Hello everyone... here's the info you've all been waiting for!
Brackets
A complete race schedule and race brackets by division are attached to this email and posted online. Please contact us immediately if you see any errors or have any concerns.
A few words about our boats, lane assignments, and advancements…
1. All boats used for racing have been recently washed, weighed and weighted to IDBF standards (within 10kg of one another). Please do not remove or interfere with any of the weights that may be strapped in the boats. It may be considered unsportsmanlike conduct that may result in disqualification from the races.
2. Teams have been pre-seeded and distributed accordingly among the first race heats, but they have been randomly assigned to a lane for that first race (i.e., pre-seeding will not be taking into consideration to placing top-seeded teams into the center lanes).
3. After the first race, teams will automatically advance to the next race and lane based on their performance in the previous race.
Advancements will continue to work the same as they always have for this race. Brackets and advancements will be posted after each round of racing.
1. Advancement to race 2 (Saturday afternoon) is based on place of finish in race 1.
2. Advancement for race 3 (Sunday morning - semi-finals) is based on the cumulative place from races 1 and 2 with time as a tiebreaker.
3. Advancement to race 4 (Sunday afternoon - finals) is based on place of finish in race 3.
On Sunday, medals for EVERYONE will be available to teams approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the race unless all teams arrive together and represent that no protests will be filed.
Specialty Races
Please double-check your participation in these, especially those signed up for the open race. We have a number of teams who checked the box to register for this race but have not paid the $100 fee to participate. Expect an email this week confirming your participation and pairings if you have not told us already.
2000m Races
The women’s 2000m Race Around the Bridges will again be run on Saturday after the mixed racing concludes; the mixed race will be run on Sunday. On Saturday, once the women’s division has concluded for the afternoon, a representative from your women’s team should check the seeding from the women’s races (to be posted at and near the Command Center) and should advise the race officials at the Command Center whether or not your team plans to participate in the 2000m Race Around the Bridges (if your team qualifies) or if you would like to be placed on the alternates list if someone ahead of you opts out. On Sunday, mixed teams in the A Division should similarly advise the officials at the Command Center if they would like to participate before the lunch break; otherwise, entries will be offered to the next-highest qualifying teams that have placed themselves on an alternates list.
University Cup
New in 2018! We’re going to open up online registration starting on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. for individual paddlers to register for composite teams representing their schools (active students or alumni)! We’re thinking it will be mostly Oregon and Washington schools represented, but a drop-down list on the registration form will allow you to enter any school and who knows what will happen? On-site registration will also be available at the Command Center until 5 boats of paddlers are full. Tell your teams and we will be publicizing this more on Facebook in the coming days.
Marshaling
Teams will be called to marshaling 15-20 minutes before the published time for their heat. That means Heat #1 will be marshaling pretty much right after the Pre-Race Meeting on Saturday. In the unlikely event that we get ahead of schedule, we will not slow down to catch up unless we are running more than 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
Please note that we are planning to start racing at 8:30 a.m. on both days!
We hope our PA system is loud enough for everyone to hear, but we know it’s a big area with a lot going on. We again plan to have a visual aid (really big numbers) posted by the Command Center which will tell you what heat is currently marshaling. If you don't have a clear view of the marshaling numbers from your tent, make sure someone on your team is paying attention as to when you should be at marshaling. You should be wrapping up your warm-ups and ready to head over to the marshaling area when the heat before you is posted/called. We are not planning on doing any kind of organized pre-marshaling but will change that if teams are consistently tardy. (Please don't make us do that.)
Other stuff:
1. Race Program. We're using an online-only program again this year. QR codes will be posted at your tents or bookmark this link now - http://www.portlanddragonboats.com/race-program.html - which should work on your mobile devices. If you need a paper copy of anything (race grids, tent maps), just ask at the Command Center.
2. Race Results. We'll be posting race results online as soon as we're posting them on the results bulletin board. We'll also be showing video results adjacent to the Command Center! For the basic info (times, places, advancements), links can be found from our Race Program. Live results with pictures should also be available on our Facebook page.
3. Rosters, Waivers and Check-In. If you have not turned them in already (thank you to the teams that have!), you should be working on completing your rosters and gathering signatures for your waivers. They must be complete and submitted to us (via email before Friday preferred), before you can race! Please use the Add/form for changes after your rosters have been submitted.
Even if your forms are emailed to us, we’re asking for all team captains to check-in at the Command Center (located on the south end of Waterfront Park, across from the RiverPlace Hotel) on Friday or before the Pre-Race Meeting on Saturday. No, we don't do wristbands at this race, but we do have other fun stuff to give you. The Command Center will be open for check-in on Friday afternoon from approximately 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and we will be there and ready to check teams in as early as 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.
4. Pre-Race Meeting. All team captains and steerspersons must attend the Pre-Race Meeting on Saturday. We will also hold a more informal and optional Pre-Race Meeting Sunday morning for anyone who has questions/concerns about what transpired the day before. The Pre-Race Meetings will be located in the Marshaling area adjacent to the Command Center at 7:30 a.m. both days.
5. Tent Assignments. As we told you in our last email, we are providing 10x10 canopies (property of DragonSports USA, please do not take home with you) for all teams. The canopies do not have sidewalls, but we are putting up fencing behind the tents to deter those passing by from entering your tents. Please do not move or cross over the fencing.
We've attached a map that generally depicts where all teams are in relation to one another in the park (also available online). Tents 1-51 are planned to be on the outer circle, tents 52-68 are planned to be in the center of the bowl.
As a reminder, teams may not switch tent spaces without approval from the Race Director.
There will be security on-site overnight, but you should plan to take most of your belongings home with you at the end of each day. Many teams do leave up canopies (please lower them overnight), tables, and signs without incident, but we cannot be responsible for any damage, theft or other loss if something happens to them overnight. DragonSports-supplied tents and fencing will be taken down as soon as racing is complete on Sunday, we ask that you pack up your belongings as well before heading to the Beer Garden.
6. Fundraising. Please keep in mind that our race rules have a few restrictions regarding fundraising activity at the race venue. The full text of the Race Rules is available online, but if you don't read them all (and really, you should read them all), just know that we ask that you notify us if your team will be fundraising and the nature of your fundraising activities. We don't want you competing with our vendors.
7. Lodging. DragonMax has a couple of extra rooms at the Marriott that they won’t be using and will release tomorrow (Tuesday). Please email Linda Lee if you would like them transferred to you instead.
8. First Aid. Finally, a big shout out to our sponsor, Kaiser Permanente, for staffing our First Aid tent (located adjacent to the Command Center) this weekend. Though the basics will be provided here, we still recommend that each team bring their own first aid kit to this and every event to cover your team’s specific needs.
Thanks for sticking with us to the end of this email. We’re sure some of you have questions, so fire away and we will try to respond in a timely fashion or send your email on to someone who can! See you this weekend!
Kristin Sterling, Race Registrar & Jeanie Zinn, Race Director
Brackets
A complete race schedule and race brackets by division are attached to this email and posted online. Please contact us immediately if you see any errors or have any concerns.
A few words about our boats, lane assignments, and advancements…
1. All boats used for racing have been recently washed, weighed and weighted to IDBF standards (within 10kg of one another). Please do not remove or interfere with any of the weights that may be strapped in the boats. It may be considered unsportsmanlike conduct that may result in disqualification from the races.
2. Teams have been pre-seeded and distributed accordingly among the first race heats, but they have been randomly assigned to a lane for that first race (i.e., pre-seeding will not be taking into consideration to placing top-seeded teams into the center lanes).
3. After the first race, teams will automatically advance to the next race and lane based on their performance in the previous race.
Advancements will continue to work the same as they always have for this race. Brackets and advancements will be posted after each round of racing.
1. Advancement to race 2 (Saturday afternoon) is based on place of finish in race 1.
2. Advancement for race 3 (Sunday morning - semi-finals) is based on the cumulative place from races 1 and 2 with time as a tiebreaker.
3. Advancement to race 4 (Sunday afternoon - finals) is based on place of finish in race 3.
On Sunday, medals for EVERYONE will be available to teams approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the race unless all teams arrive together and represent that no protests will be filed.
Specialty Races
Please double-check your participation in these, especially those signed up for the open race. We have a number of teams who checked the box to register for this race but have not paid the $100 fee to participate. Expect an email this week confirming your participation and pairings if you have not told us already.
2000m Races
The women’s 2000m Race Around the Bridges will again be run on Saturday after the mixed racing concludes; the mixed race will be run on Sunday. On Saturday, once the women’s division has concluded for the afternoon, a representative from your women’s team should check the seeding from the women’s races (to be posted at and near the Command Center) and should advise the race officials at the Command Center whether or not your team plans to participate in the 2000m Race Around the Bridges (if your team qualifies) or if you would like to be placed on the alternates list if someone ahead of you opts out. On Sunday, mixed teams in the A Division should similarly advise the officials at the Command Center if they would like to participate before the lunch break; otherwise, entries will be offered to the next-highest qualifying teams that have placed themselves on an alternates list.
University Cup
New in 2018! We’re going to open up online registration starting on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. for individual paddlers to register for composite teams representing their schools (active students or alumni)! We’re thinking it will be mostly Oregon and Washington schools represented, but a drop-down list on the registration form will allow you to enter any school and who knows what will happen? On-site registration will also be available at the Command Center until 5 boats of paddlers are full. Tell your teams and we will be publicizing this more on Facebook in the coming days.
Marshaling
Teams will be called to marshaling 15-20 minutes before the published time for their heat. That means Heat #1 will be marshaling pretty much right after the Pre-Race Meeting on Saturday. In the unlikely event that we get ahead of schedule, we will not slow down to catch up unless we are running more than 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
Please note that we are planning to start racing at 8:30 a.m. on both days!
We hope our PA system is loud enough for everyone to hear, but we know it’s a big area with a lot going on. We again plan to have a visual aid (really big numbers) posted by the Command Center which will tell you what heat is currently marshaling. If you don't have a clear view of the marshaling numbers from your tent, make sure someone on your team is paying attention as to when you should be at marshaling. You should be wrapping up your warm-ups and ready to head over to the marshaling area when the heat before you is posted/called. We are not planning on doing any kind of organized pre-marshaling but will change that if teams are consistently tardy. (Please don't make us do that.)
Other stuff:
1. Race Program. We're using an online-only program again this year. QR codes will be posted at your tents or bookmark this link now - http://www.portlanddragonboats.com/race-program.html - which should work on your mobile devices. If you need a paper copy of anything (race grids, tent maps), just ask at the Command Center.
2. Race Results. We'll be posting race results online as soon as we're posting them on the results bulletin board. We'll also be showing video results adjacent to the Command Center! For the basic info (times, places, advancements), links can be found from our Race Program. Live results with pictures should also be available on our Facebook page.
3. Rosters, Waivers and Check-In. If you have not turned them in already (thank you to the teams that have!), you should be working on completing your rosters and gathering signatures for your waivers. They must be complete and submitted to us (via email before Friday preferred), before you can race! Please use the Add/form for changes after your rosters have been submitted.
Even if your forms are emailed to us, we’re asking for all team captains to check-in at the Command Center (located on the south end of Waterfront Park, across from the RiverPlace Hotel) on Friday or before the Pre-Race Meeting on Saturday. No, we don't do wristbands at this race, but we do have other fun stuff to give you. The Command Center will be open for check-in on Friday afternoon from approximately 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and we will be there and ready to check teams in as early as 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.
4. Pre-Race Meeting. All team captains and steerspersons must attend the Pre-Race Meeting on Saturday. We will also hold a more informal and optional Pre-Race Meeting Sunday morning for anyone who has questions/concerns about what transpired the day before. The Pre-Race Meetings will be located in the Marshaling area adjacent to the Command Center at 7:30 a.m. both days.
5. Tent Assignments. As we told you in our last email, we are providing 10x10 canopies (property of DragonSports USA, please do not take home with you) for all teams. The canopies do not have sidewalls, but we are putting up fencing behind the tents to deter those passing by from entering your tents. Please do not move or cross over the fencing.
We've attached a map that generally depicts where all teams are in relation to one another in the park (also available online). Tents 1-51 are planned to be on the outer circle, tents 52-68 are planned to be in the center of the bowl.
As a reminder, teams may not switch tent spaces without approval from the Race Director.
There will be security on-site overnight, but you should plan to take most of your belongings home with you at the end of each day. Many teams do leave up canopies (please lower them overnight), tables, and signs without incident, but we cannot be responsible for any damage, theft or other loss if something happens to them overnight. DragonSports-supplied tents and fencing will be taken down as soon as racing is complete on Sunday, we ask that you pack up your belongings as well before heading to the Beer Garden.
6. Fundraising. Please keep in mind that our race rules have a few restrictions regarding fundraising activity at the race venue. The full text of the Race Rules is available online, but if you don't read them all (and really, you should read them all), just know that we ask that you notify us if your team will be fundraising and the nature of your fundraising activities. We don't want you competing with our vendors.
7. Lodging. DragonMax has a couple of extra rooms at the Marriott that they won’t be using and will release tomorrow (Tuesday). Please email Linda Lee if you would like them transferred to you instead.
8. First Aid. Finally, a big shout out to our sponsor, Kaiser Permanente, for staffing our First Aid tent (located adjacent to the Command Center) this weekend. Though the basics will be provided here, we still recommend that each team bring their own first aid kit to this and every event to cover your team’s specific needs.
Thanks for sticking with us to the end of this email. We’re sure some of you have questions, so fire away and we will try to respond in a timely fashion or send your email on to someone who can! See you this weekend!
Kristin Sterling, Race Registrar & Jeanie Zinn, Race Director
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