CSSRA Contingency Plans

Weather Action Plan:

This weather action plan provides an outline regarding the ongoing procedures as well as the steps to be taken in the event that the weather conditions become a concern.

The Chief Umpire and the Regatta Chair will monitor the weather forecast through web sites (radar, local weather stations and local weather forecast.

References to weather related web sites;

• Enivironment Canada www.weather.gc.ca we monitor the marine forecast , Exeter radar, King City radar
• U.S. National Weather Service www.radar.weather.gov we monitor the Central Great Lakes Sector
• The Weather Network www.theweathernetwork.com we monitor the St. Catharines hourly, forecasts and radar forecast
• Sailflow www.sailflow.com we monitor the St. Catharines and Port Weller for wind forecasts
• Windfinder www.windfinder.com we monitor the Port Weller for wind forecasts.

Procedures:

The Chief Umpire and the Regatta Chair meet to review the weather status. The weather action Plan is set into action when:

1.  The Chief Umpire and regatta Chair determine that the action is required to ensure safety. This may include the following:

A) Holding additional boats from launching and finishing the races of a boat catergory, or

B) Immediately calling all crews and personel off the water, or

C) Continue to monitor weather, reviewing any additional data

     2.   If action is reguired the following are the responsibilities of the Regatta Chair and Chief Umpire:

A) Chief Umpire informs the Jury (Start Line, Umpires and Finsh Judges) of the action plan and instructs the Regatta Control Commission to monitor and acccount for all the boats on the water by school crew. The Chief Umpire will also communicate the action plan to the saftey Boat Chair for safety boats on the water.

B) The Regatta Chair informs the Organizing Committee and all the Committee Chairs of the action plan. The Regatta Chair ensures that a Public announcement is made regarding the action plan.

Evacuation from the Water:

1. The Control Commission must account for all crews on and just off the water. The Control Commission will monitor and record all crew names and follow up with crew coaches to ensure all crews are off the water.
2. The transport catamaran will evacuate all personnel in the Start area back to the island facility.
3. Umpire boats and safety boats will follow crews back to the island dock and be the last off the water after all crews have docked
4. Chief Finish Judge is to watch all crews at the finish and in the last 500m area and communicate to the control commission to ensure all crews are accounted for .
5. The Starter must watch all the crews at the start including the warm-up area to ensure they have been informed of the plan and start heading back to the Island dock. The starter will designate an umpire boat to follow the last crew back to the dock.
6. Umpires will inform all crews on the water and ensure that a safety boat or umpire boat is following the last crews back to dock.
7. Dock marshals will ensure crews quickly exit the dock area. Shells return to the dock in a southbound direction (from the Finish). However during the course evacuation the dock marshal will allow boats to dock from either direction ensuring that northbound docking shells and the southbound docking shells do not crossover docking patterns.
8. The Chief Umpire, Chief of Control Commission and Regatta Chair to confirm all (Crews, Umpire, Safety boats, Start and any other personnel are accounted for and are safely off the water. 

Following Evacuation from water:

The Regatta Chair and the Chief Umpire will review all options related to the weather and make an announcement as soon as possible regarding the delay. Using the public address system on the Island and Grandstand and on the C.S.S.R.A. social media sites. 

Should weather and or any other emergency situation occur during the running of the C.S.S.R.A. Championships the following procedure will be followed.

 Delay Contingency plan:

The C.S.S.R.A. Regatta Organizing Committee has the right to reschedule races earlier or later in the day for safety reasons in the event of bad weather. Any change in the schedule will be announced on the Island and posted on the C.S.S.R.A. media outlets including twitter and the C.S.S.R.A. web site. It is the responsibility of the crew and school coach to monitor the C.S.S.R.A. media outlets and stay current with the schedule.

Any changes required by a delay are deemed to supersede the published related requirements of the RCA Rules of Racing. During the condensed schedule, crews that are not competitive in the race and have dropped well behind the field may be excluded from the race and directed to remove themselves from the course. No Allowance will be made for athlete conflicts due to reducing time between races and substitutions will not be allowed.

 Schedule Changes Options:

 Friday Delay:

1. Races may be run at the end of the day with reduced time between races until sunset to complete the schedule,
2. Friday races may be run with starting early Saturday morning with reduced time between races. This may impact the Saturday schedule.

 Saturday Delay:

1. Races may be run with reduced time between races until sunset to complete the schedule,
2. Saturday heats may be run starting early Sunday morning with reduced time between races. This will not delay the Sunday Final Schedule,
3. If all Semi-Final races for an event cannot be completed prior to the start of the finals, they will be cancelled and the crews with the six fastest times from the heats will go directly to the finals.

 Sunday Delay

1. Races will be run with reduced time between races to allow for completion of schedule,
2. All medals and trophies may be presented at the island to ensure maximum use of shells,
3. If any Final race is unable to be completed the Final placement of crews and medals will be determined by the times from the Semi-finals or Heats if Semi-finals were not completed,
4. Racing will not take place after sunset, on the last scheduled day of the Regatta. There will be NO racing on Monday.

The Regatta Chair and the Chief Umpire will decide on the schedule change. The Chief Umpire will communicate with the Jury. The Regatta Chair will communicate with the Regatta Committee, Committee Directors and ensure annoucements are made and communicated to all areas of the Regatta( office, Island Public announcement, Grandstand Annnoucements, finsh tower, web site and social media sites.