Rhode
Island Chinese Dragon Boat Race Practice Schedule
Practice times will
be available starting in mid-June for registered
teams; to ensure adequate water time for each team,
five practice sessions will be allocated initially
to each team as part of the registration fee. As the
season develops, additional sessions will be
available for a fee of $45 per session.
When registering, a valid credit card number will be
required. In the event that a team cancels a
practice without any prior warning, the card will be
charged $25.00 (twenty-five dollars) to cover the
costs of scheduling the dockmaster/practice
director.
Teams canceling a practice within eight hours of
their scheduled practice time will not be charged.
Practices cancelled due to weather or unsafe river
conditions will not incur a penalty, and all efforts
will be made to reschedule the practice.
Practice sessions are NOT transferable between
teams.
Practice Rules
1. The following must be
accomplished before a team is allowed to practice in
the competition dragon boats
-
Registration fee paid and
cleared.
-
Forms completed
-
Team registration
-
Team roster
It is understood that this is a preliminary
document, and that changes are likely before
the race
This document provides the dockmaster with a
manifest of paddlers in case of emergency.
-
Waiver of Liability for
every person to participate that session. If
the dockmaster does not have a record of the
Waiver of Liability, a new form must be
completed. No person under the age of
eighteen (18) is allowed in a dragon boat
during practice, nor are non-paddling
“passengers” permitted.
2. Practice area
-
All persons aboard a dragon
boat shall wear an approved personal flotation
device (PFD).
-
All teams will provide the
dockmaster with a working cell phone number,
which will be used in case of emergency or to
recall a team. Should no team member have a cell
phone during practice, a two-way radio will be
loaned to the team.
-
The docks and the first
upstream bend in the Blackstone River delimit
the practice area.
-
Any team passing out of
sight of the dock will be recalled and forfeit
one practice session.
3. Practice schedules
-
All practices must be
scheduled in advance; no “walk-ins” will be
accepted.
-
The scheduled practice time
governs the length of the practice; e.g. if a
team departs the dock fifteen minutes late,
their water practice will be reduced by fifteen
minutes.
-
Teams returning to the dock
late (after the end of their scheduled practice)
will forfeit an additional practice.
-
Teams unable to provide a
full crew (20 paddlers, 1 steerperson, 1
drummer) will, at the discretion of the
dockmaster
be combined with another team waiting to
practice and allowed to practice with a reduced
number if, in the opinion of the dockmaster, the
team meets safety and competency requirements
denied practice time without prejudice.
-
A team representative will
notify the Race Director or the office of the
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council a minimum of
twenty-four hours prior to a scheduled practice,
if it is their intention to cancel. “No-shows”
will be billed twenty-five dollars ($25,00 USD)
to the credit card on record for each missed
practice.
All team captains must adhere to
any special directions given by the dockmaster/practice
director during their scheduled practices.
Practice sessions are NOT
transferable between teams.
Practice Site Directions
From Route 146, take Route 123 exit. Follow 123 east to Valley Falls.
Take a right onto Broad Street, travel approximately 1 mile,
then at the bridge take a right onto Madeira Avenue and a
right into the parking lot.
Map of 45 Madeira Ave Central Falls, Rhode
Island
