Rules
Below are the rules for ChCh Regatta 2007. Please take a moment to familarise yourself with this year's rules as there are a number of minor alterations to those of previous years:
1. The Regatta shall be held from Wednesday 21st November until Saturday 24th November 2007 (7th Week, MT) on the Isis.
2. The Regatta shall be raced in eight oared boats with coxswain over a side-by-side course of approximately 750m from Longbridges to a finish marked by a white post approximately half way between Pembroke Boathouse and The Head. The finish shall be judged by the bows.
3a. All Competitors must hold a valid Bodleian Library Card (or OXILP equivalent) both for entry and on the day of racing.
3b. Crews entered for the Regatta must consist entirely of novice oarspersons of the same boat club. Composite crews are not allowed.
A participant is not considered to be a novice if they satisfy any of the following (including, but not restricted to):
i) They have previously competed in Christ Church Regatta or Clare Novices Regatta.
ii) They have previously competed in any Oxford, Cambridge, Eton College or University of London Bumping race (including rowing on/qualification).
iii) They have previously competed in any ARA, SARA. WARA (or foreign equivalent) regatta or head race at Junior or Senior level prior to 1st October, 2007.
iv) They have competed at school, college, or university representative level in any event prior to 1st October, 2007.
v) Coxes may be of any status though it is expected that, in line with the spirit of the event, novice coxes will be entered with a college's higher boats over their more experienced contemporaries.
vi) If an ineligible participant is entered in any crew then the organisers may disqualify the entire Boat Club concerned.
vii) Women may row in men's events, but men may not row in women's events.
viii) All competitors (including coxes) must have passed a swimming test before racing. Oarsmen that have not passed a swimming test will NOT be allowed to compete wearing a lifejacket.
NOTE THAT THIS DEFINITION OF NOVICE IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT TO THE ARA DEFINITION OF NOVICE
4. Substitutions are allowed only in the case of injury/illness or academic clashes. Substitutions will typically be limited to three per race, unless express prior permission has been sought from the Race Committee. The Race Committee must be informed, in writing, before the race, of any substitutions, otherwise the crew concerned may be liable to disqualification. The subsitutes must meet the same eligibility restrictions as above, and must not be entered in any other crew competing in the Regatta.
5. IN ORDER TO BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE, COXES MUST ATTEND THE COXING MEETING WHICH WILL BE HELD SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE RACES (provisionally Wednesday of 6th week). COXES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE WITHOUT THE WEARING OF A LIFEJACKET.
Coxes are allowed to row and cox so long as they comply with the above eligibility conditions.
Coxes may cox more than one crew in the event that The Regatta is raced under non-'green flag' conditions.
6. Crews must race with their full complement at all times. Should any crew member leave the boat during a race then the crew will be considered to have not completed the course.
7. Crews must remain within their racing lanes at all times. Any crew that leaves its lane will be subject to disqualification.
8. Should a race need to be stopped, a klaxon will be sounded. When the klaxon is fired all crews should stop immediately ("Hold it Hard!") and remain stationary until instructed to move by a marshall. In the event that a race is stopped due to circumstances beyond the control of the racing crews the race committee reserve the right to award the race to either crew if it is felt that they held an insurmountable lead.
9. In the event that a crew wishes to appeal the result of a race the cox must raise their arm on crossing the finish line.
10. All competitors take part at their own risk. The Committee can accept no responsibility for damage or injury, however caused.
11. All competing craft must be registered with or exempt from registration by the Environment Agency. All competing craft must have a bow-ball and be fitted with heel restraints for all rowers. Crews will not be allowed to compete without them and spot checks will be conducted. ALL CREWS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE WHITE LIGHTS ON THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE BOAT AFTER 14h00.
12. Rules for Regattas and laws of boat racing will govern the Regatta, in so far as they apply to the Isis.
13. Coaching from the bank will not be allowed; bank-riders follow crews to ensure safety only. If dangerous cycling along the towpath is observed, then the crew of the bank-rider concerned will be disqualified. Please note that cyclists will NOT have right of way over pedestrians at any time. Only one bank-rider is permitted to follow each crew. If a crew is followed by more than one bank-rider, they will be disqualified. Bank-riders will not be permitted to use loud hailers or whistles at any time during racing or warm up. This is to ensure that commands from marshals and klaxons can always be heard.
14. Failure to inform the Regatta committee of equipment and personnel clashes at time of entry will leave crews liable to disqualification. Every attempt will be made to timetable racing around equipment and personnel clashes between a maximum of TWO CREWS up until the last sixteen. Any clashes from this point onwards will have to be resolved by the crews concerned (probably by not boat sharing), without altering the day's racing schedule.
15. To reduce congestion, all crews boating from the boathouse island must boat from the rafts downstream of Exeter Boathouse, and must land at rafts upstream. Crews boating or landing at the wrong rafts may be liable to disqualification. Boats must not be left unattended on rafts.
16. The circulation plans must be obeyed; crews should obey the instructions of the marshals at all times. Maps of the course and circulation plan can be found here.
17. Unsportsmanlike Conduct or Behaviour including (but not limited to) failure to heed the instruction of a Race Official, use of obscene language or gestures; delaying the start of a race without just cause; disregard of the principles of Safety or of fairness; or abusive behaviour towards any official, competitor or spectator may result in the crew concerned and the entire club it represents being subject to disqualification.
18. The entry fee for the Regatta is £40 per crew. Entries must be made online before midnight on Wednesday 7th November (5th week). Payment must also be received by midnight on Friday 9th November. Cheques should be made payable to 'Christ Church Regatta' and sent to J Caunt's Pigeonhole at Christ Church. Please write the college and crew the payment is for on the reverse of any cheques.
19. In the event that the Regatta is cancelled, the following refunds will apply:
If there is no racing: 80 percent of the entry fee will be refunded.
If only one day's racing occurs, 50 percent of the entry fee will be refunded.
If a crew withdraws after entries close, their entry fee will be retained.
20. The Regatta Committee reserves the right to alter any of the rules without notice, to cancel all or part of the Regatta without notice (usually only due to adverse weather conditions and subject to the refunding of appropriate entry fees), or to postpone any or all of the day's racing. The Regatta Committee reserves the right to interpret these rules in any way that stays within their spirit, especially with respect to eligibility. The Committee reserves the right to disqualify without refund any boat which infringes these rules. The Committee's decision in the event of any dispute shall be final.