FISA COASTAL ROWING GUIDELINES Version 1 – 2003/4 1. Assumptions: In principle, all FISA Rules applying to: International Regattas shall also apply to international coastal rowing events, ; FISA Championship Regattas shall also apply to FISA Championship coastal rowing events and Rowing World Cup Regattas shall also apply to international coastal rowing event series. Following are the general departures from the FISA Rules, for FISA Coastal Rowing Events, set out as bye-laws to the relevant Rules. Any question of interpretation of these guidelines and any conflict with existing FISA Statutes, Rules and Regulations shall be referred to the FISA Executive Committee for clarification. All decisions by the Executive Committee shall be final. 2. Departures from the FISA RULES OF RACING and related Bye-laws (by Part and Rule) PART I – SCOPE Rules 7 to 9 – International Regattas Bye-Law to Rules 7: International coastal rowing events – Definition 7a. “An international coastal rowing event is a competition where rowing takes place on the open sea or an inland body of water in coastal rowing boats.” PART II – ROWERS AND COXWAINS Rule 15 – Eligibility and Insurance Bye-law to Rule 15 - Eligibility and Insurance 15a. “Entries for FISA Coastal Championships Regattas will be accepted only if they are accompanied by a signed commitment form, according to Article 54, from each competitor, team official and national federation, or if such a commitment is already accepted and acknowledged by FISA as registered at FISA Headquarters. This form must also confirm that all participants are acquainted with the safety rules for rowing in the sea or open bodies of water.”
FISA Coastal Rowing Guidelines
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Rule 16 – Categories Bye-Law to Rule 16 – Categories of Coastal Rowing Competition 16 a. The following categories of rowers are recognised for coastal rowing by FISA: 1. Seniors (men and women) 2. Masters (men and women) 16 b. There shall be a “captain” of each boat. A representative of the crew shall provide the captain’s name to the Organising Committee (the “OC”) before the start of racing. PART III – CLASSES OF BOAT Rule 26 – Classes of Boat Bye-law to Rule 26 – Classes of Coastal Rowing Boats recognized by FISA: 26 a.
One sculler or solo (men and women) (1X) ; Two scullers or double (men and women) (2X) ; and Four rowers with a coxswain (sweep or sculling) (men and women) (4+).
Registration of Boats 26 b. Boats participating in coastal regattas must be registered and bear their registration numbers on the bow of their boats. The registration letters and numbers must be at least 20 cm in height and 8 cm wide. The registration number must have: 1. The letters of the country or national federation 2. The club identification 3. The number of the boat within the club. 26 c. In case of the loan of a boat, the registration number will not be changed but the crew borrowing the boat, before the start of the race, will inform the Jury in writing of the loan. PART IV – Boats and Equipment Rule 27 – Free Construction Bye-law to Rule 27 – Boats and Equipment for Coastal Rowing Requirements Coastal Rowing Boats: 27 a. For coastal rowing races, all types of coastal rowing boats are permitted to start, however, the OC must provide different rankings for each boat types and for safety reasons, can forbid the participation of some boats. 2
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27 b. Boat Safety
1. 1.Boats must fulfil specific requirements, notably: all boats must have FISA approved floatation tanks or built-in flotation; and FISA approved life jackets for every crew member; 2. All boats must have a cleat at the bow of their boats equipped with a 10m rope; 3. Boats must be constructed with self-bailing hulls. It is permissible to have some water under the seat and the foot stretcher; 4. Rowers must be positioned over the axis of the boat; 5. Boats must satisfy FISA rules on boats and equipment, notably: i. All load bearing parts including the axes of moving parts, must be firmly fixed to the body of the boat. The seats may be fixed or moving. ii. All boats must be equipped with “quick release” shoes, which allow the competitors to get clear of the boat without using their hands, and with least possible delay. iii. Any ballast must be fixed. 27 c. Boat size Size is controlled using three (3) measurements: 1. Maximum length over all; 2. Minimum width overall at beam (all sections of the outside of the boat should be continuously convex 3. Minimum weight of boat with fittings essential to the boat’s use (riggers, footstretchers, slides etc… but without oars or sound amplification equipment). Boat Type
Maximum Length
Minimum Width
Minimum Weight
Solo (One rower)
6.00 m
0.75 m
35 kg
Double (Two rowers)
7.50 m
1.00 m
60 kg
Four rowers With coxswain
10.70 m
1.30 m
150 kg
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PART V – Course (and Venue) Rules 28 to 30 – Characteristics, Length and Number of Lanes Bye-Law to Rules 28 to 30 – Installations for Coastal Rowing: 28 a. In principle the Executive Committee of FISA may determine the annual programme and format of regattas and the qualification rules. 28 b. Race Distance In principle, the distance for FISA Coastal Rowing races is: For men: 5 to 12 kilometres For women: 5 to 12 kilometres However, these distances may be changed due to weather conditions, with the agreement of the regatta OC, the President of the Jury and the FISA delegate. 28 c. Types of Races The following types of races are also available: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Sprint: distance of less than 2’000 meters; Against the clock: distance of less than 2’000 meters Triangle: distance of between 2 and 20 kilometers Race: distance of less than 20 kilometers Endurance race: distance of more than 20 kilometers
28 d. Short distances will preferably be raced in a straight course or with wide-angle turns.
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28 e. Triangular courses will have a minimum distance of 3 kilometers on each side and can be covered more than once. For example:
3
2 2 1 A
D
1 D
3
A A D
Having a buoy close to the start should be avoided. In cases where there are separate heats, the courses can be different (or swapped) from one heat to the next. 28 f. Course Markers i. Course markers must be clearly set out on the course instructions, map or any other course information document. ii. These markers can be existing moorage buoys, beacons or specific course markers. iii. The organisers must take all necessary precautions in setting out the markers (and the course) to ensure safety for all boats and rowers and to avoid any risks of grounding. For example: an inflatable buoy can be anchored near a beacon so as to prevent any risk of grounding onto rocks. 28 g. Start and Finish Lines i. The start and finish lines must be marked by the alignment of two landmarks or markers, or one landmark and one marker. For example: a beacon and a boat with a flag mast.
ii. The orientation of the start or finish line must be chosen so as to be perpendicular to the normal route taken towards the next marker. 5
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iii. For all races, except for races against the clock, the start line must be wide enough to allow all competitors to align and start at the same time. 28 h. Description of venue – Reference should be made to the FISA World Championship Manual and Annex II, attached. 28 i. Size of Venue: Coastal rowing competitions must take place in a harbour, port, inland sea or the open ocean, allowing for equal conditions for all participants. The site should be capable of holding the number of athletes and spectators expected depending on the importance of competition (International Event or World Championships). Rule 37 – Commercial Publicity, Sponsorship and Advertising Bye-law to Rule 37 – FISA Advertising Rules 37 a. Advertising at coastal rowing venues In addition, for coastal rowing events; 8.1 Identification on umpire and spectator motor launches to be according to FISA Rules unless otherwise approved by the FISA Executive. 8.2 Advertising at televised coastal events to be according to FISA Rules unless otherwise approved by the FISA Executive.
Rule 38 – Rowers’ Clothing Bye-law to Rule 38 – Rower’s Clothing Coastal rowing athletes follow the same rules as set out for the World Championship NF uniform. (no departure) Rule 49 – Safety Bye-Law to Rule 49 – Safety rules for Coastal Rowing 49a. Participants Meeting i. Before each event, a meeting must be held by the OC in which all coxswains, and rowers of coxless boats must participate. ii. The OC will provide to all participants all information reasonably required for the safe running of the event (including tides, currents, specific topography, dangers, safety rules, etc…)
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iii. If needed, the coxswains, (and rowers of coxless boats) will be invited to view the course from a motor launch of the organising committee. 49 b. Rowers i. General obligations All rowers and coxswains must: Be a member of a rowing club, or at least be registered in a club book stating the year, the month and the day of membership; If a competitor, complete a commitment form as set out in Rule 15 and related byelaw; Be capable of swimming 25 metres and to be able to immerse themselves; Observe the ban on rowing at night; Respect maritime navigation rules; Wear life jackets as appropriate or when directed by the captain and have a life jacket on board for any outing; Respect the general responsibilities and the rules in force; Be responsible for their equipment and for their own safety; and Follow the captain’s orders. ii. Captain obligations The crew captain is responsible for all outings of the crew. experienced rower and can be either the coxswain or a rower.
He/she must be an
The captain must: Before the outing Find out about the weather conditions; Fill-in the register, the date and time of all outings; Check the state of the boat, its rigging and the safety equipment on board; and
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Make sure that a contact person on land has been told of the outing. This person informed of the itinerary and the expected time of return must be able to organise a rescue procedure if required. During the outing: Respect all navigational and safety rules; Require that all members of the crew wear their life jackets as necessary; and Decide to cut short the outing if the weather deteriorates. . After the outing: Inform the safety contact of the return of the crew and complete the register. iii.. Equipment General rules
The equipment must conform to existing rules and be well maintained, especially with regards to: The bow of all boats with a potentially dangerous shape in the event of a collision must be fitted with appropriate protection; All boats equipped with foot holds or sports shoes must allow for the rower to get out of the boat without using their hands in the event of the boat capsizing; and The perimeter of the ridge of the blades must be at least 3mm thick for sculls and 5mm for oars. (Refer to Annex I, attached, on Coastal Rowing Safety Regulations) Rule 68 – At the Start Bye-law to Rule 68 – Starting Procedure 68 a. Start procedure for coastal rowing events For coastal rowing races at sea, one judge is responsible for giving the start of each race. One or more persons under his authority (if possible umpires) must assist him for the time keeping, flag and sound signal.
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68 b. Different start procedures can be used: 1.
Start with attached boats
2.
Start with unattached boats i. Five minutes before the start, all boats are informed to remain close to the start ii. Once this period of 5 minutes has expired, the start can be given at any time even if some boats have not reached the start position iii. The start will be given when all boats present are aligned and not moving. iv. The starter gives the start by the following command: ATTENTION
PARTEZ
Go !
A distinct pause between each command.
3. Running Start This procedure is close to the start procedure of sailing events. The following are required: a set of flags and a stopwatch. i. Five minutes before the start: Race Flag raised and three short sounds ii. One minute before the start: Preparatory International Code raised and two short sounds iii. Start:
35
- 5 mn minb f
signal:
Flag
P
of
the
Race Flag and Flag P lowered and one long sound.
- 1 mn -
2
1 min b
f
DÉPART 1Start l!
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FISA Coastal Rowing Guidelines 68 c. Delay:
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Specific flag
Race Flags: Men’s Solo: Women’s Solo Men’s Double Women’s Double Men’s coxed Four Women’s Coxed Four Men’s coxed Quad Women’s Coxed Quad
Purple Green Yellow Orange Black Blue White Pink
Start Flag:
Red
Note: Flags are made of triangles in spinnaker material 68 d. Numerous False Starts If a large number of boats cross the start line before the start is given, the start must be given again. Notification to boats will be made by a sound and by raising a specific red flag on the start mast. These crews must be penalized. 68 e. False Starts-Penalties 1. The premature crossing of the start line before the start signal by more than one boat length leads to that boat having to go around the Jury boat or start mark without hindering the other competitors. The boat is otherwise disqualified. 2. The premature crossing of the start line before the start signal by less than one boat length leads to that boat having a one-minute penalty. 3. The refusal of a boat to be taken-over, or any hindrance to the maneuver or another crew when passing a buoy or marker can lead to a penalty of 15, 30 or 60 seconds. 4. If one or more boats of a same club co-operate to favour the victory of one of them, all boats of that club are disqualified.
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Rule 71 to 72 – During the Race Bye-law to Rules 71 to 72 – Duties of the Umpire During the Race During a Coastal Rowing Race 71 a. Rules of Giving Way When several boats are on the same line, a coxswain that feels there is not enough room between his boat and the others can call by name one of his neighbours either with the name of the boat, the name of the club or the name of the rower and say “x… water!” The boat called must change its course to leave the crowded boat enough room. 71 b. Collisions In case of collisions (of boats and oars) and if one of the coxswains protests, the umpires can decide who is at fault and impose: i. A penalty to the boat responsible for the collision; ii. A bonus to the hindered boat;or iii. both. 71 c. Overtaking i. Any crew that overtakes another competitor must avoid colliding. ii. The boat that is being overtaken must maintain its direct course to the next marker of the course. iii. If the boat being overtaken obstructs the one behind, a penalty can be given (time penalty or exclusion from the race). 71 d.Rounding of a Mark The zone 30 meter before a course marker and 10 meters after it is called the “Engagement Zone.” There is “Engagement” between two boats when the bow of one boat is ahead of the coxswain’s seat of the other boat (or of the rower closest to the stern in case of coxless boats).
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When two boats are “engaged,” the outside boat must give way. The outside boat is the one that is on the outside of the turn.
10 m
AVANT DU BANC DU BARREUR
s 30 mètre
VERS LA MARQUE SUIVANTE
INTÉRIEUR
EXTER IEUR
MARQUE
DE LA MARQUE PRÉCÉDENTE
Annex I: Coastal rowing Safety Regulations 1.
General Rules of Circulation
Rowing at sea outside of Channels and ports requires special attention due to weather conditions, tides, water currents and general maritime traffic. The specific conditions of the area must be well known. Safety measures and local rules must be vigorously applied. In general, all boats must respect the “international rules for preventing collisions at sea”. Reminder of some important rules Rowing boats must not hinder the passage of: - boats which can only navigate safely in a narrow channel or access lane; - boats with mechanical propulsion in a traffic lane.
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Ships with a heavy cargo are large, not very maneuverable, and are handicapped by their draught, so that it is important to remember that: - it is impossible for these ships to stop quickly and the pilot does not see close objects; - it is extremely dangerous to cut across the path of these ships or to effect maneuvers within their circulation path; - it is important not to try to closely follow them behind or on their side. When two rowing boats are on a potential collision path, the one, which sees the other on the starboard, must change its path to give way. Definition of a shelter Shelters are ports and bays where boats can easily find refuge and where the people on board can be disembarked in security. Shelters are very dependent on the tidal, wind and current conditions. Depending on the conditions, an area can be considered a shelter at a certain time only, and dangerous and inaccessible at another. Whatever the route followed by the rowers, they must be aware of all the possibilities of access to the shelter in accordance with the navigational limits imposed on their vessel. 2.
Boat categories - Boats for navigation within 300 metres of the shore. - Boats for navigation from 300 metres to 2 nautical miles from a shelter: these Boats must be classified in the 6th maritime category.
3. Risks of rowing Capsizing Capsizing can be caused by: - a breakage in the equipment; - waves due to the weather and maritime conditions; - a collision with boats or obstacles; - a technical fault.
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In the event of capsizing the crew must: - put on the life jackets; - never abandon the boat; - if possible, put the boat upright; - if not, the crew should pull themselves onto the hull of the boat or hang on to it putting the upper body out of the water and wait for help; - try every method on hand to signal and get attention (whistle, mirror, arm movements); - only leave the boat if there is an imminent danger, such as collision with an obstacle. In this case and if possible, the oars should be used as floatation devices without attempting to retrieve the boat; - try not to let the body lose too much heat if in cold water, (don’t make too many movements, stay as curled up as possible, and if several then huddle close). The risks of hypothermia in the case of capsizing are increased where any of the following conditions exist: - cold water; - an allergy to water; - after sun bathing; - after a big meal; - in a hypoglycemic state; - during an intense effort. Lightning In the event of a storm, all boats on water are prime targets. The fibreglass used in the construction of the boat and the oars increases the danger of being hit by lightning. In case of lightning, it is important to return to shore. Fog Fog severely reduces visibility of water users and is therefore potentially dangerous: - boats can become lost and venture into dangerous areas; - they are not seen by ships navigating by radar; - in the event of capsizing, they cannot easily be found; - it is therefore important to cease the activity in these conditions. Boats without a coxswain One of the characteristics of rowing is that the rowers go backwards. Seeing what is coming up is not an easy or a natural motion for rowers, but is vital for their safety when rowing without a cox. Rowers must check at regular intervals, even in areas not in high use and especially where the area is not well known by the rowers. It is therefore important to teach rowers to check their surroundings and to make sure it becomes a habit when rowing without a cox.
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Annex II: GUIDELINES FOR VENUES The venue must offer: Men’s and women’s changing rooms and showers; Adequate number of toilets for males and females; A medical office: A doping control office; Massage rooms; Weighing rooms; A meeting room; Functioning telephone lines. Warm up/Cool down area: An area must be provided. It may be situated next to the boat park area or in an adjoining area. Medical Area: Emergency response strategy: The medical service must have a resuscitation unit on site. First aid and an ambulance must also be on site during competition times (one hour before and 30 minutes after the last race.) A medical doctor shall also be on duty during these times. Lockable premises with electricity, a table and chairs shall be made available to the medical team. This room must be in addition to the doping control room. A telephone line should be linked from the medical area to appropriate emergency response personnel. Contact should be established beforehand with the closest Hospital to work out details such as transport and checking-in procedures in the event of a serious accident. Office Area: – phone, fax, photocopier must be provided for results processing and administration of the event. Results Board: A result board must be located in a location which ensures maximum visibility for the spectators and for the competitors at the end of the race. Data processing area: Adequate space as required by the results service to process the results accurately. Control Commission and Jury area: An office with a table and chairs must be provided by the OC for the Jury. This office will be equipped for weighing of competitors and shall have a phone system allowing for communication with the President of the Jury. Athlete area: An exclusive “quiet” zone for the athletes to prepare for their races or recover from their races must be provided and consideration given in all planning to provide a positive experience for all athletes.
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Spectators’ area: Adequate facilities, food and drink for spectators must be provided and consideration given in all planning to provide a positive experience for all spectators. Hospitality area: If guests, sponsors or VIPs are expected to attend the event, a special area should be created to offer them a unique opportunity to view the races and to meet with clients and colleagues. Merchandising area: Consideration must be given to create a merchandising and exhibitors area, which will have traffic from competitors and spectators. Media Area: A well-equipped area should be created for the members of the press to report on the event including telephone, fax and electronic communications. Start lists and Result lists should be readily available. Parking: The venue should have clearly marked areas for parking and directional signs indicating where the event will take place and how to reach it.
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