Time Trials 2025

Can we improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our regatta progression systems?

The experiment at the 2025 Karapiro Christmas Regatta—replacing eight lane heats with time trials—offered an important opportunity to assess the use of time trials. Time trials, or at least timed heats, at the RNZ/NZSSRA Maadi Regatta are always a possibility.

Time trials can form a key part of our FISA Maadi Regatta ’26 proposal submitted to RNZ/NZSSRA in July 2025. The advantages are clear: a time-trialled heat can conceivably be completed in roughly half the time required for eight-lane heats. Based on Maadi 2025’s 1,479 crew entries, running crews at 15-second intervals, non-stop, would conceivably allow all heats to be completed in under seven hours, compared with approximately seventeen hours using the current system.

Time trials also streamline progression. Crews can move directly from the time-trial phase into preliminary races, semifinals or directly to finals without the time-consuming need for repechage heats. This increased efficiency allows more athletes to remain in meaningful competition for longer, potentially increasing the proportion of crews reaching finals from 57% to around 92% or more.

The 2010, 2014 and 2024 presentations below further explore the benefits and practical considerations of adopting time-trial progression systems.

Footnote: There were six Time Trials for school age crews at the 2025 Karapiro Christmas Regatta. 67% of the medals were won by crews placing in the top four in their time trial. 33% of the medals were won by crews placing 5th to 8th in their time trial. The correlation between final placings and time trial results  in the Girls U172x was 0.92, an exceptionally high result. This suggests that time trial placing is a very good predictor of final placings across all three divisional finals in the event.

Time Trials will find the likely medal contenders. From the Karapiro experience, and from school regattas overseas, it is evident that having the 16 fastest time trial crews progress directly to semifinals then to A & B Finals would be a fair and time effective approach to establishing the medal winners. What's more there would be ample time for competitive C - G Finals, as required, for all crews entering the Maadi Regatta.