Rowing Part 24

RULES FOR RACES.

I.--That all future members of the O.U.B.C. shall show a certificate of having pa.s.sed a satisfactory swimming test before being allowed to row in University races.

II.--That such certificate be either (1) that of some public school approved by the committee, or (2) a certificate from Dolley's Baths, signed by the bathman, and countersigned by the captain of the College boat club.

III.--That any College boat club rowing a member who has obtained a certificate unfairly shall be fined five pounds, and lose one place on the river for each night on which he has rowed.

IV.--That each college shall have its own punt and waterman during the races.

V.--That the captain of each boat club shall, so far as possible, fix upon the maximum number which his punt is able to carry, and that this number shall in no case exceed twelve, and that the fine for overcrowding be five shillings.

VI.--That each barge shall be furnished with two lifebuoys.

VII.--That the bows of all racing Eights and Fours, both keel-less and clinker-built, and of all racing pair-oars and sculling boats be protected by an india-rubber ball, and the penalty for violation of this rule be, in the case of Eights and Fours, one pound; in the case of all other boats, ten shillings.

VIII.--That all Challenge Cups which are the property of the O.U.B.C.

shall either be taken home by the captain of the boat club which holds them, or be deposited at Rowell and Harris's during the vacation.

THE EIGHTS AND TORPIDS.

I.--That all gentlemen rowing or steering in the races must be life members of the O.U.B.C.

II.--That no boat be allowed to start in the races with more or less than eight oars.

III.--That all boats starting in the races carry a c.o.xswain over the whole course.

IV.--That the names of the crews be sent to the treasurer at least one day before the races begin, and that afterwards no change can be made, unless notice is given to the president at least one hour before the races begin, under a penalty of one pound.

V.--That every club neglecting to send in the names of its crew to the treasurer, and pay the entrance money, five pounds, into the Old Bank, on or before the day previous to the first race in which they intend to row, shall forfeit five shillings; and that every club entering a boat after the races have begun shall pay one pound for every night of the races on which it has not had a boat on.

VI.--That no club start a boat in the races till all its arrears are paid, whether of fines, entrance money, or annual subscription.

VII.--That no crew be allowed to start in the races which shall have employed any waterman in capacity of coach or trainer within three weeks of the first race.

VIII.--That no college be allowed to enter more than one boat for the Eights, unless it has had on a Torpid in the same year.

IX.--That each boat start from a rope held by the steerer, and fastened to a post on the Berkshire sh.o.r.e; the rope to be 50 feet in length.

X.--That the last boat be stationed above Iffley Lasher; and that 130 feet be the distance between the posts.

XI.--That the boats entered for the races be divided as equally as possible, and row in two divisions; that the second division row first, and never contain fewer boats than the first division; that the head boat of the second division may row again with first division; and that the last boat of the first division start head of the second division on the following day.

XII.--That the president provide a starter, who shall fire a signal gun for the boats to take their places; after four minutes another gun; and after the interval of one minute another gun for the start; after the third gun the race be always held to have begun.

XIII.--That any boat starting before the gun goes off do lose a place forthwith.

XIV.--That when a boat touches the boat or any part of the boat before it, or its oars or rudder, it be considered a b.u.mp; and also if a boat rows clean by another it be equivalent to a b.u.mp.

XV.--That both the boat which b.u.mps and the boat which is b.u.mped immediately row out of the course of the other racing boats; and in case any obstruction be caused by culpable neglect of this, the offending boat be fined five pounds.

XVI.--That after every b.u.mp the boat b.u.mping change places with the boat b.u.mped, whatever be their orders before starting; also in a b.u.mping race no boat can make more than one b.u.mp, but of four boats, A, B, C, D, should B b.u.mp C, then A may b.u.mp D, and the next race A and D change places with each other.

XVII.--That in the case of any boat not starting, the boat immediately behind them do row past their starting-post and be considered to have b.u.mped the other boat.

XVIII.--That all boats stand by their accidents; and that, in case of dispute, boats must take the place a.s.signed them by the committee.

XIX.--That an umpire be appointed by the first six colleges of each division in rotation, who shall sit and vote on the committee to decide disputes on the day on which he is in authority.

XX.--That the races finish at the lower of the white posts to which Salter's barge is moored, on which a flag is to be hoisted, and that a boat is liable to be b.u.mped till every part of it has pa.s.sed that post, and that a judge be appointed by the president.

XXI.--That if any boat after pa.s.sing the post impedes another which has not pa.s.sed the post, it be fined five pounds.

XXVI.--That all disputes concerning b.u.mps, etc., arising out of the races, be referred to the committee on the day of the race, who shall decide the point before the next race.

XXVIII.--That the College races take place in Easter or Act Term, and be six in number.

XXIX.--That no non-resident member of the University may either row or steer in the races, unless he has resided in Oxford at least ten consecutive days before the races commence. That this rule apply to all University races, viz. Eights, Torpids, Fours, Pairs, and Sculls.

x.x.x.--That no one may be allowed to row or steer in the races for a college or hall of which he is not a _bona fide_ member.

x.x.xI.--That a man may be held to have rowed or steered in the Eights or Torpids when he has so officiated for three days.

TORPID RACES--SPECIAL RULES.

That the Torpid races be regulated by the above rules as far as they are applicable: but

(1) That the races take place in the Lent Term, and be six in number.

(2) That no one who has rowed or steered in the Eights may officiate in the same capacity in the next Torpid races.

(3) That no one be allowed to row in his Torpid who has exceeded sixteen terms from his Matriculation.

(4) That unless a college has had an Eight on the river more than three nights during the previous year, it be not permitted to start a Torpid, unless it engage to put on a distinct Eight in the ensuing Eights.

That in this case the distinct Eight

(_a_) do contain five men, at least, who have not rowed in the Torpids.

(_b_) be compelled to row more than three nights, under penalty of 10.

(5) That the committee have power to relax this rule at their discretion in the case of boats in the second division.