RegattaCentral

TRAFFIC PATTERN: Please see course map for specific traffic-related information. All rowing will be conducted in a counter-clockwise traffic pattern with racing occurring from west to east. Please use caution when passing through the many bridges that cross the course.

LAUNCHING: All participants are expected to launch a minimum of 40 minutes of the event in which they are entered.  Any changes to the launch times will be announced.  Announcements will not be made calling crews to the water. Events will not be held for late crews. Please let the dockmaster know if you will need to hot seat. Please ensure your crews are prompt on the dock and observe a 90 second dock time. 

CONTROL COMMISSION: All crews are expected to check in at the Control Commission tent prior to launching.  The crew will be given direction as to which dock to use for launching and will check for a properly affixed bow ball and heel ties on each shoe.

BOAT LIGHTING: Regatta staff will provide lights for all boats entered in night races.  Boats are prohibited from launching without the required lighting.

VIRTUAL SPECTATOR TECHNOLOGY: Select events will be designated as “Row Track” events and special global positioning units will be placed by regatta staff in all boats entered in the event.

RACE BIBS/BOW MARKERS: Race bibs and bow numbers will be contained in your entry packet that should be picked up Friday evening or Sunday morning. All waivers must be turned in to receive the packet. All boats must have the bow number displayed during the race and the race bibs should be worn on the back of all bow seat rowers. PLEASE PLACE THE BOW NUMBERS IN THE MARKED RECEPTACLE AT THE CONCLUSION OF YOUR RACE located near the recovery dock.

STARTING: The starter will arrange the crews so that crews cross the starting line at approximately 10 second intervals. PLEASE HAVE YOUR CREWS LINE UP IN THE ORDER OF YOU BOW NUMBER PRIOR TO THE START OF EACH RACE.

RIGHT OF WAY: A crew is deemed to be overtaking another crew when it has moved within one length of open water of the crew ahead. On those portions of the course that are straight, a crew being overtaken shall move to the right to allow the overtaking crew to pass. Where the course turns, a crew being overtaken shall move to the outside turn and allow the overtaking crew to pass along the shorter path. Nevertheless, passing is not allowed, nor is the crew being overtaken required to yield, in cases where the overtaking crew's position clearly prevents safe passage or where there is insufficient room to yield. Use extreme caution near the railroad trestle bridge located just west of the boathouse.

PENALTIES
Buoys- White buoys mark the boundaries of the course, dividing the race lanes from the warm-up/traffic lanes. Red buoys alert of approaching hazards. A crew shall be penalized 10 seconds for each buoy the crew passed incorrectly. A crew passes a buoy incorrectly when any part of its hull passes on the wrong side of the buoy.
Start- A crew that missed the correct order of the start will be penalized 10 seconds.
Yielding- A crew that fails to yield to a crew to a crew having proper right of way shall be penalized 30 seconds. A crew that fails to yield to a crew being properly summoned to the starting area, or interferes with the staging of the start may be penalized 10 seconds by the Marshal or Starter.
Bow Number- A crew that crosses the starting line without its required bow number shall be penalized 60 seconds.

STARTING ORDER:  Seeding of all entries will be based upon the finishing order from the top five participants from each event at the 2005 Head of the Oklahoma.  For all other participants and for new events in the 2006 regatta, the starting order will be by a random draw.   Lane assignments for the sprint events will be based upon the finishing order of each corresponding head race event.
EVENT RESTRICTIONS

•    Collegiate Events – limited to collegiate rowers for women’s events; women’s events exclude all athletes currently enrolled in high school;  see special notice regarding NCAA Rule 13.11.1.2 below
•    Junior Events – limited to rowers currently enrolled in high school

•    Master Events – open to rowers who qualify for a USRowing masters age classification as detailed in Rule 4-104(a)(1) of the 2006 Rules of Rowing, including the AA category starting at age 21.   A Masters crew shall be comprised exclusively of Masters rowers, but the coxswain need not be a Master.  Time handicaps will be applied pursuant to the USRowing Rules of Rowing.

•    Open Events – open to all rowers

•    Novice Events – limited to rowers who began racing within 12 months prior to September 30, 2006.

•    Lightweight Events – limited to rowers weighing at or below the following maximum weights:  Men – 165 lbs; Women - 135 lbs

•    “NGHTSPRINTS” and “”SUPERSPRINTS” – limited to the top twelve finishers of the corresponding Head Race event for the Collegiate and Club Eights, Junior Eights, and Masters Singles; all other sprint events are limited to the top six finishers of the corresponding Head Race events.

UPDATES/SITE PLAN: Please visit www.chesapeakeboathouse.org for the latest regatta information and regatta site plan.

CONTACT INFORMATION: For more information, please contact Mike Knopp, Regatta Director, at 405-552-4040 or [email protected].

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING NCAA RULE 13.11.1.2
The Head of The Oklahoma Regatta has introduced the rule changes listed above, effective immediately, to address recent changes to NCAA Bylaw 13.11.1.2 Competition Against Prospective Student Athletes.
The Head of the Oklahoma encourages the participation of both college and high school athletes, and has made these changes to allow participation by both groups of athletes while not jeapordizing their ability to compete in future intercollegiate competition. These additions are limited to women’s event divisions only because men's rowing is not governed by NCAA Bylaws. The restrictions apply to high school students participating in both school AND club based junior programs. 
All high school students are prohibited from participating in all events at the Head of the Oklahoma designated with a collegiate events.  These include the following and are in addition to the General Entry Rules:

Collegiate Fours/Eights Women: No person (coxswain included) enrolled in high school. 

Lightweight Collegiate Fours Women: No person (coxswain included) enrolled in high school. 

Collegiate Double Women: No person enrolled in high school.
Collegiate Pair Women: No person enrolled in high school.
Collegiate Single Women: No person enrolled in high school.