RULES & REGS

Home

Classifications
** Age is defined as your age on December 31, 2017 **
[New - changed to agree with FISA/HOCR]
ABOVE ALL: Regardless of any overlaps you might find in the categorization of rowers or events, rowers in high school cannot row in an event or with a crew that has collegeiate rowers. Period. End of discussion.
NOVICE: First season in a sculling shell for sculling events. First season rowing for a high school, or first season rowing at the collegiate level for sweep events. So if you rowed in high school and are a freshman in college, you are eligible to row in a collegiate novice event with your college.
LIGHTWEIGHT: (Changed in 2011, now agrees with HOCR)
  • Crew of 2 or more: Men 165 lbs max, Women 133 lbs max. No averaging.
  • Singles: Men 160 lbs max, Women 130 lbs max.
AGE CLASSIFICIATIONS:

The age classifications below are provided for possible future use.  However, since the TRR does not have age-specific or decade-specific Masters events, our rule is that any rower 23 years or older and not affiliated with a collegiate or secondary school rowing program may row in a Masters event.  The USRA calculation for handicaps will apply to all Masters events.

  • VETERAN:   Average age of rower(s) at least 60 years old.  No one except coxswain under 23 years of age.
  • GRAND MASTER:  Average age of rower(s) at least 50 years old.  No one except coxswain under 23 years of age.
  • SENIOR MASTER:  Average age of rower(s) at least 40 years old.  No one except coxswain under 23 years of age.
  • MASTER:  Average age of rower(s) at least 27 years old.  No one except coxswain under 23 years of age.  
  • MASTER "AA":  Average age of rower(s) at least 23 years old and not affiliated with a collegiate or secondary rowing program.
CLUB: Textile River Regatta definition in effect as follows:

Limited to person (including coxswains) who in ANY sculling or sweep-oared event (master or veteran events excepted) DID NOT:

  1. Earn any Senior World Championship or Olympic gold/silver/bronze medal since 1996 
  2. Earn a 1st place medal in any Championship (open) event of the Head Of The Charles regatta since 1996; 
  3. Compete in any Senior World Championships or Olympic Games since 1998; 
  4. Earn a medal in last year's Textile River Regatta open events.
  5. In the current year, reach the quarter-finals of the Henley Royal or Henley Women's Regattas OR finish among the top six places in any national team trials, national or international championships (e.g. FISA World Cup, US Rowing national championships Elite Only, Pan Ams, Lucerne, FISA Junior Worlds, World Under 23 Rowing Regatta, Head Of The River, London, etc.), San Diego CC (Copley and Jessop-Whittier Cup only), EARC or EAWRC Sprints, NCAA, Mid-West Championships, PAC-10, IRA OR finish among the top three places at Canadian Henley (Canadian Henley Junior events excepted) OR win the Dad Vail Regatta, Avaya Communication Collegiate Championship (novice events excepted). 

Race officials reserve the right to classify foreign crews into the appropriate event based on the racing experience of the competitors in the boat. 

JUNIOR / YOUTH: Any rower presently enrolled in secondary school.  We consider this to be the equivalent of "HS" or "High School" designations used in the past.
U23 / COLLEGIATE: Any rower presently enrolled in college or university and not eligible for U19 designation.  We consider the U23 USRowing defintion to be the equivalent of the TRR "Collegiate" designation.  Also includes a post graduate rower under the age of 23.
MIXED: In a Mixed event, crew must consist of equal numbers of men and women, not including the coxswain.  Note that all Mixed events at the TRR use USRA handicapping to economize on the number of separate events we offer.

Rules
COURSE: The Textile River Regatta is rowed over a 6,000 meter course beginning at Tyng Island and finishing along the Heritage State Park walkway, south of the Bellegarde boathouse. The course is clearly marked along its length with buoys.
LAUNCH SITES: Boats are to launch from the docks at the UML Bellegarde Boathouse ("BOATHOUSE") or the City of Lowell Beach located next to the Pavilion (downstream from the boathouse about a mile, known as "BEACH"). Singles, 2x/2- and 4x/4-/4+ may launch from the Rourke Boat Ramp ("SDAFL") upriver from the boathouse about 3/4 mile [New in 2014]. While there is ample room for trailers in the parking lot of this location, the docks are not long enough to launch eights. Each of the three launch sites is staffed by one or more Dockmasters who have the authority for launching operations, traffic patterns and priorities at each site.

Priority will be given to boats launching for an event over those returning from a previous event.

All boats should launch no later than sixty minutes prior to the start of their event. A Dockmaster will be present to expedite boat traffic. ALWAYS launch and dock with the bow pointed upstream.  Boats should STAY ON THE NORTH SIDE of the river upon launching.   This is the same side as the boathouse.  The travel lane is entirely on the north side - there is NO river crossing.  Keep ample berth between the land on starboard and the course, which is designated by RED buoys on PORT.
BUOYS: RED buoys mark PORT side of the course,  and GREEN buoys mark the STARBOARD side.  What this means:  Keep the RED buoys to PORT at all times, both going upriver to the Start and on the course.  YELLOW  buoys mark hazards.  Do not try to put your oars over a yellow buoy as it might have drifted and you could hit the hazard it is marking.  Do not attempt to go between a green buoy and the shore, even on your way up to the starting line!!!!  Giant ORANGE buoys mark the start and the finish lines.

To Emphasize and Summarize:
  • RED = PORT, both on the course and in the travel lane.
  • GREEN = STARBOARD on the course.
  • YELLOW = Hazards
  • ORANGE = Start and Finish lines
START: Each entrant is responsible for arriving at the marshalling area ten minutes prior to the start of their event. Boats will be started in order by bow number at approximately ten second intervals. Late-arriving boats may lose their starting position or be excluded from the race at the discretion of the Starter. Boats must pass through the starting buoys to be officially recognized.

Crews late to the start may start at the discretion of the referees at the start line. If a late crew is allowed to start, a time will be recorded, however the publication of this time within the results of the original event and/or the boat's standing in the event are not guaranteed.

To do your warm-ups, move past the orange buoys marking the marshalling area at the Start. Make sure you do not continue upstream out of earshot of the marshals.
FINISH: Participants not passing between the two finishing buoys with bow marker intact are subject to exclusion from the race. Once beyond the finish line, boats MUST clear the Finish line and row clear of all the orange bouys following the finish line before turning. This is so you do not block the other crews as they cross the line. Impeding boats that are still racing constitutes a major (30 second) violation.
Warning: There is a waterfall approximately 1500 meters past the Finish line.  You should avoid rowing over the falls if at all possible.

To return to the docks, turn to port and return to the docks in the return lane along the wall.

Dock carefully with safety in mind and LISTEN for the Dockmaster's instructions. 
REGISTRATION:

Registration is done exclusively at Regatta Central.  Please do not mail us entry forms that you have printed from an old version of this web site.

CHECK-IN IS REQUIRED AT THE REGATTA

Competitors or their coaches must check-in at the Bellegarde Boathouse at the main desk. Check-in times are as follows:

  • Saturday, Sep 30th 4pm to 6pm
  • Sunday, Oct 1st 6am to 3pm
  • Allow ample time to get through check-in and make your event. We have the fastest check-in team around, but you might wait 15 minutes during peak times. We highly encourage coaches to come with a well-prepared set of documentation to complete the check-in for their entire fleet in one pass.
  • All coaches must sign Coaches Certification Form and bring it to Check-in.
  • USRowing compliance is required for the TRR since it is a USRowing Regatta. To be compliant - affiliate with a USRowing-affiliated club or school. Or if any athlete wishes to compete under Unaffiliated, the athlete must have a current Championship Membership (paid membership). See USRowing website for more info: http://usrowing.org/join.aspx.

 

Your bow number and bib will be given to you then, along with an event program and any important race-day information.  If you do not check-in during these designated times, you may not be allowed to race.  Any rare exceptions are at the discretion of the Local Organizing Committee, confirmed by the USRA Chief Referee.  BOW NUMBER BIB SHOULD BE PINNED TO THE PERSON IN THE BOW SEAT.

When arriving for check-in, bring your Regatta Central invoice to speed the check-in process, and if you are registered for any lightweight events, bring your crew for weigh-in.
ELIGIBILITY: See Classifications at the top of this page.
EQUIPMENT:  Bowmarkers and bibs must be picked up at the Registration desk (one per boat per race).  All boats launching must have their bowmarkers secured.  Bowmarkers will be collected at the launch site.  BOWCLIPS: All boats must have a bow clip to which a bowmarker can be secured. We won't have spare bow clips at the regatta, so make sure your boat is equipped.  BOW BALL:  All shells MUST be equipped with a bowball.  HEEL STRAPS: All boats MUST have heel straps securely in place at launch time per USRA rules. This is a cool-weather regatta and heel strap compliance is a very popular item with the referees. 
PENALTIES & PROTESTS:
  1. Any boat being overtaken must grant the right-of-way to the upcoming boat. An overtaken boat should begin to yield NO LATER THAN the point at which the overtaking crew is within one boat length of their stern.
  2. Boats must proceed downstream within the restraints of course buoys.
  3. Boats not observing course rules and/or impeding other crews shall be penalized at the discretion of Regatta officials.

    Minor Violations: 10 second penalty (e.g., cutting a buoy)

    Major Violations: 30 second penalty (e.g., not granting right of way)

  4. Protests must be reported to the Dockmaster immediately upon docking and then submitted in writing to a USRA official at the Textile River Regatta headquarters containing a concise statement describing the facts that underlie the protest (including a visual description of the incident in question, bow numbers of protesting and protested crews, and names of witnesses, if any) and the relief that the crew seeks. The protest will include the individual signature of a protesting crew member (usually the cox on a sweep boat) and will be accompanied by a check for $25 made out to the Textile River Regatta or $25 in cash. The written protest will be submitted to a USRA official at the regatta not more than thirty minutes after finishing that event.
Textile River Regatta Committee
P.O. Box 1493
Lowell, MA 01852-1493

info@textileriverregatta.org

©2024 The Textile River Regatta. All Rights Reserved.