NZSSRA: 2002 Rules of racing

SCOPE
These rules shall govern all regattas of the NZSSRA or its Local Associations
ELIGIBILITY
1. Entries are open to all registered rowers who attend, on a full time basis, schools which are financial members of the NZSSRA, or, in the case of Overseas schools, those which are invited to attend by the Executive Committee.
2. In the event it is found during or after the regatta is completed that a rower, who has competed in the regatta, is not a full time student of the school the rower competed for, then that School shall be held to have been disqualified from the regatta.
APPLICATION
1. These rules shall apply to the following regattas:
  1. NZSSRA Championships Regatta; and
  2. Other regattas and or races organised by Local Associations
2. Variation to these Rules of Racing is permitted for non championship regattas, provided such variations are advertised at the time of calling for entries.
BOATS AND OARS
1. The construction, design and dimensions of boats and oars shall be such that they may be able to be raced in NZRA Regattas.
2. The point of the bow of every boat shall be protected by a solid ball of rubber or similar material firmly affixed to the boat.. This ball shall be white in colour and must be clearly distinguishable from the hull and be not less than 40mm in diameter.
3. All boats shall have a bracket permanently fixed at the bow immediately behind the bow ball for fixing the boat number.
4. All boats shall allow all crew members to disembark easily in the event of an emergency and to avoid accidents arising from capsizing all boats must be equipped with stretchers or shoes which allow the rowers to get clear of the boat without using their hands and with the least possible delay.
5. Bow coxed boats shall provide an opening for the coxswain at least 700mm long and be as wide as the boat for at least 500mm. The interior surfaces shall be smooth without any projections that would hinder easy and rapid egress. A fixed bulkhead shall be provided at a suitable distance from the backrest to suit the coxswains height so that they can push themselves clear of the cockpit easily The steering mechanism must not hinder egress by projecting into the coxswains enclosure.
6. No substances or structures capable of modifying the natural properties of water or of the surface layer of water shall be applied to the hull.
7. No boat shall incorporate features in its design or construction that violates the principals of fair competition.
8. No boat or member of any crew shall carry any electronic equipment that shall enable communication to be established between any member of the crew and any person not a member of the crew unless sanctioned by the Race Committee. The Race Committee may only sanction such equipment that permits remote video camera operation broadcasting to a designated place. Any school found violating this rule shall be disqualified from the regatta.
BOAT NUMBERS
1. Boat numbers shall be at least 180mm high and painted air sea rescue orange.
2. Each boat at the championships regatta shall carry at the bow the lane number of the starting position which has been drawn by its crew. This lane number must be provided by the School.
3. For other regattas, numbers which may identify crews or lanes, shall be carried if stipulated by the Regatta Committee.
4. This number must be affixed so that it can be read the correct way round from the judges position during racing.
RACE COMMITTEE
1. The race committee is responsible for all matters dealing with the racing and shall consist of the following persons.
  1. The Chief Umpire, who shall be the Convener;
  2. The Chief Starter;
  3. The Chief Judge;
  4. The representative of the Regatta Committee;
  5. The representative appointed by the NZSSRA Executive Committee. In the case of non championship regattas this representative shall be appointed by the Local Association.
2. For the Championships the Regatta Committee shall submit nominations to the Executive Committee for approval.
3. The Convenor shall submit a report upon the conduct of the NZSSRA Championships regatta to the Executive Committee.
4. For all other regattas at least the Chief Umpire shall hold a NZRA License and the Race Committee shall be confirmed by the Local Association.
5. In the case of a protest, no one involved in the dispute shall constitute part of the Race Committee which decides that protest. If necessary the Chief Umpire may appoint a substitute to replace those involved in dealing with the protest.
6. The duties which the Race Committee is responsible for are:
  1. Before each regatta the inspection of the course ensuring that all equipment and rowing plant conforms to requirements.
  2. Administer these Rules Of Racing and Regulations for Regattas throughout the regatta. Its decisions shall be announced within a reasonable time.
  3. Meeting immediately after the regatta and as required preparing a report on the racing and on such disputes as may have arising.
  4. Recording umpires decisions and confirming the order of finishing.
RACE OFFICIALS
1. The Chief Umpire, assisted by the umpires, starters and judges, is responsible for ensuring that the Rules of Racing and Regulations for Regattas are followed and at all times the Safety Regulations are being adhered to (This latter duty may be delegated to an appointed Safety Officer).
2. An umpires boat may carry only the Umpire and driver and no other without the authority of the Chief Umpire. Flags are not to be flown on the boat.
3. The occupants of all vessels carrying officials or operated by the Regatta Committee must wear life jackets.
REGATTA CONTROL
1. Regatta Control is to ensure that all rowers compete in their races in accordance with the Rules of Racing and Regulations for Regattas. Their duties include:
  1. Recording of scratchings and crew changes before the race.
  2. The drawing of heats and finals.
  3. Preparation and publishing the racing programme.
  4. Weighing of coxswains.
  5. Checking of necessary dead-weight.
  6. Weighing of rowers in lightweight events.
  7. Selection and taking of medical tests where required.
  8. Acting as a link between rowers and Race Committee.
SCHOOL REPRESENTATION
1. All racing under the NZSSRA Rules of Racing and Regulations for Regattas is between schools.
2. A rower shall not compete for more that one school at the same regatta.
ROWERS UNIFORMS
1. Every rower (coxswains excluded) must wear the official uniform of the school that they are representing. Any school not wearing approved Rowing Uniforms may be disqualified.
2. Undergarments may be worn uniformly under the official uniform, provided that the colour of the undergarment is the same as the body of the official uniform or plain white.
3. In an emergency, the Race Committee or umpire may authorise the wearing of an alternative uniform and/or undergarment.
CLASSIFICATION OF ROWERS (EXCLUDING COXSWAINS)
1. Male and Female rowers are classified according to:
  1. sex,
  2. ability,
  3. age, and where applicable,
  4. weight.
  In addition:
  1. No rower shall be eligible to compete as a rower or coxswain unless he or she is under 19 years of age on the 1st January in the year in which the competition is held; and
  2. is a bona fide pupil of the school that is:-
    1. be enrolled as a bona fide student at the school of representation and studying at least 80% of a programme which is part of the timetable provided by the school for at least four weeks prior to the event.
    2. have a satisfactory attendance record at the school. The final decision will be at the Principals discretion.
2. Classification according to sex.
  There shall be racing and classification provided for each sex, where crews and races shall be limited to members of one sex.
3. Classification according to ability.
  Novice Class - rowers who have not competed in a prior season. A new season starts at the conclusion of the championships.
4. Classification according to age.
  In all age groups events rowers must be under the stipulated age before the 1st January in the year in which the competition is held.
  In the case of dispute the rower may be required to produce a birth certificate to verify the age. No entries will be accepted where the rowers age is not specified.
5. Classification according to weight;
  1. Male - No individual rower shall weigh more than 72.5 kilograms.
  2. Female - No individual rower shall weigh more than 59 kilograms.
WEIGHING OF ROWERS
1. In races where a weight limit applies rowers shall be weighed in rowing costume on tested scales not less than one hour and not more than two hours before the event in which they are competing on each day of competition.
2. All members of the crew, excepting any coxswain, shall present themselves at the weighing centre for weighing at the same time.
3. A School representative, other than a rower shall attend the weighing in.
4. The scales used shall be certified as suitable for the weighing of human beings and shall display a current testing certificate.
COXSWAINS
1. A coxswain is a member of a crew. However a Coxswain may compete in any classification.
2. A male coxswain may steer a female crew and visa versa .
3. The minimum weight for a coxswain shall be 55kg for under 19 heavyweight events. For all other events the minimum weight shall be 50kg.
4. To make up the minimum weight, dead-weight shall be placed in the boat, near the coxswain, in such a manner that it does not impede the coxswains exit from the boat. The dead-weight must be of a solid substance and not be attached to the person. The dead-weight shall not include any article of rowing or racing equipment.
5. Coxswains shall be weighed in racing uniform including life jackets on tested scales (see 12.4 above) not less than an hour and not more than two hours before their first race on each day of competition. Thereafter they may be required to be check weighed prior to and or after each race including heats, repecharges, semi-finals and finals.
6. Coxswains shall wear a New Zealand Safety Standards approved life jacket.
7. A coxswain shall be subject to the same rules of substitution as a rower.
SUBSTITUTIONS
1. Permission for substitution is the responsibility of the Race Committee and shall be recorded.
2. Every crew shall be entitled to substitute up to and including one half the number of its rowers(as well as the coxswain) provided that:
  1. the rowers are from the same school; and
  2. the substitutes name and age is recorded on the Declaration form that accompanied the original entries; and
  3. The substitutions are advised to Regatta Control in writing prior to the race and within any time limit recorded in the regatta conditions.
  4. The Regatta Control must notify the Race Committee of the changes.
3. Where there are elimination heats, no substitution may be made after the first phase of the heats have been rowed except in the following circumstances:
  1. In the event of serious illness to a rower substantiated by a medical certificate. A rower who has been substituted may regain their position in the crew on the production of a further medical certificate certifying complete recovery of health of the rower who has been substituted.
  2. In the case of the expulsion of a rower from the regatta according to Rule 20.3
4. A single sculler cannot be substituted.
SCRATCHINGS and NON PROGRESSION
1. Where it is necessary to scratch a crew from a race, advice must be given in writing, to Regatta Control by a senior member of the School party, by the date and time nominated in the regatta conditions.
2. Schools who fail to notify scratchings by the nominated time or whose crew/s do not take part in an event in which they have been entered, shall incur monetary penalty which shall be decided at the Annual General meeting from time to time (See APPENDIX A). The penalty shall apply for each crew that has not been properly scratched.
3. Non Progression
  Schools, whose crew(s) do not take part in all succeeding heats and finals of an event which they have entered after first taking part in an elimination heat, shall incur a monetary penalty which shall be decided at an Annual General Meeting from time to time (see APPENDIX A). The penalty shall apply for each crew that does not progress.
4. The Race Committee may promote crews next in line should vacancies occur through scratchings.
QUALIFICATION SYSTEM
1. Should the number of crews taking part in an event exceed that of the available starting positions, a qualification system shall be used to determine the finalists.
2. The FISA qualification system or some other similar system shall be used. The system used shall be published in the Regatta Conditions. The qualification system to be used shall be advised in writing to the Executive Officer and be subject to the approval of the Executive.
3. The allocation of crews to the preliminary heats shall be seeded or random drawn as decided by the Race Committee.
4. The qualifying heats shall be organised in such a way that a rower shall not be required to race more than twice a day in the same event. In emergency, the interval between events may not be enforced and the order of events changed provided that no member of the crews is unduly affected.
5. The Race Committee has the right to combine qualifying heats in the event of scratchings.
6. "B" finals shall be rowed at the championships when the number of entries in an event exceeds twice the number of starting positions available. In the event of scratchings reducing the number of crews able to compete in a small final to one the Race Committee may abandon the small Final. In the event of the race being an under 19 event that remaining crew will be eligible for the award of top 10 badges.
SAFETY
1. Purposes.
  The purposes of these Requirements are to provide for the safety of competitors and officials.
2. Duties Of Officials.
  1. Primary Duties of Officials
    It is the primary duty of every race official to provide for the safety of competitors and officials.
  2. Duties of the Chief Umpire
    The Chief Umpire shall verify the existence of safety requirements at the regatta site before allowing the regatta to proceed, and shall) report his or her findings to the Executive Officer at the conclusion off the regatta.
3. Safety Conditions.
  1. Suspending Racing
    If the Chief Umpire finds that the requirements of safety described in rules cannot be met under then existing conditions, he or she shall stop or suspend all racing until such time as safe and fair conditions are restored. The Chief Umpire, if possible, shall consult with the local organizing committee either before suspending racing, or as soon as practical thereafter. If the Umpire or Starter for a particular race finds that the requirements of these rules cannot be met under then existing conditions, he or she shall stop or suspend that race and shall inform the Chief Umpire.
  2. Pre-Regatta Meeting
    No later than one hour before the first race in a regatta, a meeting for all competitors and coaches shall be held, which shall be conducted by the Chief Umpire or his or her delegate. All crews and teams shall be responsible for any information disseminated at this meeting. At this meeting the Safety provisions shall be given.
  3. Traffic Patterns
    The local organizing committee shall devise and post in a conspicuous place at the regatta site a diagram showing all traffic patterns and regulations on the water. This diagram shall show the racecourse itself, the route to be taken by crews from the launching area to the start, any "warm-up" area, any "cool-down" area, and the route to be taken by crews returning from the finish line. To the extent possible, it shall also show all known obstacles that may interfere with a crew's progress on or near the course. If conditions call for a different traffic pattern during practice hours than during racing, such practice traffic pattern shall also be posted.
  4. First-aid Station Location
    The local organizing committee shall also post, at the same place as the diagram showing traffic patterns, the location of the first-aid station and the location of a telephone, and the method to summon medical assistance in case of emergency.
  5. First Aid Facilities
    First aid facilities shall be provided at the regatta site capable of dealing with minor injuries, and of providing immediate attention for hypothermia, drowning, dehydration, and heat stroke. The first aid facility shall have the capability of summoning an ambulance, paramedics, or other emergency assistance that is on call and within ten minutes travel distance. If such emergency assistance is not located within ten minutes distance, the local organizing committee shall provide for an ambulance or paramedic to be present at the site.
  6. Approaching the Start; Warm-up on the Course
    No crew shall enter the starting area until the previous race has cleared, and unless explicitly permitted to do so by the Starter.
  7. Rules Of The Road in Warm up and Warm down areas
    1. Given the bow of a boat is facing zero degrees any boat must give way to any other boat approaching it in an arc between zero and 90 degrees.
    2. It is the responsibility of any boat overtaking another to ensure that it can do so in such a manner so as to not come into collision with any other craft.
4. Violation of Safety Rules.
  A crew that violates any safety rule may be assessed a monetary penalty and/or warning by any race official. Such warnings shall be applicable to the next race in which the crew competes.
  Such monetary penalties shall be determined by the Race Committee.
5. Number of Umpires; Safety Boat.
  1. Provision of Umpire and Safety boats
    The local organizing committee shall provide motor boat for use by Umpires and by safety personnel. Each boat shall be capable, when occupied, of maintaining a speed necessary to follow a race, but without unnecessary wake. Each boat shall carry personal flotation devices for each occupant of the boat plus at least two extra. The local organizing committee shall use its best efforts to procure boat whose hull design minimizes wake, such as flat-bottomed or catamaran boat.
  2. Boats to Follow Races
    Each race shall be followed by at least one Umpire. In a race without coxswains where there are more than six crews competing, a secondary Umpire may follow the race initially, who may subsequently withdraw if he or she judges that the race is proceeding satisfactorily.
  3. Safety Boats
    In addition to one Umpire's boat, for each race it is desirable that there be another boat immediately accessible to the crews for use in case of emergency. This boat may be the secondary Umpire's boat, a safety boat following the race, or one of a series of safety boat stationed at the perimeter of the course. The designated safety boat(s) are not to be made available for any other purpose during the running of the regatta.
  4. Unavailability of Boats
    If for any reason a safety boat is unavailable in an emergency, the Umpire's boat shall assume immediate responsibility for attending to such an emergency. If the emergency requires the Umpire to leave a race in progress for a significant amount of time, and if there is no other Umpire available to follow the race, the Umpire may stop the race.
6. Instruction to Avoid Unsafe Conditions During Race.
  1. Known Obstacles
    If a crew is steering toward a previously known or identified obstacle or installation, and is in reasonable danger of collision, the Umpire shall name the crew and call out "Obstacle!". If collision is imminent, the Umpire shall order the crew to stop. That crew may then correct its course and continue with the race, but shall not be entitled to any consideration, such as a re-row or advancement in the progression system, as a result of such occurrence.
  2. Unknown Obstacle
    If a crew is steering toward a previously unknown or unidentified obstacle or installation obstructing its assigned lane, and is in reasonable danger of collision, the Umpire shall name the crew, call out "Obstacle!" and instruct the crew to alter its course. If collision is imminent, the Umpire shall order the crew to stop, after which it may correct its course and continue with the race. If the opportunity of a crew to win or advance is affected by such occurrence, the Umpire may take appropriate action to restore that opportunity
7. Construction and Equipment Requirements.
  All rowing craft competing in the regatta shall be inspected to see they comply with Rule 4.
8. Construction or Equipment non-compliance.
  1. No boat shall be permitted to take part in any race that does not meet the following requirements.
    1. Bow Balls (see 4.2)
    2. Foot Release Devices (see 4.4)
    3. Coxswains area (see 4.5)
  2. Any boat may be inspected before racing commences and may be spot-checked at any other time to see it complies with these requirements.
  3. If observed not to comply immediately before or during a race the boat shall be disqualified.
  4. If checked when coming off the water from a race it is found not to comply it shall be disqualified.
9. Coxswains.
  1. Weights
    Any coxswain found to have secured to his or her person the required dead weights in any boat on the water or being launched or retrieved will result in that boat being disqualified from the race it is proceeding to, or has raced in.
  2. Lifejackets
    A coxswain must at all times while on the water wear a life jacket. Failure to do so will result in that boat being disqualified from the race it is proceeding to, or has raced in.
10. Lifejackets or Personal Flotation Devices (PDF).
  All persons on board any Umpires, Safety, Observation, Television or other craft supplied by or authorised by the Regatta Committee to be on or near the course shall at all times wear a lifejacket or PDF.
  Other PDF's or equipment required by local or national Governmental agencies shall also be carried and where required be in working order.
11. Training before and after Racing.
  1. Safety Officer Presence
    A safety officer shall be on duty at all times the lake is open for rowing including training time before and after the days racing.
    The safety officer shall raise a GREEN flag on a flagpole in front of the control tower when the venue is open. A RED flag shall be raised when the lake is closed.
    A manned safety boat shall be available at all times the lake is open for training.
    Both the Safety officer and safety boat crew shall have working radios at hand.
  2. Coach to obtain Clearance
    The coach of the crew wishing to train shall contact the safety officer on duty and inform him/her of the crew intent.
    If the Safety officer cannot be located or the Red flag is flying the crew may NOT proceed on the water.
    The coach is to report to the safety officer when the crew is off the water.
    At all times the crew shall make to the nearest safe shore if it is observed that the lake has been closed while training of if instructed to do so.
  3. Responsibility of Safety Officer
    The safety officer shall record Coach name, school, number of boats being launched and time permission given and time given, when boats cleared off water. The boats returning shall be checked in.
    The safety officer shall not permit any boat to go on the water until there is clear visibility over the entire training area.
    The safety officer shall not permit any boat on the water until half an hour after official sun rise and later than half an hour before official sun set.
    Any crew that has not been checked back in by the reported time shall be searched for. The lake shall be closed if the Safety officer has to leave his/her post.
12. Penalties.
  Any crew in breach of NZSSRA Safety Regulations may be fined a monetary penalty and may be disqualified by the Chief umpire from taking further part in the regatta. The Chief Umpire shall reprimand the coach.
13. Local Authority Regulations.
  The Regatta Committee shall ensure all Local Authority Regulations applying in the area with respect to the regatta venue are known and that any requirements in addition to those already noted above are applied and enforced.
DOPING AND TESTING
1. The use of pharmaceutical stimulants to obtain greater performance is forbidden.
2. Any rower who absorbs by what ever means, whether intentional or neglect, a substance appearing on the list of substances considered to be doping substances, which list is in force at the time of absorption, is deemed to have committed an offence under this Rule.
3. Testing of rowers may be carried out at any time in association with the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency.
4. Any rower who infringes the regulations on drugs use as laid out by the Association or refuses to submit to a medical or pharmaceutical test shall be suspended for such periods as the Executive Committee determines. The rower, coxswain or other person concerned shall be entitled to be heard by the Executive Committee before any penalty is imposed.
5. The NZSSRA shall advise the NZRA of any positive results in doping tests carried out in New Zealand by the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency. Any penalty imposed by that body or any other body that the NZRA is associated with shall be observed by the NZSSRA.
UMPIRING
1. It shall be the duty of the Race Committee and the Umpire to ensure that each crew/rower races under the same conditions and has the same chance of being placed.
2. During the race it shall be the duty of the Umpire to prevent any outside circumstances or act from helping or hindering any crew/rower. Should an incident likely to influence the result of the race occur, appropriate action as provided in these Rules shall be taken.
3. Crews are responsible for their own steering. Each crew shall have a lane reserved for its own use. A crew may at its own risk leave its lane provided that it does not impede any of its opponents or gain advantage thereby. The Umpire alone shall decide whether or not a boat is in its proper lane.
4. A foul is constituted by any collision or contact between boats or oars of different crews, unless the clash be so slight, in the opinion of the Umpire, that it cannot have influenced the result of the race.
5. The Umpire may call attention to the course steered by a crew/rower only in the following cases:
  1. If the crew/rower is about to interfere with another crew/rower.
  2. If for reasons of safety.
6. Immediately after all rowers have crossed the finishing line the Umpire shall, if no protest has been lodged, and if the Umpire deems the race to have been in order, indicate this to the Judge by raising a white flag. If there has been a protest or the race was considered unfair by the Umpire a red flag shall be raised and the Umpire shall report to the Race Committee.
7. In the event of interference or foul, the Umpire shall have power:
  1. To allow the race to continue, and accept the finishing order of the boats.
  2. To stop the race, impose appropriate penalties, and order the race to be re-rowed from the start either immediately or later. The Umpire may exclude crews at any time and confine the re-row to such crews as the Umpire shall designate.
REGATTA CONDUCT
1. In carrying out their duties, Umpires or the Race Committee may take disciplinary measurers against rowers, crews or Schools infringing the Rules of Racing, Regulations for Regattas or for refusing to obey instructions given to them by any Race Official or failing to show proper respect to the Official. Such disciplinary measurers may include (in principal after a warning):
  1. The removal of a rower or crew from the race in which the infringement occurred, and in serious cases disqualification from the event. The Race Committee shall have the power to extend the disqualification for the duration of the regatta.
  2. A disqualification or other disciplinary action beyond the duration of the regatta can be made by the Executive Council after considering the report of the Race Committee. The period of the disqualification shall be communicated to all Schools.
2. Any rower or any member of any school party who willfully interferes with any plant or equipment belonging to any other school, the regatta organisers or the regatta venue owners or whose actions bring the sport of rowing into disrepute shall render such rower or member of the school party or school subject to such penalty as the Regatta Committee together with those members of the Executive Committee present at the regatta shall deem appropriate after hearing from a representative of the school and any other person subject to penalty. That may include compulsory withdrawal of the rower, crew, School Official or school from the regatta.
  The Executive Committee shall at its next meeting further consider and decide whether the rower or crew or official or school shall be permitted to attend in any capacity any future regatta conducted by the NZSSRA. All such instances and penalties shall be formally reported in writing to the principal of the school concerned as soon as practicable.
3. In the event of a school initiating the expulsion of a rower from the regatta due to disciplinary reasons, and provided the Race Committee is satisfied that the pupil has left the regatta venue and the Principal of the school and the rowers guardian(s) have both been informed, then that rower may be substituted in a crew, provided Rule 14.3.B is adhered to. Should the expulsion be initiated by the Regatta or Race Committee under Rule 20.1 & Rule 20.2 then such a substitution shall not be permitted.
THE START
1. The start must be simultaneous. Starters, Aligners and Umpires are responsible for seeing that the correct procedure is followed.
2. Crews must be held in their positions two minutes before the start time. The Starter may start the race without reference to absentees. Crews arriving less than two minutes before the start may be allowed to start under a race penalty.
3. If there is only one crew in a race, it shall row over the course.
4. The start procedure shall be for the starter to give the cautionary command "Attention" to allow crews to make final checks. After a clearly marked variable pause the starter shall operate a sound signal and or electronic device to signify the start. The raising of hands by a crew member will not be recognised after the command "Attention".
5. Any crew arriving at the start with a penalty or incurring a penalty at the start shall be judged as having made one false start.
6. A crew causing two false starts must be removed from the event.
7. If a crew while still in the start zone indicates that it has suffered damage to its boat or equipment the Starter or Umpire shall stop the race. The Umpire shall decide, after inspecting the damage, whether the claim was justified and shall, if necessary, apply any appropriate penalty.
THE RACE
1. During racing the crews must obey the Rules of Racing.
2. When a race is in progress crews, not having started in it, are forbidden to race alongside or in any way place themselves against crews racing, over the whole or part of the course even outside the marker buoys.
3. Crews shall in no circumstance cause themselves to be followed during the race by any other boats or receive advice or instructions other than from authorized race officials.
4. A crew, which in the opinion of the Umpire, causes a collision on the water must stop.
5. No crew shall be entitled by reason of damage suffered during a race to claim postponement of a race except where such damage is suffered in the starting zone.
6. A crew has finished the race when the bow of its boat has crossed the finish line. If one or more rowers fall into the water, they shall continue to be part of the crew and the race still valid. A crew crossing the finish line without its coxswain shall not be placed. A sound signal may indicate the crew has crossed the finished line.
7. Any crew not crossing the finishing line without a dispensation given by the Umpire or Race Committee shall be considered as removed from the race. The judges must record any crew not crossing the finishing line. In the event of the Judge not having prior notification, the Judge or Race Committee, for safety reasons, shall immediately ascertain the location of any missing crew(s).
PROTESTS
1. A crew claiming that the race has been improperly run must make its protest to the Umpire immediately after the finish of the race and before getting out of the boat except where prevented by unavoidable circumstances.
2. A crew excluded at the start may make a protest to the Umpire at the time.
3. The crew shall confirm the protest in a written statement to the Race Committee not later than one hour after the race has been completed. The statement must set out the facts and reasons for the protest and be signed by the crews Coach. A deposit, as may be decided at an Annual General Meeting from time to time, which is forfeited if the appeal is lost (see APPENDIX A), must accompany the statement.
4. The Race Committee shall decide if the protest was justified and shall announce its decision not later than two hours after the last race of the day. If the protest is not upheld the amount of the deposit shall be forfeited to the Regatta Committee.
5. Decisions of Umpires or the Race Committee are final and without appeal in so far as they concern matters of fact connected with the race.
6. The Race Committee shall be empowered to decide at their discretion any cases not covered by the existing rules. Such matters not covered shall be noted in the Race Committees Report.
APPEALS
1. An appeal against the decisions given which is at variance with the present rules must be made within eight days.
2. Appeals should be made to the Race Committee running the regatta with a right of a further appeal to the Executive Committee.
3. A deposit, as may be decided at an Annual General Meeting from time to time, must accompany the appeal which is forfeited if the appeal is lost (see APPENDIX A)

Constitution dated 27 March 2002