2017 KIRBY CUP
Saturday 14th October 2017
Notice of Race

Buckingham Rowing Club is pleased to invite entries to its annual season opener event, the Kirby Cup Regatta on Saturday 14th October.

Entries
Entries are to be made online via Rowing Manager.
http://tas.rowingmanager.com/?regatta=3946

The prescribed entry fee of $10.00 per seat (No charge for Coxswains) can be made on the day at the regatta Office. Late entries may be submitted up until 7:00AM on the morning of the race. However, the Race Committee reserves the right to charge a late entry fee of $15.00 per seat for entries received after the Monday 9th deadline.
A race office will be in place at the BRC clubrooms from 6:45 on the 14th to accept late entries and payments for eligible competitors.
Eligibility
All competitors (rowers, Coxswains and coaches) must be current registered members of a club affiliated with Rowing Tasmania and must hold current registration with the Sate association.
Substitutions
Substitutions can be made by advising the regatta organisers no later than 7:15am on the morning of the race. Any crews found to have made substitutions without advising the regatta organisers will be disqualified from the event.
Event Categories.
Entries for the following classes will be accepted;
ï‚· Single Scull (Men’s/women’s combined)
ï‚· Double Scull (Men’s/women’s combined)
ï‚· Pair (Men’s/women’s coxless)
ï‚· Quad Sculls (Men’s/women’s, coxed or coxless)
ï‚· Sweep Four (Men’s/women’s, coxed or coxless)
Mixed entries will be accepted and handicapped accordingly. All events will be of a handicap start with the first start time scheduled for 8:00 AM.
Boat Trailer Parking
Trailer parking area will be provided for at the northern end of the New Town Bay Rowing Centre (NTBRC) boat shed on the bitumen area between the TIS boat shed and the New Town Rivulet. Rowers are asked to unload and rig their boats on the grass area directly in front of the BRC/TIS boat storage wing.
Overnight storage arrangements can be made for those who may wish to arrive the day before.
Bow Numbers
To help identify crews at the Start/Finish line each crew will be issued with a boat number. The boat numbers are to be displayed in your boats lane number slot. Numbers will be issued from the race office from 6:45am. Numbers are to be returned as soon as possible after racing concludes.
Safety
Briefing - A pre-race Briefing will be held at the front of the BRC sheds at approximately 7:15. At the briefing any special announcements such as changes to the course due to the weather will be made.
Attendance to the briefing is strongly recommended.
Weather - Race officials will postpone or abandon the race start if there is any question with regards to weather conditions or any other safety hazard. However, ultimately it is the crews decision to race or not.
Experience – Crews participating in Kirby Cup should be of sufficient experience appropriate to the event. Coaches of junior school age crews should carefully consider their athletes ability to navigate the 7200m course with no outside assistance. Race officials on the course have the authority to return crews to the ways if they consider a crew incapable of safely completing the course.
Other River Traffic – Kirby Cup is conducted with the understanding that we are sharing the river with other recreational and commercial river users. At times this may result in the inconvenience of wash from other river users. Buckingham Rowing Club will advise ferry operators and the Prince of Wales Bay Marina management and expect that they will take all reasonable steps to minimize effect to competitors. At all times competitors are subject to the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) plus local rules as regulated by MAST. Please observe these rules in the same way as you would when training on the river.
Equipment – Crews must ensure their equipment is of a safe and seaworthy standard. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring bow balls and shoe heel ties are in compliance with RA safety rules and the guidelines published on the RT web site. Checks will be performed by regatta volunteers prior to
racing. However, it is the responsibility of competing crews to ensure their equipment meets RA safety standards.
Course
The course for the Kirby Cup will a long distance “around the buoys” format as used in previous years (see course map below). The course distance will be approximately 7500 metres.
Course map
Start Line
The start line will be set in New Town Bay at a distance of approximately 50 metres east of the BRC launching ways. The starter will be located along the shoreline clearly identified with a sign marked “Starter”. The start line will be an imaginary line set between a white post at the starters position and “Red” cylindrical buoy set approximately 30 metres and perpendicular to the shoreline. (See attached map).
Course Marker Buoys
The course marker buoys will be large (1.0m high x 0.6 m diameter.) cylindrical “Day-Glo” orange markers buoys anchored in place on the day.
Please be aware of permanent navigation markers in the river. None of these form markers for the purpose of the race. However, oarsmen should make themselves familiar of their location to avoid collisions. See course map.
(Please refer to attached course map for approximate location of turning marks).
At each turning mark on the course will be a safety/referee launch to assist crews to identify turning marks. Once again, attendance to the pre-race briefing is recommended to familiarise yourself with the course.
Start Procedure
All events will be of a handicapped type start with the first single scull event scheduled to start at 8:00AM. Handicaps will be set and posted on the boatshed noticeboard as soon as possible prior to the pre-race briefing.
It is the responsibility of every crew to know their start time before proceeding onto the water. No time allowance will be made for crews who are late for their start.
Rules for Overtaking and Rounding Marks
1. Safety of crews and equipment is paramount. Collisions are to be avoided under all circumstances.
2. Overtaking boats must keep clear.
3. Boats being overtaken must not alter course to prevent an overtaking boat from passing.
4. When rounding a mark an overtaking boat must either round the mark on the outside of the boat to be overtaken or wait until the boat to be overtaken has rounded the mark and is on a course for the next mark.
5. The referees posted at each turning mark have the authority disqualify any crew who he/she believes has unfairly disadvantaged another crew.
Presentations
Trophy presentations will commence shortly after completion of all events in the first floor clubrooms at approximately 9:30am.
Food and refreshments will be available from the clubrooms.
Information
If you require more information please contact:
Gordon Stewart
Ph. 62721860, Mobile. 0408 494607