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1
ORGANISATION
1.1 The
aims of the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association (CRA) Bumping Races, to
be rowed
in VIII’s, are to promote the enjoyment of
Local
oarsmen and oarswomen and the friendly rivalry between Local
clubs.
1.2
A Bumps Committee consisting of the Bumps Secretary, Senior Umpire and
other
members, not more than one from any CRA affiliated or co-opted club. (later referred to as "club".) will
be responsible for the organisation, administration and adjudication of
the
Bumps.
1.3 The
Bumps Secretary and Committee members will be elected annually at the
CRA
Annual General Meeting.
1.4 Each
club shall appoint a bumps organiser, whose function is to interact
with the
CRA webmaster and the Bumps Secretary, and who will control the club
entries,
amendments and marshals (and to ensure that they are experienced). The
name and
email address must be conveyed to the Bumps Secretary and the webmaster
by 1
June each year.
2 ENTRY
2.1
Each club must send in writing to the secretary eight days before the
event the
number and composition of its crews competing, together with the entry
fee of
the amount per crew agreed by a Delegates Meeting and insurance details
under
rule 2.9. The entry form (and any subsequent notification of changes)
must
indicate those persons rowing under rule 2.5 or if under rule 2.4
exceptions
which sub-section thereof, and women rowing other than in the women’s
divisions. The names of the crews, indicating exceptions etc., must
also be
submitted at the same time, in an agreed electronic format, to the CRA
appointed webmaster for display on the CRA website. Any crew changes
planned
for different days, which must only be for genuine non-availability
reasons,
must also be notified with the original entry form. Any objections to
the composition
of the crews listed must be given to the Bumps Secretary, in writing
with full
details, by
2.2
Any subsequent alterations to crews must be amended by the clubs on the
website
as soon as they are known, and at the latest by
2.3
Substitutions will be allowed during the days of racing, for illness or
other
genuine or accidental reason. These must be notified verbally to the
control
point before the race and confirmed on the CRA website by
2.4 All
rowing members must not have competed (rowing or sculling) for another
club,
other than a non University CRA club, unless allowed under
sub-paragraphs below
or under rule 2.5, since 1 January prior to the races.
a)
Anyone who in the current academic year was either a full-time student
or
full-time graduate student and who rowed or coxed in the CRA Bumping
Races, for
at least two previous years – one year if as a Junior (J18) - before
going to
his or her current place of education. Changes of
colleges or
courses within the same University does not affect the meaning
of
“current”.
b) Boarding
school students whose permanent address is within twenty miles of
c) Anyone
who has rowed or coxed in the CRA Bumping Races for at least two
previous
years, but who has substituted at a non CRA event in a non CRA crew or
in a non
recorded composite crew on not more that two occasions since 1 January.
One or
two days of the Lent or May races to be treated as one separate
occasion.
2.5
Anyone within the spirit of the exceptions under rule 2.4 who, after
applying
with reasons in writing to the CRA Bumps Secretary two weeks before the
meeting, has obtained a dispensation from the full Delegates meeting
held in
June. A list of those applying together with the club’s reason for
claiming a
dispensation will be displayed on the website and be circulated to the
clubs at
least one week before the meeting. Only one person allowed under this
dispensation may be included in any crew.
2.6 Except
in the women’s division, crews must not have more than two women
rowing. The
women’s division is restricted to women. The minimum age for a crew
member (in
accordance with the regulation of British Rowing for sweep oar rowing)
is J15. (Must be 14 years or older on 1st
September of previous year in which the event is taking place.) Coxes
may be of
either gender and may row or cox in another
division.
The minimum age for coxes will be 13 as at 1st July in the
year of
the event.
2.7
Nobody may row in more than one crew except in exceptional
circumstances as a
substitute, under rule 2.3, for one evening. Coxes may cox more than
crew.
2.8 Entries
will only be accepted of crews from members of CRA Affiliated Clubs. Before competing clubs must have paid the affiliation
for the
current year.
2.9 All
crews entered must have third party insurance to cover injury to
competitors
and spectators and damage to property with an indemnity limit of at
least £2m.
A letter or certificate from an insurance company confirming the club’s
public
liability meets these requirements must be attached to the entry form. (see rule 2.1)
2.10 Clubs
must enter their crews in the anticipated order of their speed. They
should
renumber their crews if the order is considered to be incorrect by
2.11 All
additional entries
from clubs will be seeded by the Bumps Committee in the bottom third of
the
appropriate starting orders, unless rule 2.13 is invoked.
2.12 Any entry
from a club which
does not have a position on the river, or has not rowed in the last two
year’s
Bumping Races, must row in the CRA Time Race, with a crew that fairly
represents their proposed Bumps crew, ie. at
least six
members, so that the Bumps Committee may seed them into the full
starting
order.
2.13 At the
written request of
the club, or in special circumstances at its own discretion, the Bumps
Committee may, in the interest of safety or where the committee is
satisfied
that the crew does not fairly represent its place in the order, place a
crew in
a new position other than its proper starting position.
2.14 All coxes
must have
attended a CRA cox’s meeting within the
previous
three years. A cox who has not coxed for two years must attend in the
current
year. A list of registered coxes will be maintained. Any crew racing
without
such a cox may fined up to the amount of an
entry fee
and may in addition have a bump disallowed or a bump awarded against
them for
each evening this occurs.
2.15 If a crew
is scratched on
or before the first evening, other crews from that club will row in the
highest
of the club's positions. The lowest unoccupied position in the
following year’s
starting order will drop four places. If the scratching is later than
2.16 When, to
the satisfaction
of the Bumps Committee, a crew has rowed in violation of any of the
rules in
section 2, the offending crew, unless bumped on an evening of
violation, will
go down one place in the starting order on the following evening's
racing, in
respect of each evening of violation. In addition, the club will be
fined the
amount of an entry fee in respect of each evening, and may be
disqualified from
the current races.
3 COURSE
& EQUIPMENT
3.1
There will be two finishing points in each division. A boat is on the
course
until its stern is past its finishing point. The first eight crews will
row to
the further point and the remainder will row the shorter distance, but
any crew
will have the option of rowing to the further point to make a bump on
any of
the crews whose finish is the further point.
3.2
·
For M1 and
W1 the finishing
points are the concrete post about 100 yards upstream from Morley's
Holt and
the Ditton side upstream edge of the
·
For M2 the
points are through the
·
For M3, M4
and W2 the front door
of the White House and the Railings
3.3 The crews
that finish at
the head of a lower division will row as "sandwich boat" at the
bottom of the next higher division.
3.4 The crew's
number must be
worn by both bow and cox throughout the racing in such a way as to be
clearly visible
at all times. Crews not doing so may be fined up to the amount of an
entry fee
in respect of each evening.
3.5 All boats
that are raced
must have a firmly attached regulation bow-ball and be safe to row in,
and the
cox must wear a life jacket or buoyancy aid. A marshal may stop a boat
from
racing and any crew rowing not in accordance with this rule will be
fined up to
the amount of an entry fee and may in addition have a bump disallowed
or a bump
awarded against them. All boats where ’fitted shoes’ are employed must
have
effective heel restraints. These must be properly adjusted (the heel
must be
prevented from rising higher than the highest fixed point of the shoe)
and in
working order.
3.6 All crews
must be
accompanied throughout the race by at least one follower who will
assist the
cox in the racing and also generally assist in the safety of the race.
3.7 In the
interests of
safety clubs must limit the number of followers on bicycles to a
maximum of
five who should not be under 10 years old. Any club with excessive bank
parties
will be fined up to the amount of an entry fee.
3.8. Front
(bow) coxed boats
will not be permitted.
3.9 The use of
megaphones,
loudhailers or air horns by bank parties for coaching or supporting
(except for
short blasts to indicate distances) will not be permitted.
These
will be used by marshals and umpires, and
only in
emergencies by bank parties, to stop or control the races.
4 STARTING
4.1
On the first evening’s racing all crews must pass the Railway Bridge at
least
twenty minutes before their race is due to start and also be registered
by the
appointed marshal. Any crew not so registered will be disqualified (see
rule
4.4) unless the marshal and the Senior Umpire are satisfied that the
reason for
the failure, reported by a member of the club to one of them before the
above
time, is genuine.
4.2
If a boat is not at its starting position four minutes before the race
is due
to start, the club will be fined the amount of an entry fee, unless the
Bumps
Committee is satisfied that the failure was caused by circumstances
beyond the
control of the crew.
4.3
If for any reason a crew does not race on one evening, then on the
following
evening they must register with the
4.4 If a crew
is scratched,
disqualified, or withdraws by giving at least fifteen minutes notice to
the
Senior Umpire, the gap in the starting order will be closed by all the
following crews in the division moving up one place from and including
that
evening. The offending crew will go down one place in the overall order
for
that and each of the remaining evenings of racing. The club will be
fined the
amount of an entry fee.
4.5 Crews
going to the start
must go down in reverse order and must not turn or row upstream, except
below
their starting position, and when turning they must not impede crews
that need
to go further down stream. Any crew so doing will be fined up to the
amount of
an entry fee.
Crews in
Men Division 3 must assemble, in reverse
order, in the reach along the common below the railway bridge and above
the
railings, keeping well in to the bank. Crews in Men’s Divisions 1 and 2
and Women
Division 1 must assemble, in reverse order, along the common below
4.6 Crews
going to the start must only practice a
maximum of two racing starts, one at the
4.7 The
starting points will
be 150 feet apart. Until the start the cox will hold the bung attached
to a
chain 33 feet in length fixed to its post or, if by chance the bung is
lost,
7's rigger must remain downstream of the post. Any crew failing to
observe this
requirement will be liable to be bumped, but cannot make a bump, unless
in the
opinion of the marshal, the loss of the bung or the movement of the
boat made
no difference to the outcome of the race. However the club may be fined
up to
the amount of an entry fee. (NB. pushing out poles are
14 feet in length)
4.8 The race
will be started
by firing three guns. The first will be fired four minutes before the
start,
the second one minute before the start and the third on the start. In
the event
of a failure of the one minute or start gun, the next gun fired will be
the one
minute gun. No crew may have more that two members actually rowing
during the
last ten seconds of the count-down to the start of the race.
5 BUMPS
5.1
A boat will be considered bumped when it is touched by any part of the
boat
following before the leading boat's stern has passed its finishing
point. The
cox of a boat so bumped, or where there is an overlap under rule 5.2,
must
immediately acknowledge it by holding up a hand and the crew must keep
rowing.
The crew making the bump must immediately hold it up until the boats
are
separated, then row on to clear the river. Both crews must steer to the
side of
the river as quickly as possible and, in the Gut, ideally to the
towpath side.
(The word
"boat" includes the ship, crew and oars unless detached from the
boat)
5.2 Before the
concrete post
opposite the Plough an overlap of boats, whereby the bow of the
following boat,
making allowance for the effect of a corner to the advantage of the
leading
boat, is level with the cox's seat of the
leading
boat, will constitute a bump and the cox must acknowledge as for a
bump. The
marshal will only indicate the bump if necessary.
5.3 Passing a
boat or the
station of a non-starting boat will be equivalent to a bump.
5.4 Where a
crew or crews are
unable to continue rowing because the river has become blocked, or for
some
other reason not caused by the crew or its boat, the crews will be
considered
to have rowed over unless, in the opinion of the marshals a bump or
bumps would
have occurred.
5.5 If, in the
opinion of the
Bumps Committee, a crew wilfully disregards any of the rules in section
5 or
acts in any other unsafe manner, then any bump deemed to be made may be
disallowed, or they may have a bump awarded against them. The club will
be
fined up to the amount of an entry fee and in exceptional cases any of
the
crews involved may be disqualified from the current races.
5.6 If a crew
wishes to
dispute a bump or a marshal’s decision, verbal representation must be
made at
the time to the marshal and immediately after the race by reporting to
the
control point where contact will be made with the Chief Umpire.
5.7 Subject to
the power of
the Senior Umpire in rule 6.2, all cases of disputed bumps will be
referred to
the Bumps Committee whose decision, after hearing from a single
representative
from each crew involved at the control point at the end of the day’s
racing,
will be final.
5.8 In very
exceptional
circumstances the Bumps Committee may order a re-row to take place half
an hour
before the first race on the day following the incident or at some
other
mutually agreed time.
5.9 If one
boat bumps
another, or a bump is given, the two crews will exchange places in the
following day's starting order whatever may have been their starting
positions.
5.10 All bumps
must be
recorded each day at the control point within half an hour of
the last
race, by a member of the club of the crew claiming the bump. If a bump
is not
recorded the club may be fined up to the amount of an entry fee, but
the bump
will, on sufficient evidence, be allowed.
5.11 If a lower
crew bumps a
higher crew from the same club, the club may be fined up to the amount
of an
entry fee.
5.12 All crews
in lower
divisions returning after their race will maintain single file up the
Reach,
keeping to the towpath side. This is to allow crews going down to the
start to
do so safely and to practice their starts at the Railway bridge (see
rule 4.6).
Coxes should be aware and vigilant.
6 MARSHALS
6.1
Clubs with two or more crews must provide marshals, who must be
experienced in
bumping races, to help run the event safely. The number of marshals
each Club
must provide is the number of crews entered divided by four (rounding
up any
fractions of half or more) for each night of racing.(For
example, a Club
with six crews
would provide two marshals each night.)
Marshals must report to the control point in the first instance by 5.30pm and then, as directed to either the Senior Umpire at the Gunsheds or to other positions. A marshal may arrange a substitute for one or other races subject to there being an overlap to explain the role, if needs be, to their replacement.
Clubs failing to
provide the
necessary marshals may be fined up to the amount of an entry fee in
respect of
each evening of failure. New marshals
should be encouraged to attend a coxes meeting.
6.2
The Bumps Committee will appoint a Senior Umpire who will arrange the
rota of
marshals and supervise each evening's racing. The Senior Umpire will
adjudicate
where practicable and where not practicable will refer any disputes to
the
Bumps Committee.
6.3 The Senior
Umpire and
marshals will in no circumstances be responsible for checking that the
crews
and equipment and the use of such equipment are in accordance with
British Rowing’s Water Safety Code or with
these rules, or that the
members of the crews accord with these rules.
7 GENERAL
7.1
Infringement and repeat infringement of any rule, whether of entry or
of
racing, may be penalised by a fine of any amount at the discretion of
the Bumps
Committee, with appeal only to a Delegates Meeting.
8
NOTABLE
DATES FOR 2010: