Entries

How to enter

2020 Regatta Cancelled

updated 20/3/2019

• Introduction
• Table of Events
• Information
• Conditions of Entry
• Questions

Introduction

Since moving to Dorney in 2001, the Regatta has developed year on year, looking to give athletes the best opportunities to race. Each year we ask for feedback following our event, and this is always reviewed when considering how the event should evolve. The biggest themes from this feedback over the last few years have concerned quality of racing and the number of straight finals.

To address this feedback, some years ago we made some radical changes to the racing programme; since then we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback. With changes to the British Rowing competition framework adding some minor adjustments to the lane allocation process in recent years, we will continue with the same general format again in 2020.

Our principles:

• Regattas should encourage side by side racing, therefore (dependent on conditions) all our races will be side by side with the winner of each race progressing; with further progression being decided by time.
• Challenge events – the premier event aimed at those crews aspiring to racing at HRR or higher levels at HWR. There is no minimum entry requirement; we believe athletes and coaches are best placed to know where they should be competitive.
• Club events – aimed at a more intermediate level, those with lower PRI/CRI or those returning to the sport after a break, Crews at school/junior (J18) status are excluded from this category and should race in Junior events or Challenge events. The Regatta Committee will review all club entries; crews perceived to be too strong will be asked to justify entering at the lower level; CRI will be used as guidance to determine whether we deem an entry into a club event appropriate

2020 changes

• Introduction of Sch/Jun and WSch/Jun 4-

Reminder of previous changes

• CRI will be used to determine seedings/lane allocation for heats and straight finals
• Introduction of Club 4- for open and women
• Removal of B categories in junior/sch 8+ and J15 8+
• Removal of Club 2x and Club 1x for open and women
• WJ15 4x+ replaced with WJ15 8+
• WJ16 8+ is added, this brings women’s events offered in line with open events
• Lightweight events will not be offered due to lack of entries over the last few years
• J18 crew events become Sch/Jun to allow those still in full time secondary education to race at an appropriate level

Due to our position at the start of the season, when crews are still being stabilized, we are requesting a local rule to enable crew boats to make 100% substitutions after entries close until the draw is published on the Thursday prior to the regatta. After this the 50% rule applies. A race timetable will be published the weekend before the regatta to allow for logistical planning but no entrants lists will be announced until the draw is published.

Challenge events are the premier category at Wallingford Regatta. They are intended to provide strong competition to those crews looking to compete as the season progresses at events such as HRR and the higher HWR categories; if you feel this is you, please enter this category.

Time trials will only be used in the event of inclement conditions; it is the intention of the Regatta Committee to encourage side by side racing wherever possible.

Please note, there was a general overhaul of the divisions in 2019, please review carefully

Table of Events

Boat	Division 1	Division 2
8+	Challenge, WClub, WSch/Jun, J16, WJ15	WChallenge, Club, Sch/Jun, WJ16, J15
4-	WChallenge, Club, Sch/Jun	Challenge, W Club, WSch/Jun
4+	WChallenge, Club, Sch/Jun,  WJ16	Challenge, WClub, WSch/Jun, J16
2-	WChallenge	Challenge
4X	Challenge, WSch/Jun, J16	WChallenge, Sch/Jun, WJ16
2X	WChallenge, Sch/Jun	Challenge, WSch/Jun
1X	Challenge, WJ18	WChallenge, J18

General Regatta Information

• Entries will open on BROE Wednesday April 15^th 2020 at 2pm– see section below for clarification of the entry plan
• Entries formally close Weds 22^nd April 2020 at 6pm, but may be suspended sooner if oversubscribed, which is very likely
• The Regatta starts at 07:30
• Racing is at six minute intervals
• Fours and Eights races use no more than six lanes
• CRI will be used to determine seedings / lane allocation for heats and straight finals, overseas crews with zero CRI will be randomly allocated lanes

Opening of Entries

Entries will open at 2pm on Weds 15th April.
All crews entered prior to midnight on Weds 15th April will be treated equally. Therefore there is NO advantage to rushing to put entries in at 2pm. I’m just trying to spread the data load!
Please DO NOT have several people trying to log onto BROE from your club using the same login/password details and enter multiple crews simultaneously from your club, this was one of the issues flagged up previously.
To clarify: ALL entries made on Weds 15th April will have EQUAL standing
Payment via WorldPay, all entries received on Weds 15th April and paid for within 48hours (before midnight 17th April) will be deemed as paid at time of entry. If the number of entries received on Weds 15th April is coming close/over to the maximum we can accommodate in 116 races then we reserve the right to suspend entries, confirm the structure of the regatta then reopen for further entries where available or waiting list places.
Should the number of entries received on Weds 15th April exceed the maximum allowable in the regatta as a whole or in an individual event, multiple entries from a single club into an individual event will be reduced first and then a ballot will be held for remaining places. The rejected crews will be offered alternatives where ever possible.

Payments

£128 for an Eight
£84 for a Four/Quad
£60 for a Pair/Double
£40 for a Single

Please make payment By WorldPay via BROE

Notes

In the event of poor weather, the following contingency options shall be considered.

• If it has been possible to race heats, but conditions deteriorate making it impossible to run finals, then the event result will be declared based on the finalists’ heat times. Because of this, crews are reminded that it is in their interests to race for time and not just position in a heat.
• If conditions make it difficult to attach to the start, then heats may be raced as time trials (in one or two lanes) over approx. 1750m. The six fastest boats in the time trial will qualify for the final, with final lane allocation seeding the fastest crews in the better lanes. If conditions make it impossible to race the final, then the result will be declared based on time trial times.
• In the event that we have to revert to time trials, we will endeavour to use two lanes and still aim to have an element of side by side rowing. Crews will be marshalled in pairs and started roughly level; times will be taken per crew so absolute alignment is not necessary

We have published a coxing guide with the Competitors’ Instructions detailing how to get attached to stakeboats and most importantly staying straight whilst attached. Clubs are reminded that even a light crosswind can make conditions challenging for inexperienced crews at the start, so please make sure your crews are properly coached in this important skill. The Starter will not delay races to compensate for crews who cannot attach quickly and stay straight. Crews needing to take more than two attempts to get attached and straight are likely to be excluded from the race.

Wallingford Regatta will be staged under the rules of British Rowing (available at www.britishrowing.org and in the British Rowing Almanack).

• All events are subject to a minimum of six confirmed entries and events with fewer than six entries may not be staged.
• No doubling or boat sharing in the same division
• If an event is oversubscribed, the committee reserves the right to run two separate events with a winner in each.
• In the interests of supporting genuine club rowing, composite crews will not be accepted.
• See notes below for full conditions of entry.

British Rowing Racing Licences

Competitors representing clubs affiliated to Scottish Rowing, or to overseas clubs, are exempt from the BR licensing requirements providing they are representing a Club affiliated to Scottish Rowing or an overseas rowing association recognised by British Rowing.

Overseas/Scottish crews must contact BR in order to submit entries via the British Rowing Online Entries (BROE) system. Entries will only be accepted on BROE.

Priority in accepting entries

In all previous years at Dorney we have received more entries than we can cope with in a single day. It is just as disappointing for us, as it is for you, to have to turn entries away.

We are quite systematic about how we decide which entries to accept or reject within an event, as follows. Entries are categorised as:

• Confirmed – completed via BROE and payment received.
• Provisional – completed via BROE, but no payment received.

To reiterate: All crews entering before 23:59 on the 15 April 2020, and making payment within the first 48 hours shall be deemed as entering at 14:00 on the 15 April. Should an event be full prior to 23:59, we will use a random draw from the eligible entries to make up the event.
After 00:00 on the 16 April, entries shall be prioritised in time order from the point of payment.

Multiple crews

When entering multiple crews into a single event on BROE please name the crews A, B, C etc. and enter them in the correct order. The first entered crew will automatically be named A etc by our race software.

The committee cannot be expected to know from a surname which crew is A, B etc. and crew names such as Stevo, Gazza, Fat Boy Four are particularly unhelpful (these are genuine crew names entered in previous years). In the event of unclear entries, the Entries Secretary will rename entered crews, and it will be the crew’s responsibility to ensure they are racing in the right race.

Notes and conditions of entry

1. Wallingford Regatta is held under British Rowing Rules of Racing and RowSafe: Guide to Safe Practice in Rowing.
2. If the Organising Committee feels the spirit of the entry conditions is not being followed, Wallingford Regatta may choose to move crews to a higher category. This will not be done without first notifying the crew contacts involved.
3. Competitors will provide their own boats, oars and sculls, which must conform to current BR rules especially in respect of heel restraints and bowball security. All boats and equipment are brought to the regatta at the owner’s risk. All boats must display their six character identification code at all times
4. The course is 2000 metres, multi-lane. A pontoon start is intended unless conditions do not permit this. All races are launch umpired over the whole course.
5. All events are subject to a minimum of six confirmed entries. Our aim is to allow as many people to race as possible within the confines of the racing day and creating a safe manageable day.
6. If the regatta is oversubscribed entries may be closed earlier. We will aim to ensure that all lanes in heats are used and may move later entries to a higher status event if space permits.
7. If there are multiple entries from a single club in an oversubscribed event, the Organising Committee may reject some or all of the multiple entries to ensure a fair spread across a number of clubs.
8. BROE will close for substitutions at 12noon on the Saturday immediately prior to the regatta; all further subs must be made at crew control on race day. Any substitutions made on the day of racing must have their status confirmed with a valid BR Racing Licence.
9. Crew withdrawals on the day must be notified to the Crew Registration team in writing at the earliest opportunity as this may require the event to be redrawn in the interests of fairness. Clubs whose crews fail to report at the start without having informed Crew Registration of their withdrawal may be penalised in accordance with BR Rules of Racing 2-7-5.
10. Crews and scullers may be moved to the next higher status if insufficient entries are received. Please state clearly if you do not wish to move.
11. Competitors may not enter more than two events. No doubling up or boat sharing is allowed in events in any one division. We will endeavour to arrange the timetable so as to minimise clashes between divisions, but reserve the right to refuse entries where these impose severe difficulties in the scheduling of races. Doubling up and boat sharing is at your own risk.
12. Crews withdrawing from a morning event after racing their heat must provide an adequate medical reason to do so; this may be required to be validated by the regatta medical officer. In the event of a crew withdrawal, the Race Committee has the right to disqualify athletes from racing in the afternoon division if it is felt that the spirit of the sport is not being followed.
13. J14 competitors are NOT permitted to race other than as a cox.
14. Clubs may alter the details of their entries at any time up to the close of entries.
15. Crews that scratch after the close of entries remain liable for payment of their entry fees,
16. In the event of cancellation of your event at the Regatta a full refund of entry fees will be made to crews who have not yet raced.
17. Parking permits will be available online as last year. Details will be e mailed to the BROE club contact prior to the event. Crew and spectator vehicles arriving at the regatta without a parking permit will be required to pay at the gate without exception; no refunds will be given.
18. This event, in common with all rowing events, may be photographed by amateurs or professionals who sell their photographs. By entering or visiting the regatta you accept that you may be photographed in this way.

Questions?

Preferably contact via email please, entries@wallingford-events.org.uk or phone Rachael Haycock on 01491 824372