RegattaCentral

The Stonewall Regatta Organizing Committee (ROC) and DCStrokes Rowing Club are pleased to invite you to the upcoming Stonewall Regatta, our 15^th annual event, on Saturday, May 31, 2008.  As in past years this will be a USRowing sponsored event. We look forward to seeing again many of the club and individual competitors who have attended and supported our regatta since 1994,and we welcome all new participants.

Please read carefully the information and instructions below.  While we may cancel a specific event due to lack of entries, we don't plan to offer any in addition to those listed.  Specific times for each event will be set once we receive all the entries and determine how many heats (if any) are needed.  That schedule should be available by May 26th and will be posted on Regatta Central.

Again this year we will be using Regatta Central for registrations.  Registration closes Midnight, Friday night, May 23.  Entries may be accepted after that date with a late fee only if space permits and at the discretion of the regatta registrar.

How to Enter

Registration:  All registration before the deadline will be done this year through Regatta Central at www.regattacentral.com.

Registrations must be received online by Regatta Central by midnight on Friday, May 23rd to be considered on-time.  Entries received after this date must be sent directly by email to the registrar and will be accepted only as space permits. A late fee will be charged.

Waivers: Note:  New waiver system is in place for 2008.  All rowers will need to sign a waiver of liability prior to competing.  Waiver submission is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to be done online through Regatta Central: https://www.regattacentral.com/athletes/.   Paper waivers can be submitted on the morning of the race at the registration booth but this new system for 2008created by USRowing and Regatta Central should make that unnecessary.

Scratch Policy: An entry to an event may be withdrawn up until one week before the regatta(midnight on Friday night,, May 23), with a full refund of the fees (minus any credit card service charges).  After May23rd, no refund will be given.  Substitutions among the same size boat,however, will be allowed if space permits, i.e., there will be no penalty for moving an entry among same-sized events (e.g., from a masters to an open race)at any point, providing space is available.  If a race  or heat is canceled due to not having at least three boats from two different clubs, a full refund will be given.  See below for more information on refund policies.

Race Fees

1x   $20.00              2x/2+   $30.00                         4+/4x     $40.00                         8+     $80.00

Rower Qualifications

Although Stonewall Regatta XV is sponsored by DC Strokes Rowing Club, the nation's first and oldest Gay and Lesbian rowing club, participation is open to all rowers, regardless of sexual orientation.  Two event categories are, however,restricted:

Novice:  The Stonewall Regatta defines novice status as being the year preceding the first anniversary of a rower's first regatta.  For example, if a rower rowed her first ever race at last year's Stonewall Regatta, she would be ineligible to row again as a novice at Stonewall Regatta XV.  ALL rowers competing in this event must be novice, although the coxswain does not.  In addition, an experienced sweep rower learning to scull may compete in the novice 1x, assuming it is within his first competitive year as noted above (and vice-versa).

Masters:  Masters events are age restricted.  For racing purposes, the age of a rower is the age he/she will attain by December 31, 2008.  For a crew, the age is determined by averaging the ages of all rowers in the boat (excluding the coxswain), and rounding down to the highest contained integer (e.g., an crew with an average age of 34.7 is counted as having an average age of 34).  A Masters crew shall be comprised exclusively of Masters rowers, but the coxswain need not be a Master.  If possible, we will attempt to set heats in Masters races by US Rowing age class, so that handicapping is not necessary.  However, if it is necessary to combine age classes, we will handicap the event in accordance with US Rowing procedures, which can be found in the US Rowing manual "Rules of Rowing."

AA Masters:  Rowers aged 21-26 are eligible to compete in Masters events. These rowers can be factored into any age crew and compete in the class appropriate to the calculated average. There will not be any dedicated AA category events; these rowers should compete in Open categories.

Coaches/Coxswains Meeting

There will be a mandatory meeting for Coaches, Coxswains,and scullers in front of the boathouse at 8:00 a.m.  At this time, attendance will be taken and changes made to finalize the schedule, if necessary.  The Chief Referee will review Regatta operating protocols and any other applicable policies.  Crews/clubs may send a single representative if getting all participants there is a problem. 

Awards

All races/heats are considered finals.  Only first-place medals will be awarded for all races.  For races with multiple heats, each heat will receive its own medal. Medals will be distributed after the event once its results are made official, and will be available from the race secretary.  The Stonewall Challenge Trophy will be awarded at the end of the day to the team that earns the most points based on first place finishes.

Race Course

Crews must arrive at the start line no later than two minutes before the start time of their race.

The regatta will be held on the Anacostia River.  All events are 1000 meters.   The start of the course is just downstream of the Pennsylvania Avenue (aka John Philip Sousa) Bridge.  The finish line is in between the two spans of the I-295 freeway.  The course, which is not buoyed, has five lanes.  Spotting points for coxswains and scullers will be hung on the upstream span of the 295bridge and distance buoys will be placed at 250, 500, and 750 meter points.  A course map will be available at the regatta. 

Equipment

Bow numbers will be provided by the ROC.  Scullers are requested to ensure their shell shave bow clips to accommodate lane numbers. All shells must have a bow ball. Shoe ties will be checked.

Boat Storage/Parking

Trailers will be accommodated in the yard behind the boathouse and in the lot at the corner of 12^th & O Streets.  Parking on O Street will be restricted to car-topped sculls.  Car parking will beat the adjacent Navy Yard – enter through the gate at 11^th & O Streets.  If your plans require you to arrive the day before the regatta, please let us know to expect you so we can try to ensure parking in the boathouse yard, which is locked at night.  Trailers can also park in the lot at any hour.  Storage in either location will beat your own risk.  DC Strokes Rowing Club and the Regatta Organizing Committee cannot be held responsible for mishaps.  You must provide your own slings/racks and tie down straps.

Concessions

As in previous years, food, snacks, and drinks will be available for purchase.  Nellie's Sports Bar will be our food purveyor.  Of course there will also be a Stonewall Regatta XV t-shirt and other DC Strokes merchandise.