EVENTS

All rowing races will be undertaken using standard Sea Scout cutters.

Maximum Crew Sizes

• Junior:                 6 rowers + 1 coxswain
• Intermediate:      6 rowers + 1 coxswain
• Venturer:            4 rowers + 1 coxswain
• Open:                  4 rowers + 1 coxswain

Insufficient Crew

The principle aim of the National Scout Regatta is to enable as many youth members to participate in all the events, the following substitutions are permitted in rowing races:
Combined crews:  Crews can wherever possible be combined from youth members of the correct age grade from two or more Groups or contingents. Each Group contributing youth members in such a combined crew will earn full points for that boat’s place for that race.
Substitute between age grades:

• If you are short a junior crew member you may use an intermediate coxswain.
• If you are short an intermediate crew member you may use a senior coxswain
• If you are short a senior crew member you may use an intermediate to row.

Groups with substituted crews will earn full points for that boat’s place for that race.
The intent of this clause is to allow as many youth members to participate in each set of races. It is not designed to allow Groups to deliberately adjust their crews for some advantage.
It recognises that many junior coxswains are relatively inexperienced and using an intermediate or senior coxswain for the junior or intermediate rowing crews should minimise the chance of collisions during races and in the pre start manoeuvres.

Inexperienced Crews

It is likely that some Groups will have some rowing crews that are inexperienced at rowing or the crews may have never rowed in a regatta environment with heats of ten or more other cutters.
Groups are permitted to have another person in the boat to assist the coxswain control the boat. This additional safety person can be an adult or competent Venturer. The additional person may come from the same Group as the crew however the Group may request to have a safety person be assigned to that crew from another Group.

It is the responsibility of the safety person and coxswain to notify the Beach Officer of their presence as part of a rowing crew.
Groups with a safety person in their boats will earn full points for that boat’s place for that race provided that the safety person did not unduly influence the performance of that crew and their presence was declared prior to leaving the beach and entering the race.
The intent of this clause is to provide support to inexperienced crews. If the inexperienced crew perform sufficiently well during any race, the need for a safety person must be reviewed.
It is expected that inexperienced crews may not perform as well as crews familiar with regatta racing in the first heats however their confidence and skills may improve as the regatta progresses and the need for a safety person should always be reviewed.

Rowing race length

The rowing race course will be set between 750 and 1000m in a single length straight line for all age grades. The line shown on the course photo is 1000m.
The race length will be maximised wherever possible, however weather and time constraints may mean races of shorter length are required in order to complete the programme.
The start, finish and halfway lines will be marked by buoys. Additional buoys may be laid to indicate the ¼ and ¾ course marks.

Boat equipment

All cutters used for rowing races will be in surveyed condition and have the equipment as specified in Clause 3.3 of the Scout Association Water Activity Rules.
Each cutter will have:

• Seven oars regardless of crew size.
• Six crutches permanently attached to the vessel.
• An anchor, chain and warp permanently attached to the vessel.
• A full set of stretchers.
• One rudder, one rowing tiller and one sailing tiller.
• Two bailers.

Swapping boat equipment

All boat equipment will be marked with that boat’s registered number. Equipment must not be swapped between boats. Crews swapping boat equipment or using equipment from another boat will be disqualified from that heat.

Mousing of crutches

Mousing of crutches is not allowed.

Number of races

Depending on the constraints of the programme, at least six races per age grade will be arranged. Points from each race will be accumulated and these will be used to determine the final places.
Each crew will race in a different boat for each of the six heats.

Number of boats in each rowing heat

Depending on the number of entries per age grade, there will be between seven and 14 boats per race.

Pre-start Briefing

The Beach Officer will hold a pre-start briefing for all coxswains prior to each series of races.
The pre-start briefing will include all details of pre-start, start and finishing rules.

Leaving the Beach

No boat may leave the beach unless the Beach Officer has approved this. Each coxswain must hand the Beach Officer a crew list and sign for the boat.

Going to the start line

• All boats will be instructed to leave the beach together.
• Crews shall proceed to the start line assembly area in a timely manner.
• Crews shall row out to the start line assembly area either in line or side by side.
• On reaching the assembly area all boats shall line up in the pre-start area two boat lengths from the start line in numerical order.

Starting

• When instructed to do so by the Start Official, all crews will move up to the start line.
• Coxswains must manoeuvre their boat onto the start line and maintain start position. If a coxswain is not ready, he or she must raise one hand.
• The Start Official will instruct all crews to prepare for the start by raising Flag P.

• The start is signalled by lowering of Flag P and one short blast on a whistle.
• If the sound signal cannot be heard crews must start on the lowering of the Flag P.
• The Start Official may start a race even if one or more boats are not in the correct start position. It is the coxswain’s responsibility to get the boat into the correct start position in a timely manner.

False Starts

In the event of a false start, the Start Official will signal return to the start line by continuous sounding of the start whistle and patrol boats moving onto the course 200m from the start line. All boats must stop, return to the pre-start area and follow the start procedure again.

Finishing

The actual finish line will be a transit line marked from the beach, the buoys are only indicative of the finish line. It is advisable to row a few extra boat lengths past the finish line to ensure you have actually finished.

• Once across the finish line you must continue straight ahead to clear the line (this does not need to be done at race speed – but the line must be cleared quickly).
• If you stop on the line or cut across the finish line after crossing it you may be disqualified.
• All boats are to remain 10 boat lengths past the line until instructed to return to shore by an official. You must proceed to shore in a timely manner.
• When returning to the beach, the coxswain must sign the boat back to the Beach Officer and notifying him or her of any damage particularly broken or missing oars.

Protests

If you believe that you have been infringed against during a race you may lodge a protest. It is the responsibility of the coxswain to raise one arm immediately the infringement occurs. The arm must remain raised until instructed to lower it by a race official.
On most occasions, protests will be heard by the Beach Officer as soon as practical after the race has been completed. All coxswains of infringing boats and one supporter for each coxswain from each Group can participate in the protest hearing.
The Beach Officer can listen to all parties, seek advice from patrol boat operators and interview other witnesses. The Beach Officer will make a verdict on the protest which should resolve most situations.
If the protest cannot be resolved informally in such a way, a protest hearing will be held later that day. Full details of the protest must be made in writing using the standard protest form.
In guiding youth members and adult leaders in preparing protests, the following factors will be taken into account:

• The Scout Law
• Maritime Rules Part 22 (Collision Regulations)
• Principles of good seamanship.