2016 Malta National Indoor Rowing Championship – Regulations

Date and Venue:

Malta Rowing Association is please to announce the 2016 Malta National Indoor Rowing Championships which will be held at Dar l-Istudent, University of Malta, Msida on Saturday 26th November 2016. The first race is scheduled to start at 9.45am.

Participants entering as ‘Lightweight’ must weigh-in either on Friday 25th November 2016 pm or on the day of the competition at the Venue. This event is being co-hosted with the University of Malta Rowing Club.

The 2016 National Championships  will be building on the success of the first National Indoor Rowing Championships organised in 2015 by the Malta Rowing Association (Ghaqda Regatta Nazzjonali u Qdif Iehor).

Holders of Maltese passports who win the Open Categories in the full 2000m length will be declared as the Maltese National Champions and given the right to represent Malta in international events that the Association will be invited to participate in, provided that, in the case of on-water events, the rowers can provide evidence that they are competent to take part in that specific on-water event.

Schedule:

The schedule, including the weigh in details are given here.

Registrations:

Eligibility:

  1. Athletes of any nationality may participate in this event.
  2. Athletes who place 1st, 2nd and 3rd in any race category will be awarded a medal.
  3. Furthermore, in an attempt to promote the sport of rowing in Malta, additional medals will also be awarded to athletes holding a Maltese passport who place 1st, 2nd and 3rd in any race category amongst the Maltese participants. Also, holders of Maltese passports who win the Open Categories in the full 2000m length will be declared as the Maltese National Champions and given the right to represent Malta in international events that the Association will be invited to participate in, provided that, in the case of on-water events, the rowers can provide evidence that they are competent to take part in that specific on-water event.
  4. For further information, please contact the organisers via email at: indoor.regatta@gmail.com

Entry Fees:

The following nominal fees are being requested:

  • Participants born after 1st January 1998: €5
  • Rowers / Athletes Registered with Malta Rowing Association (Ghaqda Regatta Nazzjonali u Qdif Iehor): €5
  • Others: €15

Championship Rules:

By entering the competition, a competitor agrees to be bound by the following rules:

  1. Concept 2 Indoor Rowers will be used.
  2. Each competitor will only row in a maximum of two races: the ‘full length’ and the ‘sprint’ categories and their choice must be stated on registration. The ‘full length’ will be the standard 2000m although rowers U18 and Masters 40+ will have the option to compete in a 1000m race instead of the 2000m.
  3. There is no need to be a registered rower with one of the Regatta/Rowing Clubs affiliated with Malta Rowing Association (Ghaqda Regatta Nazzjonali u Qdif Iehor) to take part. Nevertheless, if you with to take up rowing on a more long term basis, you are encouraged to get in touch with one of our affiliated clubs.
  4. Rowers registered with Clubs affiliated with Malta Rowing Association (Ghaqda Regatta Nazzjonali u Qdif Iehor) are required to participate in the name of their Regatta/Rowing Club they are registered with and may benefit from a reduced application fee of €5.
  5. If the registered rower qualifies for the ‘Student Category’, his/her entry is to be entered under the ‘Regatta/Rowing Club’ and indicate that the applicant is a student as an educational institution, unless there are objections from the ‘Regatta/Rowing Club’.
  6. As from 2016, the statute of Malta Rowing Association permits athletes who take part in indoor rowing events only to register with the Association as ‘Athletes‘. This can be done either as ‘individuals‘ as part of a club/group. Please contact us on regatta.malta@gmail.com for further details. Such Athletes will also benefit from, amongst other things, the reduced registration fee.
  7. Competitors may use the “drag factor” setting of their choice, but this cannot be changed during the race.
  8. Details of race categories are listed below.
  9. All races are considered as “finals”. The times from the races will be ranked to give an overall listing for the eligible categories.
  10. Competitors will automatically be entered in the age categories they qualify for.
  11. Student entrants will automatically be entered in the corresponding junior/senior championship category. Separate races will NOT be held and there is no additional cost to be paid.
  12. In the event of an equipment failure, competitors may, at the discretion of the organisers, be given the opportunity to compete in another race and still be eligible for a prize.
  13. A provisional schedule will be emailed to all competitors and placed on the event website by Thursday 24th November 2016. Any mistakes should be notified as soon as possible but not later than one hour BEFORE the scheduled start time of the race.
  14. Malta Rowing enforces a stringent Anti-Doping Policy that adheres to guidelines recommended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), FISA and the National Antidoping Organisation (NADO) who may perform tests on competitors. This is because we believe that our rowers have the right to compete with the peace of mind that they know that they, and their competitors, are clean. The use of performance-enhancing drugs and doping activity severely damages the legacy of sport and undermines the integrity of true athletes. Further details may be obtained from here.

Categories:

Sex:
In each of the categories mentioned below, male and female rowers will be ranked separately.

Distances:
In each of the categories mentioned below, races will be held over the following distances:

  • Full Length Category:
    • 2000m or 1000m for Junior rowers/athletes born between 1st January 1998 and 31st December 2005 (Participants must choose in which of these two distances they wish to compete in as their ‘full race’.)
    • 2000m or 1000m for Masters rowers/athletes aged 40+ on the day of the Championship (Participants must choose in which of these two distances they wish to compete in as their ‘full race’.)
    • 2000m for all other age categories;
  • Sprint Category: 500m

An additional race will be held for Juniors born on or after 1st January 2006. The winner will be the ones who row the most metres in two minutes (120 seconds).

Age Categories:
(a) Junior Age Group Categories
These are based on the competitor’s age. Refer to the table below.

J10 – born on or after 1st January 2006

J12 – born between 1st January 2004 and 31st December 2005
J14 -born between 1st January 2002 and 31st December 2003
J16 -born between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2001
J18 – born between 1st January 1998 and 31st December 1999
All junior competitors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

(b) Youth Age Category:
Open for athletes born on or after 1st January 1993.

(c) Open Category
Anyone, irrespective of age.

(d) Master Age Group Categories
The Master Categories are open to participants over 40 years of age. Further sub-categories for Masters will be as follows: 40-49, 50-59, 60-70, 70+ These are based on the competitor’s age on the day before the of the main event, i.e. the 25th November 2016. For example, a competitor whose 40th birthday is on the day before the Championship would compete in 40-49 category. For international record purposes, the 40+ age group will be further split into sub-categories.

Weight Categories:
Lightweight Event Weight Limits (for ages 16+):
Men 75kg or less Women 61.5kg or less.
Lightweight competitors must weigh-in between on the day of the competition or the day before at the Venue. Competitors who do not make their weight by 1 hour prior to their scheduled start time will not be able to compete as ‘lightweight’.

College/University Student Categories:

Students registered with:

  • University of Malta*
  • MCAST
  • ITS
  • Junior College
  • Higher Secondary
  • De La Salle College 6th Form
  • St Aloysius’ College 6th Form
  • St. Edward’s College 6th Form
  • St. Martin’s College 6th Form

are eligible to compete in the Student Categories as follows:

  • Student Male Heavyweight, born before 31st December 1998
  • Student Male Lightweight, born before 31st December 1998
  • Student Female Heavyweight, born before 31st December 1998
  • Student Female Lightweight, born before 31st December 1998
  • Junior Student Male, born after 1st January 1998
  • Junior Student Female, born after 1st January 1998

If your higher, further or post-secondary education institution is not listed, and you wish to compete under the name of your institution, please email us on indoor.regatta@gmail.com  (* Students of the University of Malta who wish to enrol with University of Malta Rowing Club are to send an email to uomrowing@gmail.com).