 19 in the current calendar year, but may not attain the age of 20 in the current calendar year. A Competitor thus ceases to be a Youth after December 31 of the year of his or her 18th birthday or, only if having been a full-time student seeking a diploma in secondary school, after December 31 of the year of his or her 19th birthday. Athletes attaining the age of 20 or older in the current calendar year are not eligible for this event).

U17: A competitor may compete in the U17 category until December 31 of the year of his or her 16th birthday.

Middle School: A competitor must be currrently enrolled in middle school (8th grade or under). Or U15 (a competitor may compete in the middle school / U15 category until December 31 of his or her 14th birthday).

 

Women's Division: Female rowers and scullers only.

Men's Division: Male rowers and scullers only.

Masters Age restricted category that receives handicaps based on age as of December 31 of the current year. Masters Age Handicaps will be based on the 1000-meter age handicaps x5 found in the USRowing Rules of Rowing.

Mixed boats must be at least 50% women.

 

Awards/ Medals

• Top three places are awarded medals provided if at least three boats rowed in their event. Medals will be awarded once results are official. Winners not claiming their medals/trophies by the end of the race day will forfeit their award.

Weather

• If weather does become a problem,  the Regatta Director and Chief Referee will notify all participating crews on any potential changes.

Course Saturday

• The head race will begin upstream from the Melton Hill Marina at the Anderson County Gibbs Ferry Park on the Clinch River. The head race will end at the Blue Roof Pavilion just above the Melton Hill Marina.

Course Sunday

• Same finish line as Saturday! The start will be downstream of the Bull Run Steam Plant past the Edgemore Rd bridge.