Regatta Management – Preparing for the Weather
Regatta directors will tell you that the most important factor in the successful operation of a regatta is something they cannot control – the weather. Dangerous weather can ruin even the best-planned, most organized, skillfully staffed regatta. The opposite is also true: Pleasant temperatures and calm waters can make an understaffed, loosely organized event tolerable.
So how can you deal with something that is unpredictable and out of your control? The only answer is to plan, prepare and always have a backup strategy.
Plan
Venue
We don’t always have a choice where and when we hold our regattas, but if you do have options, do your research. Which waterways are likely to flood, vulnerable to wind, located in tornado or thunderstorm-prone areas, affected by tides, difficult to access in the case of an emergency, have emergency and rescue assistance nearby? The National Weather Service, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), several universities and other government and research agencies offer a host of websites that provide helpful climate and environmental information on waterways all over the country. These sites also can help you monitor the conditions that directly affect your venue.
Personnel
Be sure all your staff and volunteers are knowledgeable on how to respond to a weather emergency. This will vary depending on the geography and climate of your area as well as local regulations and restrictions. All on-the-water officials and launch drivers should be familiar with how to rescue a capsized rower, and it goes without saying that your personnel should know how to swim. This may seem obvious, but I have encountered more than a few rowing officials and volunteers who do not know how to swim. Waterways that are governed by park authorities or municipalities – and most are – often require that a regatta hire or at least have on call authorized and trained marine rescue services, including certified divers.
Communication
Have in system in place to communicate with staff, competitors and spectators in case of a weather emergency. Phone chains, Twitter, texting, a loudspeaker system, flags are among a few methods of communication.
Contingencies
Decide ahead of time how you will handle weather cancellations and delays in terms of refunding entry fees, awarding medals, or possibly rescheduling.
Prepare
· Know your local regulations and be familiar with the emergency services available to you. Connect with local officials, and be sure they are aware of and approve of your regatta, even if it is a small one. Be sure you know whom you should contact in case of a weather emergency.
· Have the appropriate equipment and shelter on hand in case of a weather emergency. A sufficient number of safety launches, thermal blankets, and water are basic requirements.
· Watch the weather beginning a week before the regatta. Monitor those aforementioned websites that predict tides, current and other conditions.
· Create and publish an Inclement Weather Race Plan. This plan outlines how regatta management will handle the following in case of weather-related delays or cancellation:
o The order in which events will be cancelled if necessary. Usually small boats are cancelled before larger ones, novice boats before varsity etc.
o If and how medals will be awarded.
o If and how the racing schedule will be altered.
o If and how lanes may be reassigned.
o How weather cancellations and delays will be communicated.
o Publish and distribute the plan well in advance of the regatta!
· Prepare an evacuation route/plan. Consult with your local police or park authorities in developing this.
Strategy
Those unfamiliar with the sport of rowing often ask if we cancel when it rains or if it’s chilly, and we usually respond with a laugh. Rain may not deter us, but other weather conditions do. Again these vary regionally, but generally they include: wind, thunder, lightning, extreme cold or heat, current, debris or flooding caused by previous precipitation, fog and ice. And even rain or snow can disrupt a regatta if it is torrential or heavy and can result in flash flooding or sinking of boats.
Maybe the weather is great on the day of your regatta, but how was it a few days before? Do you have a strategy for dealing with the consequences of weather such as flooding or debris?
Expect the unexpected.
For example, at a recent regatta in Philadelphia, a gust of wind knocked down a dead tree, blocking a traffic detour route. The fallen tree did not affect racing, and in fact, no one on the water was even aware of it. But it did cause a nasty traffic jam and interfered with shuttle transportation to an offsite parking lot as well as the potential route of an emergency vehicle. We had to respond quickly to remove the tree and get traffic moving again.
When to Call It.
Before the Regatta.
No one ever wants to do this, but sometimes it’s obvious: a hurricane a blizzard, a tropical storm, a frozen “pond.” Sometimes it’s not so obvious: There may be no ice in the water, but if your docks are caked with ice, you certainly do not want kids carrying boats there. Maybe there is too much debris to remove in time, or maybe the river has flooded and the current is running too fast. So even if its nice on the day of your regatta, weather could cancel it still. If you are knowledgeable and prepared to foresee these conditions, then try to call your cancellation the day before the regatta. This saves your competitors’ and their families’ expense and time, and they will appreciate your considerate attention.
At the Regatta.
The Regatta Director and Chief Referee together must make any decisions that result in cancellations and delays. It is helpful to get the input of other officials and coaches. Having a published plan also helps with these decisions, and if you have prepared and done your research, your decisions, as hard as they may be, will be the right ones.