2019 Retro Races Conditions & Rules

2019 Retro Races Conditions & Rules
Conditions, Safety Plan & Rules for guidance

  1. The Races will be conducted in accordance with the 2018 NZRA Rules of Racing and Water Safety Codes except where amended by these conditions
  2. Members from different Clubs will be made into composite crews
  3. All rowers should wear Club colours. Novice rowers may be excluded from this requirement.
  4. Proof of age required if requested for Masters age category crews
  5. Coxswains MUST wear life jackets.
  6. Coxswains may be of either gender. There is no age classification for coxswains
  7. All boats entered must comply with NZRA Safety Rules.
  8. All crew entries must be represented at Safety briefing that will be held prior to the commencement of racing
  9. Late entries will be accepted at the discretion of the organisers.
  10. Race will be held over a distance of approximately 750 metres
  11. Any protest will be resolved by the Race Committee
  12. Exclusion of all tort liability of whatsoever kind.

“The Legion of Rowers reminds Rowing Clubs and rowers participating in the Legion of Rowers Retro Races that while every care will be taken by the Race Officials to ensure that the Racing is conducted safely and efficiently and in accordance with the rules of racing established by the New Zealand Rowing Association Inc and Auckland Rowing Association, and as amended by the organizers, it is the responsibility of the Clubs to ensure that rules are complied with and of Rowers to comply with them to ensure safe Rowing activity.”

“Further, it is a condition of participation in this Race that all participants accept and note that no liability either in tort of any other nature whatsoever is accepted by or will attach to the New Zealand Rowing Association or the Auckland Rowing Association, the Auckland Council or the Legion of Rowers or the clubs providing boats and equipment, for any harm, damage, loss, costs, expenses, inconvenience, interference of whatever nature and whatever kind including any damage to equipment or injury to persons of whatever nature incurred in the course of or in connection with in any way related to the event regardless of whether any error or omission, wrong doing, oversight, negligence or other tort whatsoever on the part of a Race official or other person may be established.”

LEGION OF ROWERS PAMURE BASIN RETRO-RACES
Following are the racing rules that will be used as a guideline for this event.

General Responsibilities (guidance to Crews)

The Panmure Basin is a small finite “basin” course with shallows on all sides at low tide. Good sportsmanship is expected at all times and penalties could be assigned in cases of bad sportsmanship. The ability to accomplish effective and safe racing is an important aspect of a successful event. However, there are some situations where race competition may not be able to be accomplished safely due to traffic congestion and physical obstacles.

The following are the basic responsibilities of crews taking part in the event:

  1. The event is primarily for fun and camaraderie with some friendly competition.
  2. All boats will be coxed, each coxswain has ultimate control of their crew and will stop their crew rather than risk any damage to people or equipment. Coxswains are to communicate effectively during racing. All shells with bow-loaded Coxswains are strongly advised to have their bow seat rower communicate any guidance from the Umpires.
  3. The Coxswains will stay in the Cox-seat for the duration of each round of racing.
  4. The starts will be HELD starts, the Bow Person from each of the returning boats will hold the stern for the next race.
  5. The course is not laned, but will have buoyed boundaries marked (see attached plan).
  6. The competitors are to race within the buoyed area
  7. Lane 1 will be on the left side of the course
  8. There will be four (or five) crews per race.
  9. Respect for the safety of other competitors and the equipment supplied must be observed at all times.
  10. While racing, boats must proceed at a racing pace along the entire course, except where safety considerations dictate otherwise. Any crew whose time is more than 1 minute later than the fastest time in its event-division may be asked to leave the course.

Rules of Racing
The Race Umpire has the final word on violations. Their calls on questions of interference and course violations will be considered final. No re-rows will be possible.

  1. Any crew showing a blatant disregard for safety will be penalised and may be disqualified from the event.
  2. During racing, boats must stay on the Course that is indicated by the blue arrows on the map following
  3. After crossing the Finish Line – the crews will stop, turn toward the nearest course boundary and row outside the course (two each side of the course) and return to the “Loading” area for the next crew to take over the boat.
  4. Please show respect to everyone; bad language will not be tolerated.

Appeals

Preliminary results will be released immediately following the race, and Official Results will bereleased once all Umpires’ responses to appeals/protests  (if any) have been reviewed by the Committee.

The Regatta Committee has authority to impose any penalties following their review of the observations and recommendations of the Umpires. Repeated or severe interference may result in disqualification.

NOTE:

  1. The Race Committee reserves the right to rule on any situation not covered in these or other printed rules and to penalise or disqualify any competitor or crew that appears to violate the spirit or letter of the Race rules.
  2. The Race Committee has the right to close the course and launch sites at any time during the event due to safety concerns.

Safety Plan

  1. Stationary Safety/Umpire boats (2 in total)
    1. At finish line.
    2. Beside the Finish line.
  2. Umpire boats (2 in total) – following each heat
  3. Rescue gear in each Safety/Umpire boat includes – 1 anchor, 1 throw rope, PFD’s, and oars & radio communication.
  4. Notices will be provided to competitors (outlining the rules) during the pre-race safety briefing.
  5. Radios will be available for communication between all race & safety officials.

N.B. All Safety Boat drivers must have completed a “Club Safety Boat Operators Course”

Course
The Course is fully described in the picture over the page. During the safety briefing all competitor boats will have the
following described:

  1. Course rules (copy for each crew)
  2. Landmarks (to be shown on the course chart)
  3. The directional rules shown apply to every race, ie. Race line is blue, yellow arrows indicate return-to-start paths

First Aid Station
A first aid station will be located on the beach at the Panmure Basin Yachting Club.

Rubbish
No special rubbish bins will be provided. However all crews and support staff , spectators are expected to embrace the “Be a Tidy Kiwi”  motto and place any wrappers drink bottles etc in rubbish bags provided, or take the rubbish home for disposal.

Start and Finish Areas

  1. Start staging area
    1. Start at beach side closest to Panmure, held starts.
    2. Races will be started at 5 minute intervals.
  2. Finish line & area
    1. A line of sight at the at the Waipuna Lodge end – finalized by Chief Umpire
    2. Boats that have completed their race must immediately turn for the start line and return their boat to the beach in a timely manner for easy access by following crews
    3. Row back to start area outside the buoyed course at the Panmure end, crew to exit boat. Coxswain to stay with boat, Bow-Person go to Start Line to hold start for next race.

Crew/Boat Changeovers
Changeovers are expected to take place with the boats still in the water, if required due to a technical problem, some dumps will be available on the beach at the start line to allow a crew to make “land-based” adjustments. Crews will be drawn from a “hat” (all events will be Mixed Coxed Quads – if entries allow this) and will remain together for the duration of the Event. As this event is “tide-dependent” we expect all crews will have 3 races.

We will have a Novice Masters Category also – which will be a separate from the experienced Masters.

Panmure Basin Racecourse

  1. StartLinefrom Shore
  2. Marshaling/SafetyBoats, 1 behind Start Line, the other returning
  3. Finish Line, stationary boat
  4. Safety Boat, stationary

17 May 2019