Wayland-Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions

Transcription

1 Wayland-Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions The Overall Rules: The Wayland-Weston Invitational Regatta will be run in accordance with the USRA s Rules of Rowing. Coaches should transmit this information to their coxswains and crews. Coaches should make certain that each participant from their crew has completed the necessary USRowing Release of Liability Waiver via RegattaCentral. No paper submissions. Things to consider prior to arrival: Launches: Teams bringing launches must make sure the launches are registered in accordance with MA laws. If you re bringing a launch (thank you!), please make sure the motor starts easily and runs well, and bring filled gas can, a Kippy Liddle (or equivalent) safety kit with at least 12 PFDs, a paddle, an anchor, a fire extinguisher, etc. Bow Markers: Each crew is responsible for supplying their own bow numbers. Secure the bow number properly to the bow so that it will withstand wind and rain. Crews appearing at the start without bow numbers may be assessed a warning. Bow markers shall be sturdy and not some nominal attempt to satisfy the rules. Important features for your equipment: Please check your shells and safety equipment prior to walking the racing shells to the regatta launch docks. All shells must have a bow ball or its equivalent. Heel tie-downs must not let rower s heels raise more than 3 inches above the footboard. This will allow quick release of rower s feet in case of an emergency. Coxswains bow openings shall be at least 70 cm long and at least 50 cm wide. A Control Commission official at each launching area will check the bow balls and heel tiedowns. Please bring asthma inhalers and Epi pens for your athletes as needed. Coxswains should have on their person a wrist watch set to regatta time/cell phone time. Protest Procedure: A protest involving the conduct of a race shall be lodged by the crew at the finish while it is still on the water AND before the Referee declares the race to be official. Refer to USRowing Rules of Rowing and review Matters Subject to Protest (*), Lodging a Protest (*) and Filing the Protest Statement (*) for guidance.

2 Driving through Wayland Town Beach Neighborhood: Please be sure that all cars, trailers and buses drive slowly through the neighborhood leading to the Regatta. Be especially mindful of pedestrians, children and pets. The Wayland Town Beach is a public venue. We need to respect the neighbors and surrounding community who have given us the opportunity to share this resource. Parking: Parking at the Wayland Town Beach is minimal and limited to crew trailers, coaches, referees, and regatta officials. Quick drop-offs (e.g. tents & food) are permitted. Free regatta parking for parents, student-athletes and fans will be available at nearby Cochituate State Park, 43 Commonwealth Road, Natick, MA. Free shuttle buses will run from 7:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. at 10-minute intervals between the State Park and the regatta. There is No Parking on the streets in the Town Beach neighborhood (including Parkland Drive, Shawmut Avenue Extension (a private way), Charles Street, Pleasant Street, Grace Road). A police officer will be on duty to ensure that this ban is enforced. Please share Regatta Parking & Shuttle information sheet with your team and supporters ahead of time and make sure they know to park at Cochituate State Park. Lake Stewardship: There shall be NO urinating into the lake. This is strictly forbidden and will result in disqualification from the regatta and could possibly lead to arrest. Similarly NO trash or other debris should be thrown into the lake. Cash: Regatta t-shirts will be on sale for $25 on site. Unfortunately we are not able to accept credit cards or checks, so crews and parents should be informed that they may want to bring cash to the regatta. Wayland- Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions Page 2 of 8

3 On Race Day: Arrive at Wayland Town Beach: 25 Parkland Drive, Wayland, MA. Parking attendants will help direct trailers, coaches, and referees. All others will be directed to park at Cochituate State Park, 43 Commonwealth Road, Natick, MA. Please refer to WWIR Site Plan for details of Town Beach site. Crews wishing to bring trailers prior to the day of the Regatta must contact Chris Maietta (Regatta Co-Director) by phone at or Wayland Town Beach is a public facility and remains open during the regatta. Parking spaces closest to the beach house are reserved for the public. Wayland- Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions Page 3 of 8

4 Race Day Schedule 6:00-7:30 Referee s Meeting: 12 Charles Street, Wayland. 7:45 Mandatory Coaches & Coxswains Meeting: starts on time at 7:45 at the boathouse. 8:00 Meeting of launch drivers, dockmasters & referees: at the boathouse 8:10 Call for first crews to launch: Boats much launch bow-first. 8:20 First crews launch 9:00 Races start: Please refer to heat sheet for race details. After last race ends - Medals Ceremony: While waiting for the medals ceremony, coaches are asked to have their crews police around their trailer and food tent. Good sportsmanship is a crew tradition. All coaches and crews should be sure to attend the medals ceremony and cheer for competitors. Regatta First Aid & Emergency Evacuation Plan First Aid: First Aid will be available at the Wayland Town Beach adjacent to the regatta parking lot Emergency Evacuation Plan: If an emergency situation develops and regatta officials decide that on-the-water competitor boats must be quickly evacuated from Lake Cochituate, competitors will receive guidance from regatta officials. At the direction of regatta officials some competitors may be directed to quickly and safely row to and then land their boats at the: Wayland Town Beach Wayland-Weston Crew rowing floats Framingham Saxonville Beach (near starting line on Lake Road in Framingham, MA) If crews are directed to the Framingham Saxonville Beach the regatta spectator shuttle bus will be used to provide them with temporary shelter and, if needed provide them with transportation back to the regatta parking lot. Saxonville Beach (on Lake Road in Framingham) is a short 1.5 mile (5 minute) drive from the regatta parking lot: 1. Head north on Parkland Drive (drive about 0.3 miles +/-) 2. Turn left onto West Plain Street (drive about 0.8 miles +/-) 3. Turn left onto Old Connecticut Path/Route 126 (drive about 0.4 miles +/-) 4. Take the second left onto Lake Road (drive about 331 feet) 5. Saxonville Beach will be on the left. Crews on shore should seek shelter in motor vehicles or the Wayland-Weston boathouse in an electrical storm. Regatta T-Shirts: Regatta t-shirts will be available in assorted sizes and colors for $25. We are unable to accept credit cards or checks so crews and parents should bring cash. Wayland- Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions Page 4 of 8

5 Race Day Information for Crews Regatta time: We will use cell phone time as official regatta time. All coxswains should set their wrist watches to cell phone time or carry cell phones. We will stick to the schedule. Crews must be within hailing distance of the start no later than 4 minutes prior to the published starting time. All teams should note that a crew with one warning for a bow marker or traffic violation risks exclusion from its heat; if that same crew receives a second warning for being late to the start, a false start, or some other infraction, it will be excluded from its race. Launching: Boats must launch bow-first. Hot seating is to be wet launched from the beach. Other launching will be from the dock. The Dockmasters will direct launching and docking. Warm-ups: Please note the following points: a) Please refer to Race Course map for race day traffic pattern. b) Crews scheduled to race in the first heat of the morning, or the first race of the afternoon should warmup within hailing distance of the Start. Keep track of your time. We do not want you to miss your race. c) As crews approach the 750-meter mark, a Race Marshal may stop boats temporarily to allow oncoming races to pass safely through this narrow point on the course. Once released by the marshal, crews rowing northward should stay off the racecourse. d) Crews should warm up over a large course between the starting dock and the north end of the lake. Please observe a counterclockwise traffic pattern, keeping the neutral zone in the middle free of boats. Failure to observe the traffic pattern constitutes a safety hazard and may result in a warning. Please see Rowing Course Map for aerial view of lake and surveyed race course details. Wayland- Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions Page 5 of 8

6 Approaching the Start Assembly Area: There will be a Start Marshal in a boat near the start. Approximately 8 minutes before each race, the marshal will direct the crews to line up in reverse numerical order (4, 3, 2, 1) off the course, in the cove on the Lane 1 side of the start line. When directed by the marshall, Lane 4, then Lane 3, then Lane 2, and then Lane 1 will row across the coarse (no more than 3 boat lengths in distance from the stake boats) to their lanes, stop rowing in their lane, spin and back into their stake boat. CREWS SHOULD BE WELL TRAINED IN THE FOLLOWING: a) Approach to Start Platform: Coxswains should row across the course, close to the starting platforms and, when they are in their lane, turn the boat so the stern is pointing toward the starting platform. Then back into the waiting hands of the stake boat person. b) Backing: If the coxswains practice the approach described above, there should be a minimum of backing. However, crews will still need to practice backing. Crews should back keeping the boat level and without catching crabs. Coxswains and crews should be ready to hold water so as not to back into the starting dock. This is most effectively done if the entire crew is told to square up their blades. This is especially important if there is a strong wind. In this case, crews should be ready to hold water by actually taking a half-stroke. Coxswains should keep their rudders straight while backing. In bow-loaded coxed fours, the coxswains cannot see the stern; therefore the stern pair should work together to back the shell into place. Stroke or three can make the commands. c) Pointing the Boat: Targets for each lane are on the shore past the finish line: lane 1 should aim for on the tunnel, and lanes 2-4 should aim for the adjacent orange targets. Coxswains may need to point their boats to the right or to the left of the targets, depending upon the wind direction and its force. If the wind is strong from either side, it may mean pointing the boat degrees away from the target so the bow presses against the wind. d) Pinching the Boat: If the wind is blowing lightly, this usually means that bow or two will take short strokes (arms only and at full slide, full body angle, and full reach) to keep the boat angled properly. When "pinching," the blades doing the pinching should remain squared. If the wind is blowing hard, then seat two may need to take bow s oar, or seat three will take seat two s oar. The rest of the crew should keep the boat balanced and set up. Coaches should have trained their crews in the proper techniques. At NO TIME should crews use their legs, or slides, while pinching the boat. If all crews cooperate, then no boat will pull off the stake boat prematurely. Coxswains should remember that their point might be to the right or to the left of the target, depending Wayland- Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions Page 6 of 8

7 upon the direction of the wind. Coaches should have their crews practice these techniques in advance of the regatta. It is not the officials duty to teach them how to do these things. It helps ease your crew s anxiety at the start if they have practiced it many times before coming to the regatta. Starting: Races will be 'Announced' and started with flags unless a 'Quick Start' is more appropriate. a) Before the start, the Judge at the Start shall use his/her best judgment to cause the bows of all boats to be aligned with the plane of the starting line. b) When satisfied with the alignment, the Judge at the Start will so indicate by raising and keeping aloft a white or green flag. c) After the Judge at the Start has signaled alignment has been achieved, the Starter shall announce the names of each crew. Once the announcement of the names of the crews begins, the Starter shall disregard any crew signaling that it is not ready. d) After the crews have been announced, the Starter shall start the race by: (1) calling out Attention!, (2) raising the Starter s red flag overhead, and (3) after a distinct and variable pause, calling out Go! The command Go! shall be accompanied by a quick and simultaneous downward motion of the Starter s red flag to one side. e) If, after the Starter s flag has been raised, the Starter believes for any reason that the start should not occur, he or she shall call out As You Were! and gently lower the Starter s flag directly in front of him or her. The Starter then shall repeat the starting commands in their entirety, but may dispense with announcing the crews. f) Crews may leave the starting line when the Starter s flag begins to move. g) A crew that rows out of the starting area (100 meters) waives any right to protest on the grounds that the start was not fair. Quick Start: If weather or other conditions prevent use of the normal starting procedure, the Starter may dispense with the announcement of crews described above. The Starter first shall announce to the crews that a quick start will be used. When all crews appear to be properly pointed and ready to race, the Starter shall immediately call out Quick Start! followed by the starting commands. Once the announcement of Quick Start is made, the Starter shall disregard any crew signaling that it is not ready. Equipment Breakage: All crews are responsible for a complete check of equipment prior to leaving for the start. In the event of equipment breakage or any major mishap within the first 100 meters (see Article 8 of Rules of Racing ), the coxswain should raise his/her hand immediately and stop the boat. The Referee will stop the race and determine the severity of the breakage and the appropriate action -- restart, postponement, etc. A crew that falsely claims breakage or any major mishap within the first 100 meters, and as a result stops the race, may be penalized by the assessment of a Warning or Exclusion. If that crew already has a violation for traffic, uniform, or bow marker, the first false start of a race will result in exclusion. HEED THE WHITE FLAG-Adherence to Referees Directions: As each race proceeds, each crew is expected to maintain their proper course in their own lane. If a boat is moving into another lane, the chase boat referees will call to that boat and direct it in the proper direction Wayland- Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions Page 7 of 8

8 with a white flag held by the following referee. The stern pairs of the offending crews should alert their coxswains to take action. In bow-loaded fours, the bow pair should alert the coxswain. Failure to follow the Referee s instructions may result in a collision and subsequent exclusion from the race. Finish Line: a) Row through and past the finish line. Never stop on or adjacent to the finish line. b) A race isn t complete until the last crew finishes and the Referee declares the race official. c) After the last crew has finished the race, the Referee shall observe the crews to determine if there are any protests, or if any competitor requires assistance. d) If no crew signals that it has a protest, and if the Referee is satisfied that the results of the race are proper, he or she shall declare the race to be official by raising a white flag. e) If the Referee decides to impose a penalty on crews, and there is no further protest as a result, the Referee shall raise a red flag, announce the penalty, and then raise a white flag. f) If there is a protest that cannot be resolved immediately, the Referee shall raise a red flag. g) Once the Referee has raised the white flag, the results of the race are considered official. h) After the crews have crossed the finish line and are waiting for the Referee to declare the race to be official, the crews should remain within sight and hailing distance of the Referee in case the Referee needs to talk with the crew and/or there is a protest i) If another race is approaching the finish line, crews from previous races must exit the finish line area by turning to port and quickly rowing out of the finish line area. When exiting the finish line and rowing back to the dock, follow the posted traffic pattern. Never pause or stop rowing on the finish line and/or otherwise obscure the finish line officials view of the finish line. Stay off the course when returning to the dock after the race. End of Regatta: Following the last race, a Medals Ceremony will be held. All crews and coaches should be sure to attend and support their competitors. Departing: Before leaving the regatta, please be sure that your crew has policed its areas (around its tent and its trailer) and not left any trash or personal items behind. Trash capacity at the beach is limited, so please bring trash bags to pack out your trash. Questions? Call Chris Maietta at or maietta4@comcast.net. Thank you for racing in the Wayland-Weston Invitational Regatta. Many thanks to Albin Moser, John Rhee, and the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association for much of the content and format of this document and to Ken Gifford for extensive revisions. Last revised: 4/29/14 Wayland- Weston Invitational Regatta Instructions Page 8 of 8