Rules of Competition The team captain must be familiar with rules of competition and make certain his/her team is in compliance. Race Committee The management of the competition and all decision-making authority shall be in the hands of the Dragon Tribunal, which will consist of: 1. Head Race Official – Mike Kerkmann 2. Event Director – Anna Sizer 3. Team Communications Coordinator – Amy Mittlestadt The Head Race Official shall: 1. Hear any protests that may be made and settle any disputes that may arise. 2. Decide matters concerning disqualification in cases where the regulations have been broken during the competition. The decision of the committee shall be based on the rules as shown in this document. 3. Consult with officials who were in control of the race before any decision is made regarding an alleged infraction of the rules. 4. Disqualify any competitor who behaves improperly, or who by his/her conduct or speech shows contempt towards the officials, other competitors, or onlookers. Official Race Results Official race results will be recorded to 1/100 sec. by professional video race review software and posted a few minutes after each race on the race results board. General 1. A team representative from each team shall attend a Team Captains Meeting prior to the races. General rules will be reviewed. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday morning at 8:45 a.m. at Half Moon Beach near the marshalling area. 2. Written guidelines and the race rules shall be available to teams upon request prior to the competition. 3. All boats, paddles and personal floatation devices (PFD) for use by competitors will be provided by race service provider; however, competitors may use their own paddles and/or PFDs provided the paddle meets International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) PS202a specification and the PFD is U.S. Coast Guard approved. Inflatable PFDs are not permitted. The officials shall not be responsible for any failure of equipment during a race and each team is advised to carefully check the boat and paddles allocated to it before racing and request any spares. The race officials are obligated to replace damaged equipment at the request of a team before the team leaves the marshalling area.

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3.1. Paddlers are not permitted to alter the supplied paddles in any way – including but not limited to – applying sticky or waxy substances to the shaft and roughening the hand gripping surfaces. A team is under the control of the race officials from the time it is called to the team staging area, or 30 minutes before the time of its race, if earlier, until it leaves the team marshalling area after its race. Rules of Competition Knee pads, seat cushions and/or gloves may be worn; however, any other equipment, modifications to the boat or paddles will not be allowed. Each team must have a representative, who must be present at the staging area during the time that the team is under the control of the race officials. The team representative will be responsible for liaisons with race officials. Once in the marshalling area or on the racecourse, teams must obey any instructions given to them by race officials. We promise we won’t make you dance if you don’t want to dance. All paddling competitors and drummers must be fourteen years of age or older at the time of the event. Any qualifying competitor under eighteen years of age must have a guardian’s waiver and be accompanied by an adult who has responsibility for the competitor’s conduct. The race organizer reserves the right to refuse any team entry into a race if the team does not comply with the race rules and conduct. Any team that fails to observe these rules may be disqualified. Signaling devices such as radio communications or other electronic items (intercoms, etc.), shall not be used by any team during the races. Only the drum and drum sticks provided shall be used to signal the stroke rate; use of drum is optional; whistles, rattles, air horns or any other noise making devices are prohibited from use during the race

Safety 1. Use common sense. If these safety rules are followed by all, we believe everyone can have a weekend full of fun that is injury free. 2. Each competitor will be required to wear a full-vested personal floatation device (PFD) during the competition and all practice sessions. It is the responsibility of the team captain to make sure that all members of the team comply with this rule. Inflatable PFDs are not permitted. 3. All teams shall have the opportunity to train in a dragon boat prior to the races. 4. The race organizer will provide an experienced Dragon Boat Steersperson. 5. Each lane shall be at least ten meters in width to help prevent collisions. 6. NO alcohol is permitted during practice, competition or on the festival grounds. 7. All paddlers must sign a release form prior to the first practice and the event and be physically fit enough to participate. 7.1. Each team member is required to be able to swim 100 meters while wearing a PFD . It is the responsibility of the team captain to ensure that all members of the team are able to comply with this regulation. 8. Wrist bands must be worn by all participants. Waivers must have been signed by every participant. (Participants over 18 must sign the waiver roster provided to the team; individual waivers must be signed by the responsible parent/guardian for any participants under 18.) 2 Rules of Competition

9. When loading and unloading from the loading dock, participants must follow instructions for loading/unloading order given by race crew. Failure to load and unload correctly may result in serious injury and/or disqualification. 10. It is the captain’s responsibility to orient his/her team to these rules before they enter the boats for the first time, or to have a qualified person from the festival committee do so. 11. Respect the equipment. Do not scrape paddles along the gunwales of theof boat. This ruins the Rules Competition boats and paddles. 12. Do not sit or stand on life jackets. To do so shortens the life span of the jackets and is against the rules of the competition. 13. Before taking your team through any strenuous sprints or race starts, be sure team members are warmed up to avoid any strains. 14. Non-slip shoes or sandals with a heel strap (Crocs, water shoes, athletic shoes) must be worn at all times by all paddlers, drummers and steerspersons. Flip flops are not allowed. 15. In the event of bad weather, high winds, lightning or approaching darkness teams will be pulled off the water immediately. Safety is our first concern. 16. The race committee and Pan American Dragon Boat reserve the right to refuse the use of any dragon boat or equipment to any team member failing to follow these rules. 17. Each competitor is solely responsible for his/her own safety during official practice sessions and during races and no responsibility will be accepted by the race officials, Pan American Dragon Boat, Mayo Clinic Health System, any official volunteer, or any sponsoring organization for any injury, damage or loss incurred or born by competitors or members of a team. 18. Any injuries sustained as a result of participating in the races must be reported immediately to the Dragon Station where incident report forms are available. The team captain is responsible for completing and submitting the report.

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The Team 1. Team rosters should list a minimum of 20 paddlers and one drummer. Alternates may be identified for a roster of up to 25 persons. Should rostered paddlers drop out or leave the festival early, a minimum of 14 paddlers and one drummer must compete in a race otherwise the team will be disqualified.

Ruleswith of Competition 2. Each team is entirely responsible for its own conduct and for complying the race rules. 3. Any person observed by an official to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs shall be removed from paddling and cannot be replaced. In addition, that person’s team may be disqualified. 4. A team that allows a non-waivered / registered person to participate as a team member will be subject to disqualification for that race, and may be disqualified from further participation in the festival. Marshalling 1. A team must be assembled in the team tent to be called to the staging area 30 minutes prior to racing time and in the marshalling area 15 minutes prior to the time of its race. Teams must be flexible to be ready earlier or wait longer as the races may be ahead of or behind schedule. 2. A team must board the boat in accordance with the instruction of the race officials. 3. A team must board the boat allocated to it, which is identified by a race number placard. 4. A team is not permitted to choose which boat or lane to use and must race in the lane allocated to its boat. 5. To facilitate the races, after a team has boarded the boats it should leave the boarding area and move toward the starting line. The team must keep clear of the course and not interfere with any race that is in progress. 6. After the race is complete, the team must exit as guided by the dock assistants and promptly move out of the marshalling area to give space to subsequent teams that are lining up.

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The Start 1. A team in the starting area on the water will obey the instruction of the starter and other race officials under control of the starter. 2. A team will take up its position in the starting area in the correct lane allocated to it. 3. Boats will line up at the starting point according to instructions from race officials. Rules Competition 4. Approximately one minute before race start a verbal warning “one minuteof to start” will be given. The starter will align the boats and voice the following commands: “we have alignment… attention please…” Within 2 seconds a horn will signify the start of the race. In the event of a false start, a second horn, gun, whistle or shout will sound and all boats must return immediately and the race will be restarted. The starter will issue a warning to any team that causes a false start. 5. Any team that fails to return after a false start, or that causes two false starts will be disqualified from that race. Race Conduct 1. Each boat must remain in its correct lane and must not interfere with other boats in the race. Lane markers may be positioned beyond the finish line to guide teams. Course distances will be approximately 250 meters, 3 lanes each approximately 10 meters wide. International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Standard dragon boats will be used (BuK model 1222 and Kahlua model 1222). 2. Any boat failing to keep to its proper course will be warned by a race official. Boats must not pass outside buoys marking the edge of the course. 3. In the event of a boat failing to keep its proper course and thereby interfering with the course of another boat, or in the event of a collision between two or more boats, the head race official may disqualify the offending boat or boats, or may order one or more boats to re-race if, in the opinion of the head race official, the result of the race has been substantially affected. 4. If, in the opinion of the head race official, a boat has been swamped or capsized deliberately by a team, the race organizer after consultation with Pan American Dragon Boat reserves the right to refuse said teams entry in future races. 5. If, in the opinion of the head race official, a boat is damaged deliberately by a team, the race organizer reserves the right to require a team to pay for the costs or repairs to the damaged boat(s). 6. It is the responsibility of the race organizer to provide adequate safety boats and keep the course clear of unauthorized crafts.

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The Finish 1. The finishing order of a race and the time taken by each boat will be determined by the finishing judges whose decision shall be final. 2. A team must finish with someone in the drummer and Steersperson positions. 3. If a paddle is dropped in the water by accident during a race and not retrieved, the paddler Rules of Competition may, at his or her discretion, use a spare or not paddle for the remainder of the race. All paddlers must stay in the boat. 4. If a paddle is deliberately thrown in such a manner as to enter the lane and hinder a competing boat, the boat from which the paddle came from may be disqualified. Appeals 1. Appeals must be made by the team captain only. 2. All protests must be made to the Head Race Official at the race committee tent within 15 minutes of the conclusion of the race heat in which the penalty was assessed at a fee of $25. This fee is non-refundable unless the race committee rules in favor of the team submitting the appeal. 3. The Race Committee will investigate the appeal and discuss appeal with race officials who will make the final ruling. 4. The ruling of the Race Official is final and without appeal. 5. No protests will be allowed concerning equipment. 6. In the event of a protest, only the team captains will be permitted in or near the race committee tent. If other team members are present, team disqualification may result. Notes Adjustments to race course, times, race schedule and cancellation of race heats may occur due to a number of circumstances including weather, daylight, water conditions, safety, etc. These adjustments are a part of the event and are at the sole discretion of the Race Officials and are final, without appeal and without refund. In the case of severe weather, team captains will be responsible for evacuating their team from Half Moon Beach. Race officials will notify team captains when it is safe to return and racing will resume.

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