Head Of The Charles ® Regatta

Friday Night Training 2011ResponsibilitiesReview Bridge ArchesMain Focus on Interference and Severe CollisionIncident Reports Improvement

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What are the highlighted changes for the Head Of The Charles® Regatta 2011?

Participation - Over 9,000 male and female competitors, representing more than 500 clubs, colleges and universities worldwide.

Technology - Regatta Master will be providing computer timing.

Rules - Revised wording for Rule 10.6 Severe Collision (IS)

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The Key Responsibilities of an Umpire

To ensure fairness and safety

To determine if there are violations of the rules, and assign the appropriate penalties to those crews committing violations

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2010 Reminder: The Cambridge-Side Arch of the BU Bridge is not OB, but is still not recommended)

Not Recommended (New in 2010)

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Interference, Passing and Collisions

Interference is the failure to yield Right-of-Way to a safely passing boat, thereby impeding their ability to row a fair and safe race.

Generally stated, the rules of the road are:.

Boats racing have the Right of Way over non-racing boats

The passing boat has Right of Way, as long as the pass can be executed safely

Competitors have been warned that the most egregious offense Umpires are watching for is Interference.

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Interference, Passing and Collisions

Responsibilities of the boat being overtaken

Movement to yield must begin when the Passer is within 1 length (and closing) of open water of the boat being overtaken. Failure to do so will result in a 60-second Interference penalty. (Umpires will be expecting to see active yielding motion in the overtaken boat when boats are between 1 to ~½ boat length apart.)

In passing situations, the overtaken boat must yield and give suitable room to the overtaking boat (Passer) on the side chosen by the overtaking boat. This may require missing a few strokes as the overtaking boat completes the pass.

NOTE: The overtaken boat is not entitled to “cut” buoys just to avoid a clash of oars. R

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Interference, Passing and Collisions

Responsibilities of the overtaking boat (Passer)

In passing situations, the overtaking boat has right of way (on the side of its choice) if a safe pass can be accomplished.

If a pass is attempted, the Passer shall not press the right to overtake to the point of Severe Collision. The Passer must allow for sufficient room for both boats to stay safely within the race course.

Collisions will occur . . . Most are no fault, no penalty.

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Interference, Passing and Collisions

Responsibilities of the overtaking boat (Passer)

OLD RULE: (Simplified) If the Passer causes a Severe Collision (a. blade

contacting hull or rower, b. forcing a crew into a bridge arch, c. other acts causing damage or injury), a 60-second penalty (or greater) is assessed.

Historical Review of Application (following 2010 HOCR) Whenever a blade was observed to contact a hull, or hull-

to-hull contact was observed, it seemed that most Umpires felt obliged to report a Severe Collision.

Many of the Severe Collisions reported occurred in conjunction with a non-yield situation.

It was unclear as to whether the Severe Collisions reported resulted in actual damage or injury.

Over-application of the IS penalty was suspected

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Interference, Passing and Collisions

Responsibilities of the overtaking boat (Passer)

REVISED RULE 10.6. Severe Collision - IS A passing crew (The Passer) has the right to pass on the side

of its choice if and when a safe pass can be accomplished. The Passer must allow sufficient room for both their boat and the boat overtaken to stay safely within the racecourse. If a pass is attempted, the Passer shall not press the right to overtake to the point of severe collision. During a severe collision one or more of the following may occur: a.damage to a hull b.personal injury or c.the boat being overtaken is forced either off the

racecourse or into a bridge . If a crew causes a severe collision that crew may be assessed

a 60 second (IS) Severe Collision time penalty and may face further sanctions under Rule 10.1.

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Interference, Passing and Collisions

Responsibilities of the overtaking boat (Passer)

Interpretation of REVISED RULE 10.6. Severe Collision - IS Before assigning an IS penalty, ask yourself:

Is there clearly observed contact, and if so does it seem* severe enough to cause: a.damage to a hull? b.personal injury?

Was the overtaken boat forced by hull-to-hull contact into a bridge arch or other fixed obstacle?

If none of the above was observed to happen, use your best judgment, and determine whether a penalty should be applied, or if this is a no-call . Even when there is no penalty, you can still file an informational report (check the No Penalty box).

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* Probably not something that an umpire can immediately determine

11Summary – What is/is not Interference or Severe Collision)

Interference (Non-Yield) Not InterferenceFailure to yield when a boat with room to safely pass has closed the gap between bow to stern (of the overtaken boat) to ~½ boat length or less*

Boats come together and interlock

Clash of oars between crews during the act of passing

Overtaken boat having to slow or miss a few strokes as passing crew finishes their pass.

Severe Collision Not Severe CollisionAny contact resulting in damage or injury to boats, rowers

Overtaken boat goes off the racecourse without hull-to-hull contact

Forcing another crew into a fixed obstacle (bridge arch, shoreline)

Boats come together and interlock

Clash of oars between crews during the act of passing

Oars of either the passing or overtaken boat scrape bridge, but there is not a stoppage

* The yielding action should have started when the passer was within one boat length and closing.

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Incident Report Forms

The ability of Umpire Central, Appeals and the Chief to fairly apply and explain penalties to competitors is directly dependent on the completeness and accuracy of Incident Reports filed by Umpires.

Lead Umpires must review every Report generated by their station, ensuring internal consistency, completeness, clarity of the incident description and the presence of an easily interpreted drawing. Call-in reports should mirror written reports.

The informational section (above A. Course Violations) should leave no question regarding (a) the event number, (b) type of boat, (c) gender, (d) umpire/lead umpire identity, (e) date and time of incident, (f) all boats involved (other than the offending boat), and finally (g) the total seconds assessed the offending boat, designated by bow number. R

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Too short – (Above drawing of two boats . . . #13 ahead, #14 behind . . . colliding bow to stern) “Ker-pow!”

Too long – (With detailed drawing) Prior to the incident, Boat #13 was proceeding at a leisurely pace between the River Street and Western Avenue Bridges, when Boat #14 came within hail, perhaps 2 or 3 boat lengths behind showing clear intent to pass Boat #13 to port as evidenced by a marked shift in steering accompanied by a roostertail from #14’s rudder. Clearly not heeding the impending situation, Boat #13 continued rowing in this manner, until the bow of #14 was within 10 feet of the stern of #13. Bow #14 continued to gain ground, with no movement to port or starboard from #13. The bow of #14 was seen to make contact with the stern of #13, at this point getting the attention of the coxswain of said boat, which made two violent alterations of course resulting in a clash of oars, blah, blah, blah

Better – (With drawing showing three stages prior to during and after interference) Bow #13 failed to yield to overtaking Bow #14. Incidental contact between #14 and #13. [Penalty assessed – IN on Bow #13.]

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Questions?