Time Trial to Heats

Proposal to move to a heats format to qualify for CURC’s finals

CURC Heats

Seeded by previous year’s results

1-6 Entries:

Race for lanes and final

7-12 Entries:

Two heats, 1-3 to Final A, 4… Final B

13-18 Entries:

Three heats, 1-2 to Final A, 3-4 to Final B, 5… to Final C

19-24 Entries:

Friday four heats 1-3 to Semi A/B, 4... to Semi C/D

Saturday Semi A/B: 1-3 to Final A, 4-6 to Final B

Semi C/D 1-3 to Final C, 4… to Final D

Why move to heats?

Historically the time trial format was introduced as a unique way to determine the CURC’s champion in that it was a head race (3.5km) over a winding course. The thinking was that the CURC’s champion would have to be good at head racing (a traditional fall pursuit) as well as the 2000 meter Olympic distance.

The CURC’s ran this way for the first 5 years and then it was simply changed unilaterally by the host program for convenience sake to a time trial over a 1900 meter distance as it is done for the most part to this day.

Given that the original purpose of the time trial format is no longer valid, and there are significant differences to the mentality of time trial versus side by side rowing it is proposed that the Saturday racing be changed to traditional heat to final format to facilitate more of this kind of racing for our athletes. This would give them greater experience learning to race in directly opposed competition and would make it a more interesting day for those attending and watching the proceedings.