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Saturday, 04 July 2009 11:00

London 2 Paris Rowing Challenge 2010 Rules

Version 12

Dated 16th March 2010

Aims

  1. These rules are designed to
    • ensure the maximum safety of all those involved in the Race
    • provide fair and level conditions for all teams
    • cope with variations in experience and ability
    • be adaptable to extreme weather conditions.
  2. Safety is paramount.

Start Line/Finish Line/Stages

  1. The Start line is Westminster Bridge, on the river Thames in London and the Finish line is at the Pont d'lena on the river Seine in Paris.

  2. The Race is run in stages.
Stage 1 Westminster Bridge to Port of Ramsgate (As a straight Race)
Stage 2 Ramsgate to Le Havre (As a straight Race)*
Stage 3 Le Havre to Amfreville (As a straight Race)
Stages 4-8 Amfreville to Suresnes Lock (As a series of Pursuit Races (slowest first, fastest last) from lock to lock)
Stage 9 Suresnes Lock to Paris (As a straight Race)


  1. *The Ramsgate to Le Havre stage may have to be varied at Organisers' discretion, if we have the weather to cross the Channel and we do not stop at Ramsgate. Similarly organisers may have to vary the finish port on this leg if the weather is inclement, and have the option then of running another leg to Le Havre or not. e.g. we may have to stop in Dieppe, Fecamp or another French port.
  2. The precise position of the start and finish line (between which crews are timed) will, where possible, be identified by a Committee vessel / support boat or the land based timing team.
  3. All distances quoted in miles are Nautical Miles and NMPD means nautical miles per day.
  4. All Times are BST (British summer Time).

Equipment

  1. Only the standard equipment as supplied by the organisers will be permitted in the Race. Extra equipment may be carried but only with permission of the organisers. Safety equipment may be replaced by organisers if damaged.
  2. Specifically banned are aids to propulsion
  3. A checklist will be issued prior to the start of the race and equipment will be checked against it at the beginning and end of the race and at any point at the discretion of the organisers.
  4. Rowing Boats used will be the Watermans' cutters adapted to cope with sea conditions to comply with MCA standards.
  5. The organisers will supply the oars.
  6. All boats MUST display the necessary warning lights from dusk to dawn or at such times as specified by the organisers.
  7. Crews may be required to carry and use video cameras as supplied by the organisers on certain stages of the Race.
  8. All crew members will wear a life jacket during change-overs. The wearing of life jackets whilst rowing is optional (unless ordered by the organisers) but the crew must have them available at all times in the cutter.
  9. The organisers will carry a limited number of spares for the cutters including oars.

Crews

  1. Each crew is composed of 12 people of which:
    • A minimum of 7 must be in the cutter from London to Amfreville
    • 5 people must be in the cutter from Amfreville to Suresnes
    • A minimum of 7 must be in the cutter from Suresnes to Paris
  2. Rowers are permitted to alternate within the crew throughout the race as follows:-
    • from London to Paris via support Boats
  3. Crews have to be available for medical inspection at any time. The medical officers have the authority to remove a member or whole crew from the race, if they feel their medical condition so warrants.
  4. Once the crew starts no substitutions are allowed to the race crew on penalty of disqualification unless under exceptional circumstances an appeal to the organisers (Race Committee) is granted.

The Race

  1. All cutters must be rowed.
  2. All crews are required to communicate with their support vessel and, if required, the Race Committee vessel at regular and sometimes specified intervals.
  3. Crews are required to stop at each designated finish point (stage or otherwise) and then will be held at this position for a predetermined period until the restart. Time will be taken from a GPS receiver where possible or from the Race Committee's control watch, synchronised to BST.
  4. All crews start the first 3 (or 4) stages as a straight race (mass start) till Amfreville (or designated Finish Point on French Coast). From Amfreville the race is run as a pursuit race till Suresnes, with the slowest crew going off first. From Suresnes it is again run as a straight race.
  5. Organisers will arrange for timers to be at the start and finish point of each stage of the race. In exceptional circumstances if this is not possible then the crew must record their own time of arrival and exact coordinates. This should be written down as well as a record being taken, such as a photograph of the GPS position and watch showing time.
  6. Crews will transfer to Support boats before going into a lock on the Seine and remain in them until out of the lock.

Start

  1. The planned start date is 9th May 2010.
  2. All crews start the Race at the same time from the start line at Westminster. The start line may be kept open for half an hour after official start time to allow for any stragglers. The Start line at Westminster and for each stage will be defined by Organisers/Committee. Crews will incur a penalty (2 hours) if over the line at any start.
  3. The Race starts on a prearranged signal such as the blowing of a foghorn.
  4. The start line will be on the upstream side of Westminster Bridge, London.

Finish

  1. The finish line will be the downstream side of Pont d'lena, Paris. The Finish line at Pont d'lena and for each stage will be defined by Organisers.

Outside Assistance

  1. If a crew receives outside assistance other than from their previously specified support team they will be disqualified from the Race but at the organisers' discretion they may be allowed to complete the course. Transference of clothing/bags/food, where possible, does not constitute outside assistance. Similarly access to information that is publicly available, e.g. from a website,  does not constitute outside assistance.

Outside Interference

  1. If for any reason a crew is stopped by police or on an "Instruction of Authority" which unnecessarily delays that crew, a suitable time recompense may be given to that crew at the discretion of the organisers. Equipment failure is not a reason for recompense, though if there is a safety issue involved, organisers may instruct the crew to stop.

Safety

  1. Crews must carry the specified safety equipment at all times.
  2. From Dover to Paris, the Skipper of the individual Support vessel assigned to each Cutter is responsible for the safety of his vessel and the Cutter, and his instructions must be followed at all times.

Points /Scoring System

  1. Points will be awarded for each Pursuit Race Stage (3, 2, 1 in finishing order 1st to 3rd). The handicap given to the slower crews on these legs will be based on their times over the Le Havre to Amfreville leg, with a degree of "reasonableness" thrown in, and adjusted if necessary for subsequent pursuit legs. This handicap is in any case NOT a fixed figure, as distances between locks vary, and will in any case be adjusted according to the length of leg and perhaps winning margin.
  2. There will therefore be a fastest winner of each stage and also a Pursuit Race winner, the winner of each Pursuit race being the first across the Finish line of the relevant stage.
  3. The overall winner (CNA Trophy) is the crew that records the shortest accumulated time from London to Paris. There will also be a trophy awarded to the winner of the Pursuit Race (Seacraft Trophy) with the cumulative highest points score. Other trophies may be awarded at the discretion of the organisers.
  4. Best efforts will be made to post race positions on the London2Paris website on completion of each stage.

Organisers

  1. These rules are subject to change at the sole discretion of the Organisers, taking into consideration weather and safety which will be the primary consideration.
  2. Although every competitor is responsible for his or her participation in the Race including whether to start or continue in the event, the organisers reserve the right, after consultation, to stop a competitor from starting or continuing the race.
  3. It is expected that all competitors shall compete in compliance with recognised principles of sportsmanship and fair play.
  4. The organisers' decision on all matters is final.
Last Updated on Monday, 03 May 2010 09:28