1. General
1.1. Any crew that fails to observe the Rules and Regulations herein may be disqualified.
1.2. A limited number of credentials will be issued to each crew. These are for the use of the crew and its officials only and are not to be used by other persons.
1.3. Each team must submit a completed Team Registration Form, complete with Roster and one (1) Waiver per person to the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee by August 1, 2024 to participate.
1.4. All teams must have a drummer to compete.
1.5. The Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any crew in the race at its sole discretion.
1.6. All matters not specifically addressed in this "Rules and Regulations" will be determined, at its sole discretion, by the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee.
1.7. Unsportsmanlike conduct will be not tolerated and the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee may suspend teams from competition.
1.8. The Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee reserves the right to seek legal action against a team or crew member for damages caused by failing to follow the Rules and Regulations or negligent or wrongful acts or omissions.
1.9. The Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee reserves the right to waive, amend and add to any of the Rules and Regulations.
1.10. Crew members are not allowed to consume alcoholic beverages prior to conclusion of their scheduled races.
1.11. Crew members shall have available, and the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee reserves the right to check photo IDs at all times during the event.
2. Safety
2.1. Crew members must be able to swim at least 50 meters wearing light clothing. It is the responsibility of the Organization or individual entering a crew to make sure that all members of the crew comply with this rule.
2.2. Each crew member is solely responsible for his or her own safety during official practice sessions and during races.
2.3. Personal Flotation Device (PFD's) will be provided to all crew members and must be worn in the proper manner at all times while in the dragon boat. Inflatable PFD’s are permitted provided they are fully charged and worn in the proper manner at all times while in the dragon boat.
2.4. These rules concerning safety should not be construed as authority over and above requirements necessitated by regulatory agencies.
2.5. In the event of a swamped boat, all crew members must stay with the boat, report any missing persons to the steer person and wait for further instructions from a safety official.
3. Waivers
3.1. A “Registered Crew Member” is any person who is listed on race roster including the drummer (also referred to herein as "crew member").
3.2. All Registered Crew Members must sign a waiver/release/assumption/indemnity in a form required by the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee (“Waiver”) stating that they have read the conditions of the waiver and are aware of the risks associated with Dragon Boat racing, and accept and thus waive any right or course of action they may have against the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee, sponsors, supporters or any organizations connected with the event for injury or death to person(s) or loss/damage to personal property. Crew members who are under the age of eighteen (18) years must have the Waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian prior to participating in any dragon boat activities. Minimum paddler’s age is 12 in all Divisions.
3.3. All crew members must sign and return a waiver to the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee prior to any practice sessions, and for race activities.
3.4. The Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee may require signing more than one Waiver.
3.5. All participant paperwork (waivers, team list/roster) MUST be completed by August 1 and returned to the committee!
4. The Crew and Crew Composition
4.1. There will be 2 divisions, the 20-Person Boat Division and 10-Person Boat Division.
Each boat in both divisions must also carry one drummer.
The 20-Person Division boats carry a max of 20 paddlers for the Dragon Boat race, plus a drummer and are intended for our organized team competitors and larger businesses. A minimum of 7 paddlers must be women in this division. If we have enough participation in this division, it will be broken into sub divisions like the 10-Person Division.
The 10-Person Boat Division is for our smaller businesses, and more casual competitors. This division will have up to 10 paddlers, plus a drummer with a minimum of 3 female paddlers on all boats. This division will be broken into 3 sub-divisions (Elite, Local Master & Casual Paddlers) based on the number of boats participating.
4.2. At the time of entry each organization entering a crew shall have the required 20/10 paddlers plus one drummer.
4.3. The Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee specifically reserves the right to waive or amend Rule 4.1 or 4.2 at any time. If there are less than 3 teams in a division the committee has the right to merge divisions to fill racing lanes.
4.4. Each crew is entirely responsible for its own conduct and for complying with the race rules.
4.5. Depending on the number of teams entered in each division, boats will be split based on times and experience into smaller sub-divisions. (Elite, Local Masters and Casual Paddlers)
4.6. A crew’s roster can include up to 25/15 paddlers (5 of them being alternates), 1 drummer and 1 steersperson. Steerspersons will be provided for teams on race day. If the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee provides a crew with a steersperson, that crew may not fill that space on the roster with an additional paddler. Max 25/15 paddlers.
4.7. Additionally, an award will be given to the best dressed drummer and the most interactive drummer. The Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee encourages teams to find a drummer in advance and compete for this fun new award.
5. Marshaling, Embarking and Proceeding to Start
5.1. A crew must assemble in the Crew Marshaling Area and be ready to board 30 minutes before the time of its race.
5.2. A crew must follow the directions of the Race Officials from the time it is called to the Crew Marshaling Area.
5.3. A crew must board the dragon boat in accordance to instructions given by Race Officials.
5.4. A crew is not permitted to choose which boat to use and must use the boat assigned by Race Officials.
5.5. Each boat is assigned to a lane in which it is to race. A crew must race in the assigned lane.
5.6. After a crew has boarded, it must leave the dock area and immediately proceed to the starting area by using the designated traveling lane.
6. Starting Procedure
6.1. A crew in the starting area must obey the instructions of the Starter, Judges and other Race Officials under the control of the starter.
6.2. A crew shall not cross the race course to its assigned starting position until after the preceding race has been started and it is clear that a false start has not occurred.
6.3. A crew must take up its correct position in the starting area in the lane assigned to it. It is the responsibility of the team and not the Judge, to maintain its correct position before the start.
6.4. When the Starter is satisfied that the crews are correctly aligned, the Starter will alert all crews by raising the horn and give the verbal warning ”All Boats Hold” then "Attention please". After a 1-3 second pause, a horn will then be sounded to signify the start of the race.
6.5. It is the responsibility of each team captain to make sure that each crew member is familiar with the starting procedure. The starting signal is the horn.
6.6. In the event that the Starter considers that any crew has started before the horn is sounded, a second horn may be sounded to signify a false start and all crews must stop and return immediately to the start. The race may be restarted. The Starter may issue a warning to any crew that causes a false start.
6.7. Any crew that fails to return after a false start or that causes two false starts may be disqualified.
7. Race Conduct
7.1. The proper course for each boat is a straight line from its starting position to a corresponding point on the finish line. Each boat must remain in the middle of its allocated lane and may not interfere with other boats.
7.2. In the event of a boat failing to keep its proper course and thereby interfering with the course of another boat which is on its proper course, or in the event of a collision between two or more boats, the Race Official may, after consultation with other Race Officials, disqualify the offending boat or boats, impose a penalty on the offending boat or order one or more boats to re-race the race, or both, where, in the Race Official's opinion, the result of the race has been materially affected.
7.3. If, in the opinion of the Race Officials, a boat has been swamped or capsized deliberately by the crew, the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee reserves the right to disqualify and refuse such crew's continued participation in this year's races. A financial penalty may also be imposed on the team.
7.4. If, in the opinion of the Race Official, after consultation with other Race Officials, a boat is damaged deliberately by the crew, the Chautauqua Lake Dragon Boat Committee reserves the right to impose a financial penalty on the organization entering the crew which will cover the repair costs to the boat.