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In 2007 we had 84 clubs, 223 races, 823 boats, 1,559 athletes, including 500 masters.

• Entry deadline Friday, June 27 (not Thursday June 26)
• We'll put at least one hour betweeen MM2x and MM4x to allow doubling

Changes for 2008: The regatta has been moved to Saturday, Sunday & Monday. The police will not allow any access to the Canoe Club before Saturday morning. So, we've had to cut events to give time for trailers to arrive and unload. The regatta will start at 11:00 am on Saturday and conclude early Monday afternoon to give competitors, coaches and referees time to travel home and be back to work on Tuesday. For this year only, we've dropped the dash races, mixed doubles, parent/child races, and octuples sculls. We will definitely return to the Friday, Saturday & Sunday format in 2009 and bring back these popular events. Why?

Regatta schedule

• Saturday, starting at 11:00 am
  • Heats for any Saturday events with more than 6 entrants. Heats typically run until about 1 p.m.
  • Finals for Saturday events.
  • All masters sweep events on Saturday
  • No juniors events
  • Other intermediate events

• Sunday, starting at 8:00 am
  • Heats for any Sunday events with more than 6 entrants. Heats typically run until about noon.
  • Heats, if required, for the mens junior 1x, if required. Final on Sunday
  • Finals for Sunday events.
  • All masters sculling events are on Sunday.
  • Junior events are on Sunday and Monday.

• Monday, starting at 8:00 am
  • Disabled doubles
  • Heats for any Monday events with more than 6 entrants. Heats typically run until about 11 a.m.
  • Finals for Monday events.

For planning purposes, here is a preliminary schedule based on anticipated numbers of entrants. The schedule will change after the entry deadline, when actual 2008 entries have been compiled.

Womens Events:

• Intermediate Lightweight - 1x, 2x, 4+
• Lightweight - 1x, 2x, 4+
• Intermediate - 1x, 2x, 4x, 2-, 4+, 8
• Junior 16: 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+
• Juniors: 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+, 8
• Masters: 1x, Light 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+, 8
• Novice: 1x (1000 meters)
• Open - 1x, 2x, 4x, 2-, 4+, 8

Mens Events:

• Intermediate Lightweight - 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+
• Lightweight - 1x, 2x, 4+
• Intermediate - 1x, 2x, 4x, 2-, 4+, 8
• Junior 16: 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+
• Juniors: 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+, 8
• Masters: 1x, Light 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+, 8
• Novice: 1x (1000 meters)
• Open - 1x, 2x, 4x, 2-, 4+, 8
• Senior - 2x

Other Events:

• Disabled 2x

Registration - There is no registration, but you are welcome to check in with us at the regatta HQ tent at the Canoe Club.

Juniors - USRowing junior definitions apply: A junior is a competitor who will not attain the age of 19 in 2008, or who is and has been continuously enrolled in secondary school as a full time student seeking a diploma. A junior 16 is a competitor who will not attain the age of 17 during 2008. A competitor's age is determined as of December 31, 2008.

Masters - USRowing master definitions apply: A master is a competitor who has attained or will attain the age of 27 during 2008. A = 27-35; B = 36-42; C = 43-49; D = 50-54; E = 55-59; F = 60-64; G = 65-69; H = 70 and over. Average age of the crew determines eligibility. The age category of a masters crew shall be determined by the average age of the crew, rounded down to the highest contained integer. Time handicaps will be applied in any masters event that combines two or more categories. A competitor's age is determined as of December 31, 2008.

• The new masters AA category will not be recognized. With 71 events, we feel we provide ample opportunity for everyone to compete.

Novices - A novice is a rower who has never rowed in a rowing race prior to January 1, 2008. Specifically excluded from the "novice" category are rowers who have raced before as sweep rowers but are racing for the first time as scullers.

Mens and womens open singles will have petite finals.

Intermediate/Senior/Open - "Intermediate" and ""senior" are "classifications by skill" defined by the USRowing Rules of Racing. Basically, if you have to ask, you're probably an intermediate. Everyone is an intermediate until they win a national championship or at Canadian Henley.

Progressions

• 2 heats: top 3 advance to finals. If only 7 boats in field, 3 advance from one heat and 2 advance from the other heat. For heats where not all competitors show up, advancement will remain as listed here: For 2 heats with 3 to advance, for example, and only 3 boats appear at the starting line, all 3 will advance, subject to maintaining racing pressure and cadence in accordance with the Rules of Rowing.
• 3 heats: top 2 advance to finals.
• 4 heats: top 3 advance to semi-finals
• 6 heats: top 2 advance to semi-finals
• Semi-finals: top 3 advance to finals

Type of Event	Points
1x	10
2x, 2-	15
4+, 4x	20
8+, 8x	30

Number of Boats in Event	Percentage of 1st Place points
	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
2	20%
3	40%	20%
4	60%	30%	5%
5	80%	40%	10%	5%
6 or more	80%	40%	20%	10%	5%

We'll have a running tally at the regatta HQ tent at the Canoe Club on Saturday and Sunday. Composite crews are not eligible for points. Please let us know if your crew is a composite.

How to Enter - 3 Steps
1.	Entries	All entries MUST be completed at Regatta Central. Click here for details on how to enter at Regatta Central. Entry deadline is Thursday, June 26.
		On-line at Regatta Central (preferred)	Via Mail (alternate)
2.	Payment	Via credit card at Regatta Central's secure servers.	Alternatively, print the invoice from Regatta Central and mail or drop it off with your entry fees to: Independence Day Regatta c/o Schuylkill Navy #4 Boathouse Row Kelly Drive Philadelphia, PA 19130 Checks payable to "Schuylkill Navy" must be accompanied by the printed Regatta Central invoice. Payment must reach us by Monday, June 30.
3.	Waivers	Complete on-line at Regatta Central. The online waiver submissions are good for all USRowing-registered regattas listed on Regatta Central. The waiver process must be initiated by the person submitting the entries. Just log-in to the account used to submit the entries and click the 'SEND WAIVER' link in the 'My Roster' section. Follow the instructions and provide the email addresses for the rowers. The rowers will then receive an encrypted link via email where they'll be prompted to complete their portion of their waiver. If they're under 18, they'll also be prompted for their parent's name and email. The system will then forward an encrypted link to the parent so they can submit their portion, too. Once that is done the waiver is submitted and you'll see a green checkmark by the athlete's name. Athletes do not need to be individual members of USRowing.	Alternatively, the athlete can sign a paper waiver. Paper waivers must be mailed, reaching us by Monday, June 30.

Register Now!

A completely paperless entry system: Submit all your entries and pay with your VISA credit card at Regatta Central. Execute all waivers on-line at Regatta Central. You're done! No paper work for you or us! We strongly prefer you use the paperless system.

Entry Deadline - On-line entry at Regatta Central must be completed by Thursday, June 26. After that date, entries will be accepted at the discretion of the regatta director on a "lane available" basis and with a $10 per boat late fee. If you do not take advantage of the paperless entry system, the printed Regatta Central invoice, entry fees and competitor waivers are due on Monday, June 30, 2008. (Address above.)

Entry Fees
8	$173
4+	$100
4x	$83
2-, 2x	$49
1x	$37

Fees are non-refundable after June 26, 2008.

Waiver forms - Every competitor must execute a waiver. The Independence Day Regatta is a USRowing registered regatta using Regatta Central. For USRowing registered regattas, the club or school must be an organizational member but the athletes do not need to be individual members. Waivers can be completed on-line at Regatta Central. Once done for any USRowing registered regatta, the waiver applies to all USRowing registered regattas for the calendar year. Alternatively, the athlete can sign a paper waiver. Paper waivers must be mailed, reaching us by Monday, June 30.

Questions - Contact Clete Graham via e-mail. You'll get a quick response.

The course

• Click on the map at right for a full-sized satellite image of the race course.
• The disabled doubles, novice singles and all masters races will be 1000 meters.
• All other events will be 2000 meters.
• There will be stake boats at the 2000 meter starting line only.
• All crews must pass under their lane number on Strawberry Mansion Bridge. Violators may be excluded (disqualified).

• Races will be held in the order listed. There will be no exceptions to this.
• Racing will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday and 8:00 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday unless large numbers of heats necessitate an earlier start time.
• Races will not be delayed for crews that are late to the line for any reason. Crews should be in their lanes and, for 2000 meter races, locked onto the stake boat two minutes before the start of their race.
• The safest and fairest way to run 250 races in July heat is to keep the regatta on schedule. We will be ruthless in starting races on time and will not hold races for any reason.

Weigh-ins

Weigh-ins will be held from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and 7:00 to 10:00 on Sunday and Monday at the Canoe Club. Competitors must weigh in each day they compete. Only one weigh-in per day is required. Coxswains do not weigh in.

Per the recommendations of the USRowing Sports Medicine Committee, athletes must be within two pounds of the required weight on the first try, or they will not be allowed to weigh-in again. If they are within two pounds they are allowed to return up to two additional times.

All races will be timed with our high speed, high resolution FinishLynx camera.

Results will be processed and distributed by RaceDay software. Results will be uploaded to our web site within minutes of each race's completion. Results will also be printed at the Canoe Club for visiting crews within minutes of race completion.

Awards - Schuylkill Navy wristwatches will awarded to winners in all events.

Directions to the race course

Parking will be challenging. There will be significant restrictions throughout the regatta. Please read this. We do not use the Three Angels for this regatta; all out-of-town boats launch from the Canoe Club. Download and print a parking pass.

Volunteers - We need volunteers. If you have a few hours between races, come to the regatta HQ tent at the Canoe Club and offer your services.

• Motorboat drivers - We pay $5 an hour, minimum half day shift, with free lunch for people working all day. Contact Marty Mirabal.
• Stakeboat holders - We pay $5 an hour, minimum half day shift, with free lunch for people working all day. Contact Anne Miller.
• Other positions - Administrative, finish tower, dockmasters, starters assistants, go-fers. We need 'em all. Contact Clete Graham.

If fewer than three entries are received or if all the entries are from the same club, the event will be scratched and the clubs will be notified.

No competitor may represent two different clubs in the regatta. Boats composed of members from various clubs should register as composite crews on their entry form.

Bow numbers & bow balls - No shell may launch without a bow ball and no shell may race without its appropriate lane number affixed to its bow. It's the only way we can tell who you are as you cross the finish line. Any crew reporting to the starting line without a bow number will be assessed a warning ("false start"). A second warning will result in exclusion from the race. Each crew must supply its own bow numbers. Bow numbers will not be provided; however, bow numbers will be available for sale at the Regatta Headquarters tent at the Canoe Club, $12 for a set of 6.

Uniforms - All crews must wear matching shirts. "Matching" means identical in style, color, and detail, including any insignia. No crew will be permitted to race in violation of this rule.

Bow-coxed boats - Bow-coxed boats must adhere to USRowing rules governing the size of the opening, i.e., minimum 2.3 foot long longitudinally, minimum 1.64 foot length as wide as inner hull, inner surface smooth and free of obstacles.

Vendors/Advertising - All manufacturers, clubs, and sellers of rowing related equipment and goods are welcome to apply for vendor space. For more information, please contact Anne Miller.

Please support our vendors and make a visit. Buy an official Independence Day Regatta t-shirt!