Course Time (The Race)

An oval heat race will consist of:

  • A five (5) minute period will commence with the start. Any boat not completing the required number of laps in this time will be ordered from the course and awarded a Did Not Finish (DNF)
  • If in the opinion of the Contestant Director, any boats remaining on the course are incapable of finishing the race in the five (5) minute period, they will be ordered from the course and awarded a Did Not Finish (DNF)
  •  Course Time shall not be considered a ‘right’ to stay on the course. All drivers, on completion of their final lap, will move to the outside of the course and must return to the pit area while observing driver safety and due care for drivers still competing. All driver/buoy infractions remain in effect until a boat returns to the pit area unless otherwise directed to safely cut the course by the race official.
  •  Laps will be counted with the first legal crossing of the start line counted as zero. Each consecutive crossing of the line will be counted as an additional lap until the required number of laps has been completed. This will constitute the finish of the race for each competitor.
  • The first boat to legitimately complete the required number of laps will be declared the winner except where time penalties have or have yet to be applied.
  • In the event that no boat finishes the required number of laps, the heat shall be forfeited and will not be re-run.
  • All boats must cross the start/finish line under their own power to be awarded points.
  • Heats will only be re-run at the Contest Director’s instigation and then only for Electronic Timing equipment failure or for Hazardous Dead Boats.
  • Only boats under power and operating under full control of the driver, at the announcement of the re-run, will be permitted to start in the re-run. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS.
  • All racing will be Governed by the Course Driving and Safety Rules as stated in 8.6 of the rule book.

Scoring of an oval heat race:

Boats will score and accumulate points in order of their finish position according to the following table. A negative score cannot be awarded after penalties have been imposed. A score of zero points is the lowest a competitor can be awarded for each and every round.

  • 1st place – 400 points
  • 2nd place – 300 points
  • 3rd place – 225 points
  • 4th place – 169 points
  • 5th place – 127 points
  • 6th place – 96 points
  • Did Not Finish – 25 points
  • Did Not Start – Nil (0) points

Infractions and penalties that can be incurred during a race:

  • A competitor’s boat may touch a buoy and continue to race safely but if a driver clearly Cuts/Drives inside the course buoy with any part of their boat at anytime from launch to retrieval or before the contest director has announced that the course may be cut with caution a penalty will apply and draw a PLUS 8 SECONDS OF RACE TIME PENALTY
  • Buoy infractions shall be called by the Contest Director or appointed officials and any decision will be final.
  •  A boat intentionally completing a 360-degree turn anywhere on or inside the course will automatically be disqualified from the heat with NO POINTS.

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