Competitors’ and Coaches’ Instructions (2008)

We hope that all participants have an enjoyable visit to Wallingford Regatta. All coaches & competitors should read these instructions carefully as they will assist you in achieving a low stress day and getting the best value for the time you spend at the regatta.

Key Points

  • It is your responsibility to ensure your equipment is in good order.
  • There is no cycling on the spectator (north) side of the lake under any circumstances nor across the hard in front of the boathouse. Cycling is permitted on the island but is restricted to 2 cyclists per crew.
  • Crews will not be called to boat.
  • All coaches and competitors must be familiar with the circulation pattern. Note that we are racing from 0m to 2000m and not 0m to 1500m as in previous years.

Car Parking and Trailers

Competitor’s cars will be parked in the public car-parks alongside the course. Boat-trailers will be parked in the field beyond the normal boat trailer hard standing near the boathouse. Buses will be parked on the normal trailer hard-standing. Your club will have been issued with sufficient passes for you to park free of charge providing you car-share.

Dorney Lake does not permit the parking of any vehicles on the raised ground of Boveney Bund under any circumstances. Please note that if you disregard the car parking marshals in this regard you risk the imposition of penalties against your club and / or crews.

Please note there is no car parking overnight on Saturday, however trailers may be left in the trailer field at your own risk – please refer to map.

Coaches

For many of your crews it is their first regatta of the season and for some the first regatta they have ever attended.

Please make sure:

  • Your crews arrive in plenty of time for their event.
  • That their equipment is serviceable & safe.
  • They must know how to back down and get attached to a start pontoon, and understand and have practised passing blades forward to their crew mates to maintain position on the start. (Crews have tried to get attached to pontoons bows-on in the past, please don’t let your crew embarrass you or themselves by their lack of skill or expertise!) Crews should turn in their lanes within 50 metres of the start and back down taking account of start marshal’s instructions.

Equipment

Safety checks may be made to your boat before you get afloat. Boats failing the check will be prevented from boating until repaired. It must be understood that it is the responsibility of every athlete, cox and coach to ensure that equipment complies with the requirements of the ARA Water Safety Code.

For example your boat must have correctly fitted:

  • a bow ball
  • the appropriate length heel restraints
  • secure rudder lines
  • and if built with enclosed compartments has ALL the hatchcovers and drainage bungs in place.

It is not the responsibility of Regatta Volunteers, Officials or Umpires to ensure your equipment is in good order – it is down to you.

Cycling

Athlete & spectator safety dictates that cycling is only allowed on the island between the two lakes (Finish Tower side). Note that there is a one-way system for cyclists on the island and that a maximum of two cyclists per crew will be permitted to follow each race. (See map).

No cycling is allowed on the public (pedestrian) side of the lake under any circumstances NOR across the hard in front of the boathouse in the launching and landing area.

Please cycle round the back of the boathouse to access the island or walk.

Coaches or club members who infringe these rules may incur penalties including their crew(s) being disqualified.

Practice Outings

Practice outings on race day are not permitted. Outings before race day are under the rules of Dorney Lake. Please see the Dorney Lake website at or call them on 01753 832756.

Registration

There will be no need to register your crew on the day. Crew numbers are being sent out in advance to the contact address on the entry form. You MUST bring these numbers on the day, as replacements will not be provided.

Any crew changes or scratchings on the day should be made at Crew Control in the first bay of the boathouse as soon as possible.

Clubs who have had any entry turned down, may with the permission of the Regatta Entries Secretary substitute these oarspersons into racing boats beyond the ARA 50% change restriction. This rule only applies to changes requested before race day.

Crews who were removed due to over subscription will be eligible to a place in the event they had entered if an accepted crew subsequently scratches. This will be on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

Crews who scratch after entries close will not receive a refund of entry fees under any circumstances.

45 minutes before your race a representative should report to Crew Control to collect a lane number for your boat. You may not boat without your lane number. Your boat must have a number slot on the bow. If you are doubling up and races are close together please inform crew control when you register for your first race.

Coxes & ARA Licenses

Coxes must report to be weighed at Crew Control and must bring a life jacket conforming to the ARA WSC, which they will wear on the water.

A certificate will be issued showing their weight and any dead weight, which may be required. Coxes plus dead weight must weigh at least 55kg for Senior Open, J18 and J16 events, 50kg for Senior Women, WJ18 and WJ16 events and 45kg for all J15 and J14 events.

Dead weight must be carried safely and NOT attached to the cox.

Coxes may be reweighed after competing.

ARA Licenses (point’s cards) must be brought to the event by all competitors (including coxes). Random checks will be made throughout the day. Winning crews will then be responsible to bring their cards to the registration immediately after their final. Failure to do so will result in prizes being withheld and possible disqualification. The whole winning crew will be required to produce their licenses in person for their prizes to be awarded.

Rescheduling Races

Note that no races will be rescheduled – All declared doubling up and boat sharing has been allowed for in the timetable. At least 30 minutes has been allowed between races for all doubling up that we have been advised of. (We will refund entry fees of any crew where doubling up was advised to us that then causes a race clash).

Getting to the start

Please see separate diagram of the circulation pattern.

Crews will go afloat from the left-hand two pontoons as you look at them from the boathouse (ie those closest to the finish tower).

All crews must proceed with extreme caution under the bridge and into the ‘return lane’ Lake. Keep to the left (as viewed by the cox). [NOTE - THIS IS THE REVERSE OF NORMAL RIVER NAVIGATION]. Proceed up the return lane to the warm-up area.

IF YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME, you may warm up by traveling around the loop, the limits of which are marked on the bank with orange circular signs. Take great care when turning to keep well clear of other crews – particularly if it is windy.

You must complete your warm-up and be under control of the marshals at the bridge near the start, 10 minutes before your race. Crews should line up with Lane No.1 at the front and be prepared to move promptly through the bridge when instructed. Listen to the marshals and be prepared to remove tracksuit trousers etc when given notice that your race is about to be called onto the start.

Note that we have to get 6 or 7 crews through the bridge every 5 minutes all day so you must follow the marshal’s instructions promptly. Crews for Lane 1 and 2 should be adjacent to the bridge with the other crews in the race, close behind.

Once under the bridge you should proceed across the lake to your lane and turn within your lane WITHIN 50 METRES OF THE START. You should then back down promptly onto the stake-boats, as advised in the document ‘Best Practice for getting onto the start in non-tidal waters’, a copy of which is affixed. There will be marshals on the start pontoon to help you – please act PROMPTLY to their instructions – do NOT drift aimlessly.

For the time trial races, once under the bridge you should proceed across the lake to lane 4. Crews with odd numbers will race in lane 1, crews with even numbers will race in lane 3. There will be marshals to direct you.

If you are delayed (by for example, equipment failure) after leaving the raft you must tell a marshal on the bank who can advise the start. Note however, that the Start Umpire can award an official warning (false start) or disqualify a crew for being late.

Please read the Thames Regional Umpires Commission note on Best Practice for Getting onto the start on non-tidal water.

Fall Back Warm Up Plan.

Should weather conditions or circumstances render the use of the warm up lake impractical, the entrance to it will be buoyed off, messages will be broadcast over the PA system and crews boating will be advised by officials and by notices.

Under these conditions all crews will proceed to the start in lane 9.

Racing

During side by side racing crews must stay within their lanes. All races will be launch umpired. To warn a crew the Umpire will hold up a white flag, name the crew and may instruct the crew in which direction to move. Crews and scullers should know port from starboard (i.e. left and right respectively as viewed by the cox).

During the time trial racing crews should move into lane 2 to overtake slower crews.  They should return to their appropriate lane once they have overtaken the slower crew.

Warm-down and return to the Boathouse

After your race, which will finish at 2000m, return to the boathouse area. If you need a more extended warm-down, turn after the finish at 2000m, cross back to lane 9 and return towards the start. However you must not go past the 1750m marker before turning and crossing back to lanes 1-4 again. Again the turning point is marked on the bank with an orange circular sign.  A marshal will also be located at this point to ensure that you do not interfere with any races on the course. 

Warm-down after the time trial races will not be permitted.  On completion of the course crews should go straight to the rafts.

Crews will recover to the two left-hand rafts (as viewed looking from the water towards the boathouse, ie those furthest away from the finish tower).