2nd Annual Halloween Regatta
2009 NECRL Halloween Regatta
Sponsored by Apollo Rowing
Official Regatta Information
The 2nd Annual NECRL Halloween Regatta is Saturday, October 31, 2009.
Entry Fee is FREE this year! Boats will launch and return from the public boat ramp at McCabe Marina, 24 Kernwood St, Salem, MA (again, that’s Salem, MA… not Salem, NH). All crews should row in costume.
The regatta is a standard 3 mile head race providing a challenging course for coxswains. Crews MUST adhere to all navigational buoys and channel markings as outlined in this regatta packet to ensure safety, avoid time penalties, and keep the Salem, Beverly, and Danvers Harbormasters happy. Safety must be everyone’s number one priority. Navigation will be reviewed at the coaches and coxswains meeting following early morning coxswain tours of the race course.
After beginning at Popes Landing in Danvers on the Porter River, the course winds its way through the Danvers River Channel and takes a sharp turn up the North River, finishing by the MBTA Commuter Rail Station in Salem.
COACHES AND COXSWAINS MEETING
The coaches and coxswains meeting will be held in the McCabe Marina parking lot in front of the public boat ramp at 7AM. A race schedule, course map, and general rules will be available at this time.
All coxswains are required to take a tour of the course prior to the coaches and coxswains meeting to become familiar with hazards and navigation markers. Coxswain tours will begin promptly at 6:00AM from the public boat ramp.
EVENTS AND SCHEDULE
6:00 AM River Tour for Coxswains (and coaches if room allows)
7:00 AM Coaches and Coxswains Meeting
8:00 AM Mens Frosh/Novice 4+
9:00 AM Womens Frosh/Novice 4+
10:00 AM Mens Varsity 4+
11:00 AM Womens Varsity 4+
12:00 PM Mixed 4+ (no points)
12:45 PM Awards Ceremony
Crews should begin launching the latter of 45 minutes prior to their event or after the final boat in the preceding event passes the marina. Time is of the utmost importance as we must stay within 2.5 hours of high tide.
RULES
Although this is not a USRA sanctioned regatta; however, a USRA official will serve as head referee and all USRA rules apply.
Boats will be started approximately 30 seconds apart. The top two bow numbers in each event are based on last years NECRL standings and all other bow numbers are selected by a random draw.
To limit traffic on the river, no school may enter more than 2 boats per event. Additionally no more than 2 male and 2 female rower per school are permitted to row both the fresh/novice and varsity events. Coaches must provide entries and athlete lineups by noon 5PM on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 via email to bchorney@endicott.edu.
Crews will wet launch from the public boat ramp. In all likelihood the water (salt water) will be very cold. Coxswains are encouraged to bring a towel in the boat with them so rowers can dry off after taking a few strokes off shore.
Attempting to pass under the Kernwood Street Bridge is illegal and boats must pass through the only navigable span. If crews have overlap within 150m of the bridge, the overtaking crew has right of way. The overtaken coxswain shall raise his/her hand and drop a pair to let the overtaking crew pass and the over taken crews final time will be reduced by 5 seconds. Safety and sportsmanship must prevail. Failure to yield to a passing crew will yield a 1 minute time penalty.
Coxswains, always stay on the right side of the moorings that line the center of the channel. Additionally stay left of red buoys and right green buoys while heading towards the finish line and right of red buoys/left of green buoys when heading to the start. Remember: red-right-returning. Err on the side of caution when steering around moorings and navigational buoys (ie if you hit them, the mooring/buoy will not break, but your boat will and your coach will be very unhappy). Failure to stay within the channel will result in a 10 second per mooring time penalty. Additionally, failure to go around the correct side of a green or red navigational buoy will result in a 2 minute penalty.
There is plenty of trailer parking at the regatta site. Any coaches wishing to drop their trailer off the night before the regatta may do so, but do so at your own risk. Please email bchorney@endicott.edu by Wednesday, October 27, 2009 if you plan on dropping your trailer off early, and the Salem Police will perform a couple drive-by’s the evening before the race to keep an eye on your equipment. The City of Salem has reported past vandalism at the launch site, so be aware The City of Salem, NECRL, the regatta, and its sponsors are not responsible for damage/vandalism to your equipment. You’re probably safe though as the launch site is in a residential neighborhood across from a country club.
FROSH/NOVICES EVENTS: All rowers must consist of rowers who have participated in the sport of rowing for less than one year (including high school and club experience) OR have freshman standing at their college/university. Coxswains for frosh/novice events do not have to be a freshman or novice.
VOLUNTEERS AND SAFETY PERSONNEL
Each school should provide at least one volunteer or coach to help with timing or spotting during the regatta. There will be 1 volunteer at the start, 2 at the Kernwood Bridge, 2 on land timing the finish, and a dock master. Additionally, there will be 2-3 safety launches on the water, including a USRA referee and an Endicott College athletic trainer.
POINT SYSTEM
1st Place boat= 6pts, 2nd Place = 4pts, 3rd Place = 2 pt. 1 bonus point will be awarded to the fastest crew to reach the Kernwood Bridge in each event.
The tiebreaker for overall points will be determined by the average time of a school’s top boats
from all same-sex events. Fastest time wins.
Composite entries are allowed if a school cannot fill a boat with their own rowers. In the case of a composite entry, points will be split based on the fraction of rowers of each school in the composite boat. For example: If Endicott has 2 rowers and Brandeis supplies 2 spare rowers to complete a Endicott’s 4+, and that 4+ comes in 1st place, both Endicott and Brandies split first place points 50/50.
Points toward overall trophies will only be awarded to the fastest three boats in each
division. A school can only have one boat receiving points in any division. For example:
If Wentworth finishes 1st and 2nd in Men’s Open 4+, the first place boat will garner
Wentworth 6pts towards the overall men’s trophy. The second place boat will receive no
points. Whoever finishes third will receive 2 points.
RESULTS
Results for each event will be made available following the conclusion of all five events.
AWARDS
“Medals” are awarded to the members of each winning boat at the completion of all events.
There is an overall points trophy for the top men’s and women’s crew. Overall points trophy winners will be announced after the end of the awards ceremony and will receive a take home trophy.
There is also an award for the boat or individual with the best costume, but no points will be awarded.