Towards the end of last season, a number of new rules concerning K2 classes were introduced. These are now incorporated into the new handbook and include the modifications to start lists. The changes to rules previously requiring combining of races also modified in July/August are incorporated too.
The most significant additional rule concerns our environmental impact and reflects a growing concern about discarded drinks containers and energy bar/gel wrappers. Organisers should be vigilant and apply the disqualification included in the rule, should there be any proven infringements. See HRM below for the note on showing disqualifications in results.
Division 4 promotions/demotions are now added to the discretionary ones made by the ranking officer in collaboration with RMAs. Team Leaders may also assist in this process.
The committee are aware that some clubs have other organisations such as schools youth organisations or universities affiliated to them. Some of these have their own colours for competitions. However, in order for points to be allocated to a club racing in the Hasler competition, members of these groups should be wearing the colours of the club concerned. It is recognised that for non-Hasler events such as Watersides, Thamesides and DW, the affiliated members would choose to wear their own colours and be named according to the direction of the groups concerned.
Following experience at the Worcester Hasler Race last year, where marshals effected a successful rescue in an emergency situation, due to their preparedness and assistance from a fellow paddler allowing them to carry out their emergency response plan, the committee strongly recommend the following at all events. All marshals at turns and other vantage points on a course should carry certain basic rescue equipment comprising of a minimum of a mobile phone, throw bag or line and a “space blanket” or survival bag. Prevailing conditions may require additional equipment provision should the Event Safety Officer deem it necessary.
Following on from this, organisers should obtain signed disclaimers as part of race entry proceedure if at all possible. This should be from a team leader, coach, parent or the paddler themselves.
Risk Assessments
You will have agreed to complete and forward risk assessment to your Regional Marathon Advisor when you completed the online form for the calendar. (All group A events.) As yet there is no change to the process. Organisers should forward their RA to the RMA before their event. The RMA will forward this to the secretary who notes the date received and it is then filed. There is no assessment of the ones received, but they are there if required as evidence. I had hoped that by now the system would have changed, but as yet, this remains the process. There were very few missing last season, but please forward them as a matter of course. At the same time you need to inform the RMA of the Event Safety Officer for your race.
HRM
The new version of HRM is ready for the start of the season. From July onward there has been no requirement to combine races in HRM as far as points etc. making this part of the process much easier, although starts should still be combined on the water for Divisions with less than 3 boats where at all possible.
Disqualifications
There is an additional function in HRM for indicating why disqualifications have been made. If a boat is disqualified for any reason, the rule number must be inserted in the appropriate place when completing finishes. Examples would be: no club vest – 30, illegible number – 15, invalid BC membership – 12, boat buoyancy and other safety rules – 5 and behaviour related disqualifications would be 2 unless another more specific rule is involved.
Result Files
Please remember to forward your race files promptly to the list of people needing it as shown in the handbook. Race Records and the Ranking Officer need the completed files within 2 working days so that the ranking list for Hasler Races on the following weekend is accurate. These files will also need checking by the RMA.
Membership
Carrying on from HRM above, when you send the result files please be sure that the BC number and renewal date columns are correctly completed before sending them. As yet we are unable to access the BC membership database, so we need to continue the process of obtaining the data from clubs and paddlers. Where a membership has been renewed, appropriate evidence should be shown. (The new card, or a copy of the online evidence of payment.) Entries must not be accepted without it and organisers must record it in HRM. Please ensure that this data is all included before you send the files. Please be aware that it was occasionally necessary to disqualify paddlers after events last year, where membership was not renewed and had not been recorded accurately.
