False Creek Rowing Club Head Up The Creek Regatta Regatta Package 2014 Sunday March 9 th, 2014

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1 Head Up The Creek Regatta Regatta Package 2014 Sunday March 9 th, 2014 Location: Launching from Vanier Park, West of the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge. The course is the False Creek waterway, within the City of Vancouver. Looking for an address for your GPS system: 1608 Whyte Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9 Getting Here: directions from points south (Oak Street, Highway 99, I-5) here. Trailer delivery route suggestions are here. Transit service is available to Cornwall at Cypress, Vancouver BC via Translink. Parking: Please avoid parking in Kits Point residential areas. There is ample pay parking available. PLEASE PURCHASE A TICKET AS THEY WILL TICKET YOU IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE DISPLAYED! Trailer parking is free (only for trailers) and located in the south lot of the Vanier Park boat ramp/launch parking lot. Security will be provided overnight for rowing shells and trailers. Trailer parking is in the designated area only parking fees have been paid in advance for vehicles in this area. Umpires and volunteer parking is available between the ramps on the north side of the north parking lot. Please double up and see a traffic volunteer to make sure that the location is appropriate. Prior Year s Details: Food service: Yolk s Breakfast will be onsite for the morning to cater to your needs. Competitors will receive a coupon for $2 off their breakfast item, drinks excluded. Please note that only 1 coupon can be used per sale. Umpires and Local Organizing Committee volunteers will receive a complimentary meal and drink. Weather: Dress appropriately: wind and rain can be particularly chilling at this time at year. Hand warmers are not being provided this year. Information on the tides during the regatta can be found here: or for regatta day in 2014,here. Emergency and Other Services: Emergency First Response to be provided by St John s Ambulance community volunteer services. Washrooms are available at the Burrard Civic Marina and are open to the public. Wheelchair accessible portopotties will be available: hurray! Accommodation is available at the Granville Island Hotel please contact them directly at the link to the left or at or Parking is available all day and luggage can be stored after their 12 noon checkout as needed.

2 Event Schedule: 7:45 Bow Person and Cox meeting at the top of the ramp by the map 8:00 Umpires Meeting with Regatta Chair 8:30 Launch for first flight opens 9:00 Beach Closes 9:30 First Flight begins 10:25 First Flight completes 10:30 Launch for second flight opens 11:00 Beach Closes 11:30 Second Flight begins 12:10 Second Flight completes 1:00 Prizegiving Flight Details: Note that all boats are expected to be in the marshalling area and ready to start their race at the start of each flight: 9:30 or 11:30. Subsequent event start times in each flight are for guidance only. Please refer to Regatta Central for details regarding flights and races. Registration: Regatta Central is the registration agent for Note that in the sign up for the event, there is an option to be able to sign boats up in the opposite flight. This is to accommodate clubs with more people that boats, and also to help clubs that might be in a position to share boats with others. There are no additional charges to row in both flights. Scratch fees are equal to entry fees. If you are scratching from an event on the day of the event, please inform the regatta control at the launching beach so that we are not looking for you on the water. All boat entries require boat average age. We will use the boat average age to determine racing category for prizes and start position. $25 per rower (includes Rowing BC competitor fee of $3 per person). $3 per non-rowing coxswain for Rowing BC fee In the event that the regatta receives more entries than the organizers believe can be safely accommodated, the organizing committee reserves the right to limit the entries as they see fit, either in terms of boat types or in order of receipt of entries. Please refer to Regatta Central for all entry submission dates. Entries received after normal registration closes may not be accommodated, and will be subject to additional fees if they are accepted. All competitors must be members of Rowing Canada Aviron or US Rowing. Please note: there are no straight 4 without cox /4 or pair /2 events. Course Notes Length: 5 km for rowers, and 3 km for pararowers. The course is not closed to non-rowing traffic. We are working with the paddling community and the operators of the ferries in False Creek (Aquabus and False Creek Ferries) to provide a safe event, but you will need to watch your course for steering opportunities. We are working with the Vancouver Police Department (Marine Division) and the Transport Canada with respect to having the navigation channel in the eastern end of False Creek cleared of anchored boats for the regatta.

3 The Eastern end of False Creek is not a big area to turn a rowing shell at speed. It is wider than the northern end of the Delta Deas slough, and comparable to the north western corner of Elk Lake. You will need to work as a crew to turn your boats. Link to course here: Google Maps Wet Launch from the Vanier Boat Ramps in Vanier Park, Vancouver BC. Boats will be marshalled into Alder Bay (South of the East end of Granville Island) prior to the start. This will keep you out of the wind before your start. Please be aware of the boats and bow numbers around you.

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5 Awards Fastest Men s Boat Fastest Women s Boat Fastest Mixed Boat Fastest Girl s Boat (average crew age under 19) Fastest Boy s Boat (average crew age under 19) Ribbons for Competitors of Special Note: as a new regatta, we don t know how many boats will be participating competitors may be grouped in natural groups and prizes awarded appropriately, and to some degree: spontaneously. Contact Information & Details: regatta@falsecreekrowingclub.ca Suggested Trailer Routes: Please note: if you require overnight security at the regatta site please inform regatta@falsecreekrowingclub.ca in advance. Route into Vanier Park with a rowing trailer. It will save you lots of time to not overshoot the quick turn right onto Chestnut Street from Cornwall/Burrard.

6 If you miss the Chestnut Street turn, this is the suggested overshoot route: continue westbound on Cornwall. It will turn into Point Grey Road. Turn left (south) onto MacDonald, then left (east) again on West 4 th avenue and left (north) onto Burrard to approach the Chestnut turn off another time. Note the sharp turn North onto Chestnut (the uppermost red arrow in the image below). Be aware of construction on Cornwall Street resulting in the road being currently only 1 lane wide. I would suggest that you take special care of how your trailer follows your path. Use your eyes, and The Force. If you miss the left turn and end of going over the Burrard Street Bridge, take a right onto Pacific and go around False Creek to try again.

7 Volunteer Opportunities: If you are in a position to assist with putting on the regatta as a volunteer please contact regatta@falsecreekrowingclub.ca. We can people for the following roles: Parking Lot Traffic Marshalls - to keep the roadways clear and remind people to buy parking tickets before they get issued them. Beach Marshalls to keep the boats in order, and ensure that shes have no more than 7 cm of play and that bow balls are in working order. On Water Marshalls to keep the boats in the traffic pattern and preparing them for the start. Photographers to record the event, on the water and around it. Safety Boat Operators to drive coach boats made available to the regatta without crews. Timers at the start and finish. Recorders to track the order of finish. Results Team to ensure that the timing and order is correct and available. Chaperones to look after any special visitors as might be in the area. Administration People to look after entries, payment and welcoming people to the regatta. Setup People to help assemble tents, install the racing buoys and be there to meet the delivery trucks. If your club has people available or you are reading this website and would like to help, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact regatta@falsecreekrowingclub.ca. First time volunteers will receive hats, and of course everyone is getting a coupon for a meal and drink at Yolk's food service. Useful mobile applications: More information on this later: we will try to set up the race within the application so that competitors can track their progress. Insurance & Safety Note that at the Rowing Canada Aviron 2010 AGM held in Richmond at the end of January, the following rule took effect: the maximum allowable heel elevation before the heel retention device activates is 7 cm., the instead of the previous 7.5 cm (3 inches). Event insurance is provided through the Rowing Canada Aviron policy. Questions around that policy may be answered here. The 2014 Safety Plan and Emergency Plan submitted to Transport Canada s Office of Boating Safety is available by contacting regatta@falsecreekrpwingclub.ca Competitors and crews participate in the race entirely at their own risk. The decision to race is that of the competing crew alone. The organizers will not accept any liability for material damage, personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with, or during or after the event. If you retire or choose not to complete the course for any reason, please advise the nearest safety or umpire boat.

8 Entry Categories: Officially: the categories of entry are listed below as per the Rowing Canada Aviron rules of racing. In practicality, offering all the potential options in combination with all the potential boat types would lead to substantially fewer than 1 entry per category. That s no fun, and there isn t enough money to buy cakes for all the winners. Categories will be aggregated as we see fit once entries close. Event entry is by average age (including Junior rowers), and is not categorized as under or over any particular age. In the event that lots of people show up and we can separate the categories to the point where we have meaningful competition, the official RCA event age categories are listed below: these categories will not be used, but people like to see them anyway. Juniors: Under 19, Under 17, Under 15, Novice Senior: Under 23, Open, Novice Masters: AA (aged 21 to 26) and the usual A through I, Novice o AA average age: 21 years or more o A average age: 27 years or more o B average age: 36 years or more o C average age: 43 years or more o D average age: 50 years or more o E average age: 55 years or more o F average age: 60 years or more o G average age: 65 years or more o H average age: 70 years or more o I average age: 75 years or more o J average age: 80 years or more Weight Categories There will be no differentiation of crews by weight at this year s regatta. (note Lightweight definitions are listed below for information purposes only). Open Weight Lightweight (honour system there is no weigh in prior to the race but your competitors will judge you at the finish) o No female rower identifying themselves as a lightweight shall weigh more than 59 kg [about 130 lbs]. o No male rower identifying themselves as a lightweight shall weigh more than 72.5 kg [about 160 lbs]. o Due to an exception approved by the Rowing BC Safety & Events Committee, there is no minimum weight requirement for coxes (as per RCA Rules of Racing exceptions listed below). Height Categories: we will not be used for this regatta, but they may return in the future. all members of the crew under 165 cm (5 foot 5 inches) all members of the crew under 180 cm (5 foot 11 inches) Open Height (default) Rules of Racing Notes and Exceptions: The regatta will be run under the Rowing Canada Aviron Rules of Racing in effect at the time of the event. No weighing in (honour system). Novice category for rowers with less than 24 months rowing experience. Additional category of competition for rowers identifying height as a category.

9 Penalties and Behaviour: Regatta course markers will be placed at the Eastern end and Central areas of False Creek to delineate the eastern turn in the course and safe routes while traveling East. Failure to round all major buoys will result in disqualification. Failure to round all minor buoys will likely result in hitting something and likely having to stop. Minor buoys are for guidance only. Crossing the midline of the course from the Start area to the Eastern turn is dangerous. Failure to maintain a safe course will result in disqualification. Hitting the shore, a bridge or navigation channel marker is not subject to penalty or disqualification, but if you need to be fished out and the ferry operators arrive before the regatta safety boats they may levy a finder s fee. Slower crews not giving way (by taking the longer course) will be subject to appropriate reprimand penalty or action by the regatta organizer or Umpire. The proximity of the race course to the shore and spectators located there results in them being able to hear conversations amongst and between crews. Please use cordial language when discussing course corrections or providing advice to others on the water and note that you are extremely visible from the shore at almost every point in the course. As you row east, passing by the Eastern end of Granville Island as you approach the start, please keep in mind that the floating homes of Sea Village will be directly off of your starboard side. Please be considerate of them. If you really have to use the washroom while marshalling in Alder Bay, you can try docking and using the washroom at the False Creek Community Centre. According to their website they open at 9 am. If you think this is going to be something that you are likely to do, please bring shoes. Final Notes: The Vanier Park boat ramp may be used to launch outrigger canoes at 9 am, 10:30 am and 12 noon. Please work with them to ensure that the relationship is cordial and professional. Thank you. In March of 2000, the wind picked up and swells from English Bay resulted in water being splashed into the boats in later flights. To counteract this, the start is being moved to more protected waters. It would be a wise idea to bring a sponge with you in your boat in order to remove any water before you start - just in case.

10 This Event is Supported or Assisted By: Head Up The Creek 2014 Food Service Yolk s Breakfasts Safety Boats kindly provided by: Jericho Sailing Centre Association Vancouver College Kitsilano Yacht Club False Creek Yacht Club First Response Services St John Ambulance Event Support Rowing BC s Rowing Canada Aviron licensed umpires through the Umpires Committee Rowing BC s Safety & Events Committee Rowing BC s Board of Directors for approving sanction Regatta Central for event registration Transport Canada, City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation for Event Permitting Vancouver Police Department s Marine Unit for course support and guidance.