Part V - Courses
  • Regulation, Rule 33 - Characteristics
  • The race course for international coastal rowing regattas shall provide, as far as possible, fair and equal racing conditions for all crews. This shall require sufficient width of the start line to allow all the crews in each event to start at the same time (except in the case where there are preliminary heats, the process for which shall have been notified to all teams at the time of their entry).  Wherever possible, the Organising Committee shall try to design the course so that the progress of the race and the competing boats can be seen by spectators on shore. 
     
  • The length of course shall be as provided in Regulation, Rule 34.  
     
  • The course may be straight, rectangular, triangular or point to point. For safety purposes the layout of the course shall not allow boats to be travelling in opposite directions in the same water.
  • Courses which include turns should have a minimum distance of 2 kilometers between turning buoys and the course may be covered more than once.  In principle there should be no turning buoy closer than 2 km from the start if the required angle of the turn at that buoy is greater than 45 degrees.
  • Where an event has separate preliminary heats, the courses used for the respective heats may be different from one heat to the next but must be of the same racing distance and the racing conditions of each course on the day must be similar.

 

  • Course Markers
  • A plan of the course showing the location of all course markers together with their description and their GPS position, must be included in the Notice of Regatta and also in the instructions issued to all crews upon arrival at the regatta. The plan shall also be displayed at the Control Commission;
     
  • The course markers can be existing moorage buoys, beacons or specific course markers;
     
  • The organisers must take all necessary precautions in setting out the markers (and the course) to ensure safety for all boats and rowers and to avoid any risks of grounding. (For example: a warning buoy should be placed to alert crews to any dangerously shallow areas which are close to the course and might pose a danger.)

 

  • Start and Finish Lines
  • The start line and finish line shall be marked by the alignment of two landmarks or buoys.
     
  • The orientation of the start or finish line shall in principle be perpendicular to the route to be taken to or from the next or previous marker respectively;
     
  • For all races, except for races against the clock, the start line shall be wide enough to allow all competitors in the race to align and start at the same time.

     
  • Regulation, Rule 34 – Length of the Course
  • International coastal rowing regattas -In principle the racing distance shall be between 6 km and 12 km for men and women.  The length of the course in each case shall be shown in the FISA International Regatta Calendar (Rule 15) and shall be notified to federations in the Notice of Regatta. The racing distance may be changed by the President of the Jury due to adverse weather conditions, in consultation with the Organising Committee.
     
  • FISA Coastal Rowing Championship regattas – In principle the racing distance shall be 8km and shall be the same for men and women.  This distance may vary depending on factors relating to the individual venue for the Championships taking into account safety, positioning of course markers, spectator visibility and start and finish facilities. In adverse weather conditions the distance may be changed by the President of the Jury, in consultation with the Organising Committee. 


  • Regulation, Rule 35 – Number of Lanes
  • Coastal rowing regattas shall normally be raced without limit to the number of crews in each race. This will be subject to the dimensions of the start line, the length of the course and all safety considerations, including weather conditions and provision of safety boats.  There shall be no delineated lanes.  Where there is a limit on the width of the start line, the Organising Committee shall indicate in the Notice of Regatta and in the information to crews the maximum number of boats which can be accommodated on the start line at one time in any category in accordance with the Regulation, Rule 60 in these Regulations.
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