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REGATTA FACILITIES FOR CANADIAN UNIVERSITY ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS (CURC)

In addition to conforming to the CURC Playing Regulations and Constitution, a regatta course and all its technical equipment must also comply with the following rules

1. Land Facilities

a) Accommodation

The regatta organizers must be able to provide contacts to a sufficient number of hosts that can accommodate all student-rowers, coaches and support staff that are expected to participate in the CURC. The largest number of all participants at any CURC should be used.

b) Shelter

Regatta facilities must include safe and heated shelter for all competitors, coaches, regatta volunteers and umpires (heated tent or boathouse meeting room).

c) Operating space

Trailers must be able to be parked safely with space enough available to unload and rig all boats. Also, these parking facilities need to be available as early as Monday prior to the regatta.

d) Boat storage

All boats used in the regatta must be able to be stored and secured (space and or racks)

e) Launch area

Dock space must be at least 2 x 20 m free access for boats to launch.

f) Announcing system

There must be an announcing system that can reach all coaches and rowers in the shelter, operating and boat storage space.

g) Weigh-in/Scales

There must be a weigh-in facility that allows umpires to conduct the weigh-in procedure in an appropriate manner. Two identical and consistent scales need to be provided.

2) STRETCHES OF WATER

a) General

A standard CURC course shall be straight and shall not have less than 6 racing lanes. It shall provide fair and equal racing conditions for six crews. In addition to the 6 racing lanes there must be sufficient water width available to allow crews to get to the start, to warm up and to cool down safely.

b) LENGTH OF WATER

The minimum length of water necessary to contain the standard CURC course is 2,120m (or a minimum of 1,870m) to accommodate a race of 2,000m (or a minimum of 1,750m).

c) WIDTH OF WATER

The standard CURC course shall be at least 108m wide i.e. 13.5m + (6 lanes x 13.5m each) + 13.5m = 108m.

d) DEPTH OF WATER

For a standard CURC course the depth of water must be at least 3 metres throughout all racing lanes at the shallowest point if the depth over the course is unequal. However, it is recommended that a course should have a minimum depth of 3.5 metres.

If a course is artificially constructed with an equal depth at all points on the course of 2 metres, then they can still be accepted as a standard CURC course.

e) LOCAL CONDITIONS

The course must be sheltered from wind as far as possible. If not, there should be no natural or artificial obstacles (such as woods, buildings, structures) in the immediate neighbourhood of the course which might cause unequal conditions on the water. On a standard CURC course there should be no stream. Any stream existing should be so slight as not to give rise to unequal conditions on the different lanes. The running of the race must not be influenced by natural or artificial waves. The banks must be so designed as to absorb and not to reflect waves.

f) PLAN

A plan showing the location of the course, the length and the number of lanes and the layout of the technical installations must be included in the advance program.

3) TECHNICAL INSTALLATIONS

i) Start Pontoons

The bows of each boat shall be aligned on the start line. This requires the use of start pontoons which may be moved forwards or backwards in order to allow for boats of different lengths. They must be of a solid construction and able to be firmly fixed in position.

ii) Start Tower

The start tower shall be between 20 and 50 metres behind the start line in the centre of the course. The tower shall be equipped with a covered platform for the Starter which shall be not less than 3 metres and not more than 6 metres above the water level, depending on the distance from the start line. The tower shall be built in such a way that the Starter has a clear view over the entire start area, including the aligner’s hut.

iii) Starter’s Equipment

The tower should be equipped with either one or two large clocks that are clearly visible from a minimum distance of 100m to the crews on the course and those crews waiting for the start, or with other equipment which will allow the Starter to inform the crews of the time remaining before the start of their race. In case of delay or postponement, a revised starting time shall be displayed to competitors on a large board by the Starter.

The Starter shall give his instructions and orders by means of a microphone connected to loudspeakers so arranged that they may be heard simultaneously by all competitors. In addition, the start tower must be provided with a red flag, a bell, and a megaphone. A board and chalks or felt markers shall be provided to enable the Starter to provide visual information to crews of any postponement of races.

iv) Radio or telephone communication

The Starter shall be in direct communication by radio and telephone with the Judge at the Finish, the Control Commission and the President of the Jury.

v) Aligner’s Hut

This shall be a fixed structure placed exactly on the start line, ideally not less than 15 m from the first lane and no more than 30 m. The floor level of the hut should be between 1 m and 2 m above the water level. The hut should provide weather protection for up to 2 persons and there should be enough space so that the Aligner can be seated on the line of the start, clearly observing the start line. There shall be radio links between the Aligner and the start pontoon officials and boat holders.

vi) The Start Line

The start line shall be the line running between a tautly stretched thin vertical wire (1 mm) in the aligner’s hut and the vertical line on a fixed marker on the opposite side of the course.

i) Other Facilities

Adequate toilet facilities should be provided either as a permanent fixture or by using temporary units.

ii) Start Zone

The start zone is the first 100m of the course, from the start line to the 100m line. The start zone shall be marked by Albano system buoys of a different colour from those marking the majority of the course.

b) BETWEEN START AND FINISH

i) Lanes

The lanes shall be buoyed according to the Albano system. These lanes must be straight and of the same width over their whole length. The width of each lane shall be 13.5m. (In special circumstances the width of each lane may be reduced to 12.5m). For a standard CURC course it is recommended that there should be a minimum of six buoyed lanes with buoys on at least one side of each lane.

The space between buoys along the axis of the course shall be not more than 20 m but preferably 10 m. The buoys may be spherical or cuboid in shape but shall be of such material and design that when struck by an oar or boat they will deflect easily and not cause damage or undue interference to the boat or crew. The surface of these buoys (whose diameter shall not exceed 15 cm or square) shall be pliant (not hard). The colour of buoys shall be the same in all lanes. The colours should be easily visible in all weather conditions. In the Start Zone (the first 100 m) and at every 500 (250) m mark the colour of buoys shall be a clearly different colour from the buoys in the majority of the course. In the last 250 m the colour of buoys shall be the same as those in the first 100 m, or such other colour which is clearly distinct from the colour of buoys in the majority of the course.

ii) Lane numbering

In principle, lane No 1 should be on the left hand side of the Starter in the Start Tower looking towards the Finish.

iii) Distance Markers

The distance markers shall show the distance in the direction from start to finish. Every 500m (or better every 250m) beyond the start, the distance from the start shall be marked on both sides of the course, either by clearly visible boards of a minimum size of 2 m x 1 m on the banks or by cubes (1 m cube) on the water. They should read, at the first 250 m mark - “250”, then “500”, and so on to the 1750 metre mark. There shall be no distance mark at the start or at the finish.

c) THE FINISH AREA

i) Finish Line

The finish line shall be the line running between a tautly stretched thin (1 mm) vertical wire immediately in front of the Judges at the Finish and the vertical line on a fixed marker on the far side of the course. The fixed marker shall be divided vertically and painted one half black and the other half luminous yellow, with the yellow half in the direction of the Start – the vertical line shall be the line where the two colours meet. Alternatively two vertical wires (80 to 100 cm apart) immediately in front of the Judges at the Finish may be used. The finish line shall be marked on the water by two red flags placed on white buoys at least 5 metres outside the course on each side. If necessary, the two red flags (or one of them) may be placed on the bank. It is essential that these flags be exactly on the finish line and that they do not impede the view of the judges at the finish or the progress of crews going to the start.

ii) Finish Tower

This must be a structure erected exactly on the finish line and placed approximately 30 metres from the outside of the racing lanes. It should accommodate the timing, the Judges at the Finish and the photo-finish equipment together in the same room. There must be a loud hooter or horn to signal to each crew that it has crossed the finish line.

iii) Area beyond the finish

There shall be sufficient clear water beyond the finish line to allow crews to stop. Ideally this should be 200m. If the boathouse area is located beyond the finish line this is essential. Under other arrangements a minimum distance of 100 m might be acceptable.

iv) Timing and Results Systems

Times shall be shown to 1/100^th of a second on the Results Sheets and on the Scoreboard. In the case of close finishes the order of finish must be determined by means of special equipment such as a photo-finish camera, capable of measuring and displaying differences to at least 1/30^th of a second.

v) Results

A results board should be located in a position where it is visible from the main spectator areas and, if possible, by the competitors at the end of the race. The operation of the results/video board must comply with the specifications and descriptions given in the latest edition of “The FISA Manual for Rowing Championships”