Overview and Course

An oval racing heat at a sanctioned event shall consist of:

  • A minimum of 5 entries to constitute a class in Senior and Junior competition except in the case of demonstration classes. There is no minimum entry requirement for Sub Junior classes.
  • A maximum of 6 boats will compete in each heat.
  • All racing will now include the ½ course mill option.
  • A race will normally consist of 5 laps but this may be varied (at the discretion of the Race Organizers) to accommodate different course lengths.
  • The minimum requirement is to race over a distance of 1.5 kilometers.
  • A minimum of 3 heats is required to determine final class placings.
  • Five (5) buoy ends will be used for all oval
  • All races are to be started by means of a recorded start sequence played over a public address system.

The regulation set up of a course:

  • The minimum total race distance shall be 1.5 kilometers (1500m ) for all classes.
  • The race will normally consist of five (5) laps for all classes, this may be varied by the Race Organizers to accommodate variations in course length.
  • There shall be a minimum of three (3) heats required to run to determine final placings in any individual class.
  • Stopwatches used to time races shall be capable of measuring race time to a nearest 1/10 (0.1) of a second.
  • Course marker buoys shall be fashioned from materials so as not to be harmful to boats that come into contact with them.
  • Course marker buoys should be a colour that is easily distinguished from the surroundings.
  • Five (5) turn buoys shall be used at each end of the course to define the turn at all sanctioned events

Common terms used on the course:

  • The area between the turns shall be referred to as the ‘Front Straight’ and ‘Back Straight’.
  • The area within the course outline shall be referred to as ‘Within the Course’ or the ‘Infield’.
  • The marker buoys to the left of the course shall be numbered and referred to as ‘Buoy 1, Buoy 1 ½ , Buoy 2, Buoy 2 ½ and Buoy 3 The marker buoys to the right of the course shall be numbered and referred to as ‘Buoy 4, Buoy 4 ½, Buoy 5 , Buoy 5 ½ and Buoy 6 .
  • The marker buoy in the center of the course shall be referred to as the ‘Start Buoy’.
  • Some courses may have a line of marker buoys between the shore and the course proper. This shall be referred to as a ‘Pit Lane’. This lane should be considered present during all events, whether marker buoys are present or not, and the drivers entering or leaving the Pit Area are encouraged to drive their boats with due care and safety. If unmarked, the pit lane will be within five (5) meters of the bank.
  • ‘Milling’ is a term used to describe the period from launch to the start of the race where drivers position themselves for a good start.

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