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Official Rules and Regulations

Download Rules in PDF Format

For a printable version of the official rules and regulations, download the PDF file or Word document.

1. ADMINISTRATION

1. Eligibility
2. Registration
3. Waivers
4. Dragon Boats and Equipment
5. Teams

Eligibility

1. Racing divisions will be determined from the combined times of the morning and afternoon races.    The teams will be ranked according to combined times and then grouped into three competitive divisions with an equal number of teams in each division.    The four fastest teams in each division will have the opportunity to race each other for their division championship.
2. Each Team must compete with a minimum of eight women paddlers per boat per race.   If any Team is short the required 8 women, it shall race shorthanded to correspond to such deficiency.   Each Team must race with a minimum of 16 paddlers per boat.
3. Each Team must race with a drummer.

Registration

1. The registration fee is $800 per team. Each team must register and pay a non-refundable deposit fee of $100, with the balance of the non-refundable registration fee due by June 1, 2005. Checks shall be made payable to The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival. Completed forms and payments shall be mailed to:

The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival
c/o Werner Kant
9129 Dunkelow Road
Franksville, WI 53126

2. Final team rosters shall be submitted to The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival by June 18, 2005.   The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival may accept late registrations or late changes to team rosters at its discretion.
3. Failure to pay fees on time or file requisite documents or information on time shall result in termination of registration subject to the discretion of The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival.
4. Teams withdrawing from the event after registering must submit notice in writing prior to June 18, 2005.   All registration fees and deposits are non-refundable notwithstanding termination of team registration, team cancellation or disqualification, race cancellation, race re-scheduling, or any other reason.

Waivers

1. All team members must sign waivers stating that they have read and understand the conditions of the waiver and are aware of and accept all risks associated with the event, and wave all rights to take legal action against any of the sponsors, their volunteers and employees, The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival, its volunteers and employees, The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival organizing committee, its volunteers and employees, and any other person, partnership, corporation or association in any way associated with The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival, for injury or death, or for loss or damage to property, howsoever caused. For participants less than 18 years of age, parents or guardians must also read, understand and sign the waivers.
2. Team Managers must submit to The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival properly signed and dated waivers for all team members by June 18, 2005.   The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival may accept late submission of waivers at its discretion, however, waivers must be read, understood and signed well in advance of any on-water activity.

Dragon Boats and Equipment

1. The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival shall provide Dragon Boats, paddles, drums, and life jackets.
2. All equipment shall be returned in good condition immediately following practices and races. In the event that The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival determines negligence, replacement or repair costs shall be charged to the team responsible.
3. Any teams or members wishing to use paddles or personal flotation devices not provided by The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival must first have these items approved by The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival at its discretion.
4. Only the drum and drumsticks provided by The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival shall be used to signal the stroke rate in addition to non-electrically assisted voice commands.

Teams

1. A person shall be a registered team member of only one team. At its discretion, The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival may permit a person to change teams.
2. All team members must be registered.
3. A registered team member must be 14 years old prior to the first practice session.
4. A registered team member must be listed on the team roster by the Team Manager, must have read, understood, signed and dated, and must have had such waiver filed by the Team Manager with The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival.
5. Teams are allowed a maximum of 25 registered members, comprising of:
   • 1 Drummer
   • 1 The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival Qualified Steers-person
   • 20 Paddlers
   • 3 Spares
   Of any of the above, one person must be registered as the Team Manager.

   Of the Paddlers and Spares, one shall be designated as an alternate Steers-person, and must be qualified as such by The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival.

6. Each team must compete with a minimum of 8 women paddlers per Dragon Boat per race. If a team is short the required 8 women, it shall race shorthanded accordingly. Each team must race with a minimum of 16 Paddlers per Dragon Boat, plus one Drummer, plus one Steers-person.

7. Each team must race with a Drummer.
8. The Steers-person will be provided by the Festival unless the team has an experienced Steers-person who has competed in a previous Dragon Boat Race.    At its discretion, The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival may at any time replace any team's Steers-person at with another Steers-person, despite that replacement not being a registered member of that team. At its discretion, The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival may at any time direct that a team not participate further in on-water activity due to its Steers-person not being capable.
9. At its discretion, The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival may at any time require a check of crew members against their team rosters.
10. Team Managers shall ensure that only registered team members participate in on-water activities. Any team permitting a non-registered person to participate in any on-water activity shall be subject to disqualification and be prohibited from further on-water participation, subject to the discretion of The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival.
11. At its discretion, The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival may disqualify and   prohibit from further participation any team member or team if such a team member or team displays poor conduct.
12. Each team and each team member is required to follow these rules.
13. The Team Manager shall be responsible for:
    • Team Conduct
    • Communication and Distribution of Information to the Team
    • Communication with The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival
    • Collection and filing of all requisite information and forms with The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival
    • Liaison with race officials
    • Attendance at the Team Managers' meeting.   The meeting will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 8, 2005.   All team managers from South eastern Wisconsin should attend this meeting.   Information will be mailed to teams from out of town

 

The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival