UVRF Sweep Equipment Policy

II. Eights and Fours with Coxswain – Rower and Coxswain Certification

In order for an ‘eight’ to row unsupervised “at home,” both the coxswain and one rower of the stern pair must be certified. In a bow-coxed fours, the coxswain and one rower of the bow pair must be certified.

Cox at Home Certification: To be home certified, a coxswain must 

∙        Be 16 years old or older

∙        Have coxed for at least 200 miles under the supervision of a UVRF certified coach

∙        Approval by two UVRF coaches

Sweep Rower at Home Certification: To be a home certified rower for an unsupervised eight or four with cox, a stern or bow pair rower must 

∙        Be 21 years old or older

∙        Have 300 miles of sweep boat rowing experience

∙        Approval by two UVRF coaches

∙        Have demonstrated understanding of river rules

∙        Have passed the sculling captain’s test.  (The whole point is to not run into something. The sweep rower should demonstrate an appreciation of how hard a sculler (i.e. a blind boat) has to work to keep a scull off the trees and yet in the correct lane.)

Away Races (Rower and Coxswain Certification): In order for an eight or four to row unsupervised for an “away race,” both the
coxswain and the designated rower must be certified, and must demonstrate safe boating skills in race-like situations at home to the satisfaction of two UVRF coaches.

In the above cases (and in extremely limited circumstances), prior experience will be considered in lieu of part or all of the requirements but must be accompanied by the approval of the President of the UVRF Board of Directors.

III. Fours without coxswains (4-)

Four without at Home: To be a certified “toe” in a four without a coxswain “at home,” a rower must first be a certified “toe” in a quad (4x), and have approval by two UVRF coaches.

Four without Away: To be certified “toe” in a four without a coxswain for an “away race,” a rower must first be “home” certified in a four without coxswain, and must demonstrate safe boating skills in race-like situations at home to the satisfaction of two UVRF coaches.

In the above cases (and in extremely limited circumstances), prior experience will be considered in lieu of part or all of the requirements but must be accompanied by the approval of the President of the UVRF Board of Directors.

IV. Pairs without coxswains (2-)

A pair is a very difficult boat to row and to steer, and the probability of flipping or meandering about the river and potentially causing harm to self, others or equipment, is much higher than in a double or quad, or even a straight four.

In order to row in a pair outside of (a) a coached UVRF program or (b) accompanied by a UVRF coach, each rower in the boat must be certified to row a pair and one of the rowers must also be  a certified pair toe.

Certified Pair Rower – In order to row in a pair, a rower must have significant sweep rowing and racing experience and be certified as competent to row in a pair by two UVRF coaches.

Pair at Home – toe – To be a certified “toe” in a pair “at home,” a rower must first be a certified “toe” in a straight four (4-), and also have approval by two UVRF coaches to toe a pair.

Pair Away – toe –  To be a certified “toe” in a pair for an “away race,” a rower must first be “home” certified as a pair toe, and must demonstrate safe boating skills in race-like situations at home to the satisfaction of two UVRF coaches.

In extremely limited circumstances, prior experience will be considered in lieu of part or all of the requirements, but must be accompanied by the approval of the President of the UVRF Board of Directors. 

V. Other requirements for sweep boats:

Restrictions on weather conditions:

All UVRF sculling safety guidelines apply to the sweep boats, with the following exceptions:  (1) regardless of the qualifications of the rowers, no sweep boat may be rowed in low visibility situations without an accompanying safety launch. Low visibility situations include fog where the Vermont shore is not clearly visible from the Dartmouth sculling dock (or the Kendal dock, if launching from there), and before
sunrise, or after sunset, as defined in the UVRF sculling safety guidelines on the UVRF website; (2) if accompanied by a launch carrying proper safety equipment (life jackets, ladder), coxswains and rowers in sweep boats are exempt from the life jacket requirement under cold water rules.

Reservation Process:  All UVRF sweep boats are reserved for program use during scheduled practices and races. Submit reservation requests to the UVRF Fleet Manager. Requests should include the name of the certified “toe” and certified rower in the case of pairs – and should include the name of the certified “toe” in the case of fours without coxswain – and should include the name of the cox and certified rower in case of eights and fours with coxswains — . Email requests to uppervalleyrc@gmail.com. 

Log Book Process:
The names of the certified rower and the cox (in the case of eights and fours with coxswain) or the certified “toe” (in the case of a four or pair without coxswain) should be entered in the name column. Each rower and their seat number should be recorded in the comment column of the log sheet.

VI.  Sweep Race Reservation Policy
UVRF members, outside of the UVRF competitive program, who wish to race a four or an eight at a regatta must:

1.     have a certified rower and cox (in the case of eights and fours with coxswain) or a certified “toe” (in the case of a four or pair without coxswain),

2.     submit their request using the racing boat reservation calendar

3.     assume liability for the insurance deductible if the boat is not traveling on a UVRF trailer

4.     pay the trailer fee if the boat is being transported on the UVRF trailer 

Rowers who intend to race outside of the UVRF competitive program must make their request at the earliest possible time to the UVRF head coach in order to avoid scheduling more than one crew to race a boat at one time. Lineups with more UVRF members have priority over those with fewer. If reservations of equal priority have conflicting race times or venues then rowers should try to work out a solution amongst themselves. If they cannot resolve the conflict they may appeal to the UVRF President to arbitrate a solution in consultation with the Sculling Steward.