Varsities 2013: Whitewater - full information

[Maryanne]

All information from the Captain's pack

Whitewater
Location:          Castleconnell
Date:          Saturday 9th Feb
Time:
- 07:30 Leave UL
- 08:00 get rescue set up
- 08:30 1st racers on water
- 11.00 last competitor on water.
- 11.30 leave venue
- 12.00 arrive UL
Number of Entrants: 1 Team of 4 per College, total of 30 people needed for rescue & admin
Other Info: Castleconnell:  Grade II with sections of grade III

Race Format      
- Individual time trial.
- Each paddlers run will be timed individually and your college's time will be the total of your 4 paddlers runs.
- Teams should go down the river in a group providing their own safety for each other.
- In the event of a swim teams are expected to retrieve the swimmer and gear (safety will be present at the main rapids if needed).
- Each team will have one run down the course
- If the event is held on Castleconnell there will be a number of slalom gates on the course.
- Time penalties will be applied for missing gates and large penalty applied if less than 4 paddlers per college on water.

Transport       
- Bus to location will be provided.
- Transport will be provided for the competitors to the event.
- If competitors are not present when the bus leaves they forfeit entry to the event.
- As the parking is limited, spectators should not travel to the event.
- There may be space on the bus that is taking the competitors for a few spectators.

Equipment Required
•   Paddlers must wear a CI approved helmet and Buoyancy Aid as well as sufficient protection against the cold e.g. a dry or neoprene suit. Suitable foot wear.
•   Only modern plastic whitewater kayaks may be used, which have to be less than 9ft in length. They must have grab loops and structural centre pillars front and back. All boats must contain inflated airbags.

Scoring
As this is a time trial event, lowest added times of 4 competitors per college are deemed winners
Place   Points
1st   30
2nd   28
3rd   26
4th   24
5th   22
6th   20
7th   18
8th   16
9th   14
10th   12
11th   10
12th   8
13th   6
14th   4
15th   2

[Maryanne]

- Teams should go down the river in a group providing their own safety for each other.
- In the event of a swim teams are expected to retrieve the swimmer and gear (safety will be present at the main rapids if needed)

This doesn't make sense to me, it looks like sentences that were in the captain's pack from before it was changed to a time trial.
If the team run their timed trials together, that's cool, but if someone swims (no one on the UCD team will swim) it'd be more worthwhile points wise for their team mates to leave them and get fast times.

[oisin.mchugh]

Is there any spec on boat regulations? What if I found a plastic slalom boat to use, could I use it?

[kmck]

Only modern plastic whitewater kayaks may be used, which have to be less than 9ft in length. They must have grab loops and structural centre pillars front and back. All boats must contain inflated airbags.

[oisin.mchugh]

oh look i didnt see that thanks haa

[Maryanne]

- Teams should go down the river in a group providing their own safety for each other.
- In the event of a swim teams are expected to retrieve the swimmer and gear (safety will be present at the main rapids if needed)

This doesn't make sense to me, it looks like sentences that were in the captain's pack from before it was changed to a time trial.
If the team run their timed trials together, that's cool, but if someone swims (no one on the UCD team will swim) it'd be more worthwhile points wise for their team mates to leave them and get fast times.

I asked UL, their whitewater correspondant Eoin Keyes said:

Ok the wrong version of the captains pack was emailed out. The event is not being run in team format, rescue will be done by paddlers not on their competition runs.
One important point this year is that any swimmers will not be allowed to get back on the water after they are assisted by rescue, they must walk down to the finish line. This is because we are running everyone down the river individually so the time schedule is extremely tight with just 2 mins between racers and we cant risk having anyone interfering with paddlers on their race run who havnt swam.
Anyone who swims will be awarded a time 20 seconds slower than the slowest paddler to complete the course without swimming. The section of river we are using is only grade 2 so we anticipate few if any swimmers. There are a few nice moves and eddies on it though , ask your club captains for details.

[Maryanne]

UPDATE from Eoin Keyes

Whitewater Race Briefing.

0 – MEETING AT THE UL BOATHOUSE AT 6.30am SATURDAY MORNING. We are working to an extremely tight schedule. Any team arriving late may receive time penalties in the race, any team who arrives late enough to delay the bus leaving from the boathouse will not be allowed to get on the bus. The bus will leave as soon as everyone is on board, at the latest 7.30! As soon as possible at the Anglers Rest car park register for the event and receive your race bib. There will be open practise until the race briefing at 8.30. THERE WILL BE NO RESCUE ON THE WATER UNTIL TIMED RUNS START. TEAMS MUST PROVIDE THEIR OWN SAFETY DURING PRACTISE RUNS.

1 – Compulsory race briefing at 8.30 at get on.

2 – Ensure that you are at the start line in plenty of time; any paddler who misses their slot will not be accommodated later on. Obey instructions of race start officials. Paddlers will be let go at approximately 1.5 minute intervals.

3 –Start = READY – pause – GO!

4 – Paddle down course attempting to attain all gates along the way. Red pole is to be negotiated in an upstream direction, banners are to be touched with a hand, not your paddle, with your boat pointing upstream. Buoy at gate 4 is to be treated as an upstream pole; break out from river right behind the rock, go inside the buoy and break in again going towards river right. The buoy at gate 5 is a downstream gate, you must pass it on the left. There are photos on Facebook describing the course graphically.

5 – If you swim, obey the instructions of the rescue kayakers. They will bring you and your boat to the river right bank as quickly as possible. YOU MAY NOT RE-ENTER YOUR BOAT. This is to avoid confusion among the timing officials and avoid congestion on the course. Once reunited with your boat WALK down the river and report to the finish line officials. You will be recorded DNF and will be awarded a time 20 seconds slower than the slowest paddler to complete the course without swimming.

6 – Pat yourself on the back, walk upstream and go support the rest of the competitors! If you are asked to help out with rescue then please comply with whatever the rescue officials (Cathal & Niall) say.

Equipment Regulations:

Boats are restricted to modern whitewater kayaks of maximum length 9ft.

Boats must have sturdy footrests, well secured centre pillars and two inflated airbags in the back.

All paddlers must carry, at a minimum; a rope, a sling, a knife, two karabiners and a first aid kit for helping with rescue.

Paddlers must wear a suitable buoyancy aid and helmet, which have been certified by the manufacturer for whitewater use.

Schedule:

6.30 Meet @ UL Boathouse

7.30 ( earlier if possible ) Leave UL

8.00 get rescue + registration set up

8.00 – 8.30 practise runs.

8.30 – briefing.

1st racers on water 8.45.

15 colleges x 4 paddlers = 60 racers. 2 min gaps = 120 mins = 2 hours

10.45 last competitor on water.

10.50 Move back to bus and pack up trailers.

11.30 leave venue

12.00 arrive UL

Running order

TCD

NUIG

LYIT

MUCK

UUJCC

Shackleton

UCD

UCC

DCU

CIT

DIT

GMIT Castlebar

GMIT Galway.

UL

WIT

** Everything in this document is subject to change at the organiser's discretion!

[HelenaC]

half 6? baha! no point goin to bed!!

[Peter O'Sullivan]

Can we just drive ourselves to the Anglers rest? There is loads of parking there. We would get an extra hour and a half in bed.

9ft = 2.743metres. Fairly short ( A dancer is 3.60m, a large karnali is 2.60m. )

[kmck]

I think they want only modern creekers as in the past people have used longer racing boats on sections like this, I know we did back in Benny's day and I think the last Limerick varsities as well. Also it stops people using slalom boats.
I don't blame them for the early start since they have the long distance in the afternoon.

[Peter O'Sullivan]

Results are on line. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7VJOeLUh9sRQzFlWTVjaV90OWM/edit?usp=sharing

We were the fourth fastest team. I was the fourth fastest paddler.

[HelenaC]

Well done peter!

Great result ucd!!