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| Rules of The Race |
- The conduct of The Race shall be the sole responsibility of the Umpire, who
shall be chosen by mutual consent of the presidents of the two University
Boat Clubs.
- The Umpire shall be responsible for positioning the stakeboats, which shall
not be moved after the toss for choice of stations has taken place, except
with the agreement of both parties.
- Each crew shall be attached to its stakeboat five minutes before the
official start time of The Race: lateness renders a crew liable to the
award of a False Start from the Umpire. If, once the Umpire has commenced
the starting sequence, he considers that there has been a false start he
shall at once recall the crews to their stakeboats and shall award a False
Start to the offending crew. A crew with two False Starts shall be
disqualified.
- A boat’s proper course is such as will enable it to reach the winning
post in the shortest possible time, provided that it allows ample water for
the other crew to steer its proper course on the side which it started,
when that crew is in a position to enforce its right to that water. But
both boats shall pass through the centre arches of Hammersmith and Barnes
Bridges. A boat failing to keep to its proper course does so at its peril
in the event of a foul occurring.
- The Umpire shall be the sole judge of a boat’s proper course. He may warn
either or both crews when he considers that there is a danger of a foul
occurring, or if there is any obstruction on the course, but he shall not
otherwise direct the steering of either crew.
- It shall be considered a foul when, after the Race has started, there shall
be any physical contact between the boats, oars or persons of the two
crews.
- In the event of a foul occurring either crew may claim, to the Umpire, that
the other crew be disqualified. If the crew making the claim was in its
proper course, and the crew against whom the claim is made was out of its
proper course, the latter shall be disqualified unless the foul was so
slight as not to influence The Race. In this case the crew against who the
claim was made shall only be disqualified if, in the opinion of the Umpire,
it has seriously or deliberately encroached on the course of the crew
making the claim.
- In the event of a serious or deliberate foul the Umpire shall disqualify
the offending crew without waiting for a claim. He may do this at once or
at any later time up to or immediately after the end of The Race. (Note:
This means that he may delay the decision, either in the interests of
safety, or to see whether a foul has, in fact, influenced the result of the
race.)
- The crews shall abide by their accidents. But the Umpire may declare ‘No
Race’, and order a restart or re-row if: i. Either crew is interfered
with by any outside agency to such an extent as to influence the result of
The Race. ii. Before reaching the end of the wall, either crew should
suffer any serious accident or sinking or waterlogging, which is not due to
the fault of any member of the crew concerned.
- Refusal to abide by the decision of the Umpire, or to follow his
instructions shall render a crew liable to disqualification.
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