As Per AOCRA INC
Sanctioning requirements the following notes are to be
included in invitation :
- ALL AUSTRALIAN COMPETITORS MUST BE REGISTERED
MEMBERS OF AOCRA.
- ALL INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS MUST SUBMIT PROOF OF
TRAVEL SPORTS INSURANCE IN THE COMPETITORS NAME BEFORE A
NOMINATION WILL BE APPROVED.
JOHN
HOLMES MEMORIAL TROPHY
Northcliffe Outriggers
will be presenting the John Holmes Memorial Trophy for
the overall club champion - Gold Coast Cup.
The criteria to be eligible for this prestigious trophy,
will be as follows;
1. All teams must be 100% club teams. Teams with
'dialup' paddlers will not be allocated points towards
the score.
2. Points will be allocated to crews as they finish the
race. (ie: x points for first place down to one point
for completing the race)
John Holmes was the founding President of Northcliffe
Outriggers, life member of the Northcliffe Surf
Lifesaving Club and all round champion and good bloke.
John was the founder of Dolphin Surf Craft and was known
around the world in Outrigger and Surf Life Saving
circles.
John past away late 2003 doing what he loved, paddling
his surf ski home from a surf carnival.
Please join Northcliffe Outriggers in honouring one of
our sporting greats.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
Course finalised 12pm Friday, 11th April 2008.
If unsure contact;
Race Director Shane Grimwood on 0416 686 183
shanegrimwood@dodo.com.au
Race Co-ordinator Dan Carroll on 0419 299 689
BRIEFING AND REGISTRATION
Date and Time: Friday, 11 April 2008 at 6.00
pm
Location: Northcliffe Paddling Site, Muriel
Henchman Drive
Southport * (Next to VMR, Sea World Resort)
Please ensure that your crew team captain/representative
and support boat driver attend this meeting.
PRE-RACE BRIEFING
Date and Time: Saturday, 12 April 2008 at
7.15 am
Location: Greenmount Beach
STAGGERED RACE STARTING TIMES
8:00 am
Open Women
Master Women(35+)
Senior Master Women (45+)
Open Mixed / 40 + Mixed
8:30am
Open Men
Master Men(40+)
Senior Master Men(50+)
Note: Minimum 5 Teams nominated to warrant division race
ENTRY FEE
$35 per paddler (Includes $4.40 AOCRA
sanction fee)
PRESENTATION
At race finish site approx. 1 hour after
final canoe comes in. At this time we anticipate this to
be around 1:30pm. Drinks and Food will be available at
the site. In addition to medal presentations (special
edition t-shirts to 1st place crew members), there will
be RANDOM PADDLER PRIZES. More information on these
prizes will be provided closer to event. Paddlers must
be present to be awarded these prizes.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
Start Procedure will be by Yellow Flag
and 2 blasts of horn. 5 minute warning, Red Flag. 1
minute warning, Green Flag indicates racing commenced.
The flag times are a maximum and may be reduced at the
Race Director’s discretion. Start will be upon raising
of the Green Flag and blast of horn. A Black Flag
indicates a canoe or canoes are over the start line. The
race can be started while a Black Flag is raised. It is
the responsibility of individual crews to ensure they
are behind the start line at the commencement of racing.
Any crew over the line when the race commences may be
disqualified or subject to time penalty at the Race
Director’s discretion.
The Course
Change race, canoes will line up between start buoy
and Race Director’s Boat facing east. Canoes will head
east following the lead boat to designated buoy. Canoes
round buoy and head back towards starting area, rounding
another buoy then heading north following the coastline
towards the Gold Coast Seaway. Teams may follow their
line to the finish line at the Spit, immediately
adjacent to VMR (Volunteer Marine Rescue).
The finish line will be marked by two buoys (see Map).
Any crew not following the designated course may be
disqualified or subject to time penalty at the Race
Director’s discretion. There will be an alternate course
if unsafe conditions are ruled by the Water Police and
VMR. This course will be around Sovereign Island back
through Labrador side of Broadwater; around Fisho’s and
across finishing line adjacent to VMR. Final Course will
be determined on Friday 9th March and be outlined at the
race briefing that evening.
Race Categories available to competitors
Open Men, Open Women - 18 years & over at time of
race
Mixed Open - 18 years & over at time of race
Mixed 40+ - 40 years & over in calendar year of
competition
Master Men - 40 years & over in calendar
year of competition
Master Women - 35 years & over in calendar
year of competition
Senior Master Men - 50 years & over
in calendar year of competition
Senior Master Women - 45 years & over
in calendar year of competition
Minimum entry of five crews to make a division
Please note that if there are insufficient entries
in any category, team captains/representatives will be
notified and given option to relegate to next age
division.
Medals
will
be presented to all places. In addition 1st place crew
members will receive special edition commemorative
t-shirt provided there are a minimum of 3 entries per
division.
All Canoes (including rigging, iako, ama, hull
shape) must meet current AOCRA requirements. Zone
registration numbers must be prominent and readable on
the bow of canoes. Storm covers on the canoe is
mandatory. AOCRA standard tow ropes (12mm rope
20/25metres in length) must be fixed to front iako. Each
team must be proficient in the procedure of towing their
canoe.
Minimum of two bailing buckets must be on board canoe
and no mechanical means of bailing water of the canoe is
permitted. All canoes must have proof of positive
flotation inspection compliance stickers affixed. No
foot support or braces are permitted. Paddlers must be
single bladed and may otherwise be of any shape and
material.
The Gold Coast Cup Race Committee shall have the final
decision on approving or disapproving any entry, canoe
or equipment. A beach pre-race check of all canoes
must have been completed by a Gold Coast Cup Race
Official prior to entering the water, otherwise team is
disqualified.
First Changeover point for canoes will be after
returning and rounding the buoy near starting area.
Further changes will be at the discretion of the teams,
with the proviso that no changes are to be made within
the area bounded by the Gold Coast Seaway rock retaining
walls, for safety reasons. All changeovers must be made
from the water. (ie; No escort boat within 20m of any
canoe at anytime)
Escort Boats are the responsibility of the
individual crews to meet all race requirements, and must
not impede any other team, or assist their own by wash
riding etc. Each entry must have one escort power boat
to accompany them throughout the race.
All escort boats must meet the minimum State
requirements, must be able to safely carry all team
paddlers and boat crew members. All escort boats must be
equipped with two-way radio communications, Citizens
Band or VHF only. Any entry without proper two-way
communication will not be allowed to participate.
The appropriate emergency channel for communication will
be announced at the main race briefing and will be the
responsibility of the team to inform their respective
support boat operators of that channel. Random Radio
checks will be made at the beginning of the race. The
Gold Coast Cup Race Committee will have the final
decision on the approval or disapproval of any vessel
used as an escort boat.
All Support Boats must have a licensed operator.
Teams may have paddlers from mixed clubs,
provided all are registered financial members of AOCRA
Inc. affiliated clubs or have AOCRA approved
international insurance.
Teams shall consist of the following
Men’s teams - 9 male paddlers only
Women’s teams - 10 female paddlers only
Mixed Open/40+ teams - 4 male paddlers and 5
female paddlers.
All paddlers must be 18 years and over to compete
No replacement of original paddlers is permitted once
racing has commenced.
In accordance with AOCRA Inc. sanctioning
requirements, a Senior AOCRA Management Committee
Official will be present to make any decisions, which
may be necessary relating to safety.
Each entry must provide approved personal
flotation devices for each person on the escort boat and
each paddler in the canoe.
Each entry is responsible for complying with all
applicable State, Federal regulations and requirements.
Each entry is responsible for assuring that each paddler,
coach, helper and boat captain is water safe.
The race is subject to postponement or
cancellation by the Gold Coast Cup Race Committee or
AOCRA Official if weather conditions, in their opinion,
render running of the race to be unsafe. Entry fees in
such cases are non-refundable.
The Gold Cost Cup Race Committee reserves the
right to remove any signage which is not in good taste
or which sabotages the promotional rights of the event
sponsors. Canoes must display event sponsors promotional
requirements in the required position.
Failure to comply with the directions of any
Safety Official will result in immediate
disqualification and may invalidate AOCRA Insurance for
that team.
Protests must be lodged in writing with a $50
non-refundable fee to the Race Committee no more than 15
minutes after finishing the race.
In the event that at a team or its associated
support group fails to meet any of the conditions of
entry listed, the Gold Coast Cup Race Committee reserves
the right to have the Race Director disqualify them
immediately. If a team is disqualified they are no
longer permitted to take any part in the event, entry
fees in such cases are non-refundable.
All Crews must be deemed capable of completing the
course and sanctioned by their club coaches and or
president as such for insurance and liability reasons.
NOTE: Should any circumstances arise note covered
in these racing Conditions, the Gold Coast Cup Race
Committee reserves the right to have the Race Director
make a ruling on any such circumstance, and any such
decision is to be final and binding.
PLEASE NOTE:
ALL PADDLERS WHO ARE NOT IN THE STARTING SIX WILL NEED
TO BOARD THEIR SUPPORT CRAFT EITHER AT THE SOUTHPORT
SPIT OR JACK EVANS BOAT HARBOUR, TWEED HEADS (PADDLERS
CAN WALK OVER 350M AND BOARD IN SAFETY). THERE WILL BE
NO FERRYING OF PADDLERS TO THE SUPPORT BOATS OFF
GREENMOUNT BEACH.
We strongly advise you not to let your support boat go
out through the Tweed Bar as last year, some crews did
not have a support boat because of this.
WE RECOMMEND YOUR SUPPORT BOAT LEAVES FROM THE SPIT AND
TRAVELS TO GREENMOUNT. THIS WILL MEAN THE TRAILER IS AT
THE FINISH LINE.
INFORMATION FOR SUPPORT BOAT
DRIVERS
We are very pleased that you are part of this
major sporting event here on the Gold Coast. For those
unfamiliar with Outrigger Canoe ultra marathon racing, a
team is made up of either 9 men, 10 women or 4 men and 5
women (mixed) with any 6 of them continuously in the
canoe (in the mixed open/40+ category 3 women must be in
canoe at all times).
The support boat drivers' role is to carry the 3 or 4
other paddlers that will continually take turns of
rotating in and out of the canoes as they race over the
43km course.
There is a race Welcome function which includes briefing
and registration at 6pm on the 11 April at Northcliffe
Outrigger Paddling Site (near VMR car park beside Sea
World Nara Resort Southport). You are more than welcome
to attend and find out about the race course, meet your
crew and ask any questions. Your boat must be in the
Support Boat meeting area off Greenmount Beach by
7.15am.
This time may change and notification will be forthwith
prior to the race briefing. On Saturday, 12 April,
arrange with your team to board at your departure.
Please read the requirements below and contact Dan Carroll on 0419 299 689should you have any queries.
Northcliffe Outriggers will arrange a support boat on
behalf of any International team.
SUPPORT BOAT REQUIREMENTS
Boat Requirements
All escort boats must be registered in line with all
State requirements
All escort boats must be equipped with two-way
communication. Channel 94 on 27mhz and Channel 77 on VHF
will be monitored by volunteer rescue services in case
of difficulty.
All support boats must have a licensed operator, carry
the regulation safety gear requirements and be in a
seaworthy condition.
Please make arrangements with your crew for a pick up
point away from Greenmount Beach as we are not making
IRB’s available to act as taxis from the beach due to 80
other boats and canoes on the water.
Racing Requirements
Support boats are to remain a minimum of 50m behind
back canoes on the start line.
All changeovers must be made from the water, ie. No
escort boat within 20m of any canoe except during
capsize.
If any towing of a canoe occurs in the director of
finish line, the canoe will be disqualified.
First changeover point for canoes will be after passing
the Cook Island buoy. Further changes will be at the
discretion of the teams, with the proviso that no
changes are to be made within the area bounded by the
Gold Coast Seaway rock retaining walls, for safety
reasons.
Canoes have right of way at all times.
Any impedance of a canoe by any means (eg. Wash or
causing of canoe to alter course) by a support boat will
result in either a time penalty or disqualification
being applies to the support boats canoe at the
discretion of the Race Director.
If the forecasted weather conditions make the race
unsafe, an alternate course on the Broadwater at
Southport will be used. If in doubt about conditions,
contact the Race Director after 12noon Friday, 11 April
when a decision would have been made.
Contact:
Shane Grimwood on 0416 686 183
SQZ AOCRA web site will keep you up to date with
what is happening
www.aocrasqz.com
