Race Rules
RACE PROGRAM
BEGINS AT 8:30 a.m. & RUNS UNTIL 5 p.m.
LENGTH OF RACE
IS 1000 Ft
RACE ENTRY &
RACE INSTRUCTIONS
1. CONDITIONS OF RACE ENTRY
a. Abide by the instructions of the
race officials.
b. Sign a waiver prior to the race regarding any claims against the
Rhode Island Dragon Boat Races and 22Dragons.
c. Use only the equipment provided by the Race Committee, including
boats, paddles, drums and life jackets.
d. Wear the personal floatation device supplied by the Race Committee.
2. TEAM COMPOSITION
a. Each team shall consist of a maximum
of 23 members and a minimum of 19 members.
b. Each team must have a
i. drummer.
ii. flag catcher.
iii. steersperson.
c. Each team must have a minimum of 16 paddlers and a maximum of 20
paddlers.
d. All teams are allowed 4 alternate paddlers. Alternate paddlers may be
rotated into the race.
e. If members of any team are absent on race day, the team captain may
fill the vacancies with alternate or substitute paddlers, including
paddlers from other teams, as long as a waiver of liability is on file.
However, no team may race with more than 4 alternate or substitute
paddlers. This substitution rule also applies to clubs with multiple
crews at the races.
3. PRE-RACE INSTRUCTIONS
a. A schedule of events with the
starting times for all of the preliminary heats will be distributed to
each team captain.
b. Team Captains should report to race officials at the check in booth
by 7:30 a.m. on race day, September 6, 2008. A brief captain's meeting
will be held at 7:30 a.m. the day of the race.
c. Times for semi-final and final heats will be announced as soon as
race officials determine them.
d. Shirts will be provided but are not required to be worn.
e. Team captains shall insure that all participants are wearing a
personal floatation device supplied by the Race Committee.
f. Team captains shall give race officials (at team registration) an
active cell phone number so that the Race Dispatcher can effectively
summon each team to the launching area.
4. RACE INSTRUCTIONS
a. Race officials will call teams to
report for their heats 20 minutes before the start of the race. Failure
to report in a timely manner may result in disqualification and that
team will be given last place in their heat.
b. Steerspersons should get their crews onboard and move their boat into
a starting position as quickly as possible.
c. Boats are to travel to the starting line in the transit lane, the
lane closest to the Pawtucket Pier. Crossing onto the active race course
is considered interference, resulting in the interfering boat being
disqualified
d. Steerspersons shall hold their boats in position and wait for the
starter's instructions. "Hold water" means that paddlers in the water
stop the boat from drifting forward in the water. "Back water" means
that paddlers should put their paddles in the water to move the boat
backwards.
e. When the starter is satisfied that all boats are properly aligned,
he/she shall say "Paddles ready", followed by “attention please”,
followed by the air horn.
f. Any boat that crosses the start line prior to the sound of the air
horn will be disqualified for a false start and assigned last. No heat
will be restarted for a false start.
5. PROGRESSION AND RULES.
a. All teams will race in two
qualifying heats and one final.
b. All race progression will be based on time.
c. Each team will receive two times (one for each heat). The slower of
the two times will be dropped, and the faster of the two times will be
used to seed the teams into their final.
d. The three fastest teams will race in the ‘A’ final; the next three
fastest teams will race in the ‘B’ final and so on. All teams will race
in a final. The slowest seeded final will be the first race of the
afternoon; the fastest seeded final (the ‘A’ final) will be the last
race of the day.
e. Each team will be assigned their own lane (lanes 1,2,3).
f. Teams are required to race the entire race in their lane.
g. Teams must attempt to race the entire race in the center of their
lane.
h. The race referee will follow the race from behind and will verbally
advise steerspeople if they are require to move left or right.
i. The referee may ask a team to stop paddling if a boat is, or is,
about to impede the progress of another team.
j. Teams that leave their assigned lane at any moment during the race
will be given a three (3) second penalty.
k. Teams that ignore the referee’s instructions to move to any side of
their lane will be given a five (3) second penalty even if the team does
not leave their assigned lane.
l. The referee may stop any crew during a race.
m. If a team ignores a referee’s call to stop during a race that team
will be disqualified for the remainder of the event.
6. FLAG CATCHING RULES.
a. Each lane will have a flag installed
near the center of their lane at approximately 15 meters from the finish
line.
b. Each team is required to have one person designated as the flag
catcher.
c. The flag catcher is identified as the person closest to the bow of
the boat.
d. Each team can only have one flag catcher on their boat.
e. Only the flag catcher is allowed to attempt to catch the flag.
f. Other members of a crew are not allowed to assist the flag catcher in
any way in their attempts to catch the flag.
g. If any other person other than the flag catcher assists in catching
the flag or catches the flag the flag will be deemed NOT CAUGHT.
h. If the flag catcher successfully catches the flag and keeps
possession of the flag until the head of the dragon crosses the finish
line the flag will be deemed CAUGHT.
i. If a flag catcher successfully catches the flag but loses possession
before his/her team’s dragonhead crosses the finish line the flag will
be deemed NOT CAUGHT.
j. If a flag catcher does miss the flag the flag will be deemed NOT
CAUGHT.
k. A team’s time will be calculated from the moment the race is started
with the sound of an air horn until the head of the dragon crosses the
finish line.
l. Teams that successfully catch and maintain possession of the flag
will be given their time with no penalty.
m. Teams that are deemed to have NOT CAUGHT the flag will be given a
three (3) second penalty.
7. RACE CONDUCT
a. All team members must remain in the
boat from start to finish.
b. If any member falls overboard during the race, the boat must stop and
pick them up. Failure to pick up a team member will result in
disqualification and last place in the heat.
c. If race officials determine that any team has deliberately swamped or
capsized another boat, that team will be disqualified, get last place in
the heat and may be refused further participation in the races.
d. At the conclusion of each heat, the head judge will determine the
official order of finish.
e. After crossing the finish line, team members shall remain in their
boats and return to the dock immediately.
f. In the event of a collision, the following course official may stop
the race, disqualify the offending team, and restart the race with the
remaining teams.
8. SAFETY
a. If a paddler breaks or drops his/her
paddle, he/she should not attempt to retrieve it, as each boat will
carry two spare paddles.
b. If a boat swamps, team members should stay with the boat until the
water safety officials arrive.
c. If a boat becomes unusable throughout the course of the day, race
officials will reconfigure heats accordingly.
d. If a steerspersons’ steering oar breaks before the breakage buoy,
he/she should raise his/hand and the race will be restarted with a new
oar.
9. PROTESTS
a. Only the team captain may file a
protest.
b. Protests must be filed with the Protest Committee* within 10 minutes
after the completion of the disputed race. The Protest Committee shall
consist of the chief official, referee and starter. Their decisions are
final.
c. The protest must be in writing and secured by a $25 cash bond. If the
protest is upheld, the bond is returned. If the protest is denied, the
bond goes to the support of the regatta.