Hi Mercer people,
We have copied an email from the Head of the Housatonic regatta director below with some final notes and notices to help everyone’s weekend go more smoothly if you;re traveling to cheer on the rowers! Please read carefully if you’re traveling.
Go Mercer!
Coaches, Competitors, Family Members and Guests –
We are delighted to be your hosts once again for a fast, competitive day of racing at the Head of the Housatonic on Saturday, October 12. This is a long note, but please read through and follow these guidelines to ensure a successful day for everyone.
Please share this information widely with the families and friends who will join you at the regatta. Thank you!
WEATHER – After months of drought, Mother Nature picked this week to open the rain spigots?!?! Good grief. Saturday will be cool and cloudy, with temperatures rising through the 50s in the morning and into the 60s in the afternoon. A northerly breeze will keep things on the chilly side. The ground will be wet, so please use appropriate footwear!
HEAT SHEETS – We do not provide printed heat sheets at the regatta. Please go to www.HereNow.com on Friday to print out your heat sheets before you come to the event. There will be one oversized heat sheet posted on the side of our Pack Rat container, located near the Registration Tent.
RIVER CONDITIONS – River weeds and blue-green algae are both under control this year: present, but not a major problem. Athletes may still notice some algae in the river, but we have been rowing on this all summer without incident or illness. If you wish to learn more about this condition, you can go to this State of Connecticut website.
REGISTRATION – We open for business at 7:00 a.m. Saturday at the Registration Tent. Crews that are launching from Yale or New Haven RC will pick up their registration packets at those locations. Please note, we organize registrations by club, not by event. Every year, we have two or three scullers show up at registration AFTER their club director has picked up all the packets, and then they have to track down the club trailer to pick up their bow number. Scullers — please coordinate with your club director before Saturday about this.
WEIGH-IN – All athletes entered in the lightweight 1x events must report to the Registration Tent and weigh in. Weigh-in hours are 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. Athletes who do not weigh in are not medal-eligible.
TENT SITES – Tent sites have been assigned to all programs that purchased them. Please see the regatta website for this year’s tent site assignments and communicate these to your parents and guests. The sites are numbered in sequence, beginning with #1 located at the south (downstream) end of Indian Well State Park (to the right as you face the river from the park).
WIRELESS SERVICE – Cell phone reception at Indian Well State Park is spotty. Do not count on being able to phone or text from your device while you are at the park.
RESULTS – We have partnered with HereNow.com to provide online race results shortly after the conclusion of each event (hopefully you’ll find a cell phone signal if you’re at Indian Well State Park). These are UNOFFICIAL results, pending the resolution of any protests. A hard copy of each event’s results will also be posted on a bulletin board near the Registration Tent as soon as available.
PROTESTS – Any crew wishing to file a protest must come to the Registration Tent and complete a Protest form. Protests will be managed according to USRA Rules and the decision of the Chief Referee is final.
AWARDS – We award gold medals in every event, silver medals in every event with at least six crews, and bronze medals in every event with at least ten crews. Medal winners can pick up their hardware at the Registration Tent.
NO PETS – Our permit from the State of Connecticut does not allow us to host dogs or other pets at the regatta. Please make alternative pet-care arrangements for the day.
PARKING – On-site parking at Indian Well State Park is the single scarcest resource at the regatta. Therefore, we implore everyone to cooperate with the following guidelines so that we can make the experience easy for everyone.
With only the exceptions noted below, we require that all vehicles use our offsite parking location as described on the regatta’s website. People parked offsite will ride a constantly-circulating shuttle bus to get to Indian Well State Park. Please allow at least 30 minutes for transport from the parking site to the regatta venue. We charge $15 for offsite parking, which we split 50-50 with our volunteer partners from Habitat for Humanity (the rest helps offset the cost of shuttle bus service). Cash only – we are not able to accept credit cards.
PARK ACCESS — What vehicles are allowed into Indian Well State Park? It’s a short list:
· Cars with a racing shell on top
· Trucks towing a boat trailer
· Team buses and vans
· Cars that have a valid handicapped parking tag
· Cars with a parking pass issued by New Haven Rowing Club.
If your vehicle does not fall into one of these categories, you must use the offsite parking location. Please DO NOT waste time bargaining with the volunteers or Shelton Police who are stationed at the park entrance. Plan ahead so that you have sufficient time to get to the regatta.
TEAM BUSES & VANS — Parking space for team buses and vans is limited. Once this area is full, drivers will be instructed to drop off their passengers, leave the park, and return at the end of the regatta for pickup. Please do not hassle or try to negotiate with the NHRC volunteers.
BOAT TRAILERS — Trucks towing boat trailers can access the park from 12:00-6:00 p.m. Friday. After dropping off the trailer, drivers will receive a parking pass from NHRC volunteers that will allow them access to the park on Saturday. If you arrive before or after that time, you will not receive a pass. If you need an exception to this schedule, please contact trailer parking czar Marc Nemeth (mnemeth@jonal.com).
There is a security guard on duty at Indian Well State Park until midnight on Friday. New Haven Rowing Club and the State of Connecticut are not responsible for any damage to equipment or trailers that are left overnight at Indian Well State Park.
The park opens at 6:00 a.m. Saturday, and all trailers must be onsite before 8:00 a.m. Trailer drivers: please comply with all instructions from NHRC volunteers and park as efficiently as possible. If you take more room than necessary, it will make the day harder for everyone.
CHUCK WAGONS & FOOD TRUCKS — Chuck wagons or food trucks with a parking pass will have access to Indian Well State Park. Once you have dropped off your gear at your rented tent space, you MUST repark your vehicle in a designated parking area. The lane between the rented tent sites and the trailer parking area is for emergency vehicles only. This rule will be enforced by state park personnel, so please just do the right thing and move your van or car as soon as you have dropped off your gear.
Thank you for making the Head of the Housatonic part of your fall racing calendar, and for cooperating with these common-sense guidelines to make the day a great one for all. We’re excited to host you.
New Haven RC
