2010 RACE RULES & REGULATIONS
Changes for 2010:
Youth team age requirements have been changed. April 7, 2010
Roster size changed April 8. 2010
I. Team Requirements
Condition of Entry to Race. Each participant agrees to:
a) Team Roster Size:
1. A team may have up to 30 athletes on the roster for the weekend (including the drummer and if applicable, a steersperson). However, a team may have no more than 25 active participants on a single day. Teams will prepare a roster, with no more than 30 people, indicating which day(s) each person will participate (Saturday, Sunday, or Both).
2. On Saturday, during registration, the team will submit their roster, along with documents for all athletes who will be participating during the weekend. The team will be issued 25 wristbands of one color for Saturday, and 25 wristbands of another color for Sunday. Your competitors must wear the Saturday wristbands in order to race on Saturday, and the Sunday wristbands to race on Sunday.
3. Mixed teams may have any number of females on the roster; however, every time the boat launches, the required number of females must be aboard.
4. All of the athletes on your roster are be required to attend at least one training session. If more than 21 athletes come to a practice session, we will do our best to get all of athletes out on the water, using empty seats on other boats if possible, and if acceptable to the other teams involved. With the permission of the training staff, teams may also opt to split their on-water practice time into two sections, returning to the dock halfway through in order to pick up some paddlers and drop off others.
5. Drummers and steerers (if the team provides their own steerer) are included in the roster.
6. The festival will award 25 medals to a medal-winning team per event. Teams must decide how these medals are to be distributed among their members. This means that the athletes who don't paddle on a given day might not get a medal if the teams wins on that day.
7. For each race, a boat shall have a steersperson, a drummer, and at least 16 (but no more than 20) paddlers.
b) Youth Team Age Requirements.
1. A Youth Team member who will compete in races as paddler or drummer must be:
(a) 12 years of age, or older as of April 1, 2010 and
(b) 18 years of age or under as of September 1, 2009 and
(c) currently enrolled as a public or private middle or high school student".
2. "For example, for the May 15, 2010 DC Festival, the Youth Team member's birthday must be on or between September 1, 1991 and April 1, 1998".
3. "Youth Team boat steerers and coaches are exempt from the age limits".
4. Team members under the age of 18 will not be allowed to practice or race without a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.
c) Mixed Team Requirements
1. A team in the mixed division must have on board, every time they race, one of the following combinations:
a) 8 or more women, or
b) 7 women and 11 men
c) 7 women and 10 men, or
d) 6 women and 10 men.
d) Age Requirement
1. All paddlers must be at least 12 years old as of April 1 of the year of the festival.
2. All paddlers under the age of 18 as of the date of the festival must have a parent or legal guardian sign their waivers.
3. Paddlers under 18 years old may paddle for any team, not just youth teams.
e) Captains
1) A team must designate 1 team contact and 1 team captain, who may or may not be crewmembers.
2) The Team Manager/Captain shall be responsible for the conduct of their team and for communicating and distributing all practice and race information to their team. They are responsible for collecting and submitting all forms and waivers and act as team liaison with the festival race coordinator and other festival officials.
f) Good Sportsmanship
All participants shall conduct themselves consistent with good sportsmanship, friendship and respect for the traditions of Dragon Boat and culture of participating individuals, international teams and organizations.
g) Waivers
A participant MUST sign and submit a Festival Waiver form prior to participation in any race. The Festival Waiver form requires a LEGIBLE photocopy of a picture ID (Driver’s License, Passport). In addition, individuals participating in training sessions MUST sign and submit a SEPARATE Training Waiver to the training organization.
h) Equipment
The Dragon Boat Festival committee will provide equipment for use during the Festival. Teams may use their own 202a certified paddles (wood, composite or carbonfiber) and/or U.S. Coast Guard approved Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs). Festival boats and paddles are approved by the USDBF. Ski belts are not allowed.
II. Team Competition
a) The length of the watercourse will be 250 meters and 500 meters, between Thompson Boathouse and Key Bridge.
b) Teams and team members waive any claims against the Dragon Boat Festival Committee, the Sponsor and Co-sponsor organizations, the District of Columbia, US National Park Services, Guest Services, Inc., Harbor Administration, and all other organizations and their members or race officials, that may arise from personal injury, death or damage to personal property caused by participation in practice or competition.
c) Persons not listed on the final team roster may not paddle for a team unless approved by the Dragon Boat Festival Committee in advance.
d) The Dragon Boat Festival Committee will provide all Boats, Paddles, and PFDs (Life Jackets) for the event, except as noted in section 1h above.
e) Any intentional entrance of a teammate into water will result in automatic disqualification.
f) Paddling. Paddling will be done in a forward facing, seated position. For safety reasons, standing or kneeling while paddling will result in an automatic disqualification (No high Kneel).
g) Drumming. The drummer must beat the drum continuously during the entire race, once the boat has cleared the start area (50 meters into the race).
III. Safety
a) Practices and races may be cancelled due to hazardous weather or marine conditions. The Practice Supervisor will be responsible for the suspension or cancellation of practices due to hazardous weather or marine conditions. In this case, attempts will be made to re-schedule the practice based on availability.
b) A safety boat and referee boat will follow each race. If your dragon boat veers off course or becomes swamped, please remain with the boat and wait for the referee and/or safety boat to arrive. Follow their instructions!
c) Harbor Administration will provide two patrol boats during the race. One boat will conduct the water traffic during the race, the other boat will patrol the race safety.
d) All participants will behave in a safety-conscious manner at all times. Unsafe behavior such as standing up in the boat away from the dock, splashing with paddles, etc. can be grounds for disqualification and ejection from the festival.
e) Consumption of alcohol before or during races or practice is strictly prohibited. Even the hint of alcohol on the breath of a participant will lead to immediate disqualification of the individual. The disqualification of 3 or more individuals on a team may lead to the disqualification of the entire team.
IV. Medical Emergency
a) First Aid and Emergency Medical care will be provided if any accident should occur.
b) The Doctor(s) on the medical team will call 911 for help in cases of emergency.
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