1 - AIMS

Rames Guyane 2009 is a transatlantic rowing race aiming to promote economic and tourist development in Guyana, to encourage ocean navigation on rowing boats and more widely ocean rowing activity, to draw attention to the protection of the ocean environment and, as an echo to this race’s journey, to refer to historical and cultural dimension of concerned territories.


2 - ORGANISATION

2-1 Rames Guyane 2009 is a race designed and created by 54° WEST, BP 65, 56470 La Trinité sur Mer, France. Tel : +33 (0) 297 557 464 / Fax : +33 (0) 297 557 425. E-mail : This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it / Web site : www.ramesguyane.com

2-2 Technical organisation is being handled by 54° WEST, who appoints a technical committee, an inspection committee and an international jury. Media matters are handled by 54° WEST.



3 - INTERNATIONAL JURY

In agreement with concerned organisations, an international jury shall be appointed. There shall be no appeal against their decisions. Jury composition shall be set out in the Sailing Instructions.

4 - AUTHORITY

4-1 Rules and conditions of entry in the Rames Guyane 2009 race are published by 54° West, organiser of the race. 54° West reserves the right to make amendments or additions to the rules and conditions of entry at any moment. Competitors having paid the entry fee shall be advised by mail as soon as possible of any such amendments or additions, the notification being sent to their last known address.

4-2 The “Rames Guyane” business name and logo are registered trademarks, registration having been made with the INPI, the Institut National de la Propriété Intellectuelle, in Paris.

4-3 Once a competitor’s entry has been accepted by the race organisation, he can then exploit the Rames Guyane logo upon the condition that the logo is used for promotional and non-commercial purposes only. Each and any commercial use of the logo shall be subject to a prior written agreement with the race organisation.

4-4 French is the official language for the race rules and sailing instructions, any amendments thereto, as well as the measurement rules for the Rames Guyane one design and any other information relating to the event. In the event of a dispute, French versions of the texts shall prevail.


5 - RESPONSIBILITY / LIABILITY

5-1 Rames Guyane is a transatlantic rowing race, without assistance nor stop-over from the starting to the very finishing lines.

5-2 The decision to start or not and to continue racing shall be made by the skipper, taking into account his skill and experience, wind strength, weather forecast, possible route’s difficulties, and so on.

5-3 Therefore, skippers taking part in the event shall do so at their own risk and peril and under their sole responsibility. They shall be personally liable for any damage to property or personal injury which they may cause to themselves, their boat or any third party or any third party property. The organisation’s and its partners’ responsiblity is thus limited to technical, logistic and maritime aspects of the event and to ensure its sporting regularity.

5-4 Especially, any verifications that the technical director may undertake, upon his own initiative or upon the request of the inspection committee shall be undertaken with the only view to ensuring that the race rules have been complied with.

5-5 Any report, any information or any advice which might be given by the organisation before or during the race and which might influence a competitor’s decisions shall not engage the responsibility / liability of the organisation or its partners.

5-6 Skippers should consider that the telephone or Inmarsat watch undertaken by the organisation is optional or random and shall therefore not be considered as an extra safety factor which can be relied upon.

5-7 Competitors shall sign the waiver form certifying that they will not pursue the organisation, his representatives, agents, partners or insurers. This is a compulsory pre-requisite to entering the race.

5-8 In the five months leading up to the start, skippers must undergo an appropriate medical examination with a sporting specialised organism and furnish a document certifying that they have complete physical capacity to row across the Atlantic.

5-9 He must also take out all necessary insurance policies providing cover to his navigation civil liability as well as a personal accidents insurance at least equal to that required by international conventions currently in force, keeping in mind that this kind of policy usually covers only a minimum and can (shall ?) be completed or extended for a better protection in case of heavy problems occurring to the skipper or his boat.

5-10 In this context, the organisation shall not substitute in any case to one or another of the competitors, should those insurance obligations be neglected in any way. 

5-11 Those two certificates (medical and insurance) shall be sent to the organisation committee no later than two months leading up to the start of the race, in other words latest on 8th January, 2009.

5-12 Safety and rescue at sea are governed by the international conventions currently in force.
Especially, and in order not to weaken the efficiency of the general system of security, boats chartered by the organisation for media coverage and nautical area watch cannot in any event be used for the towing of a rowing boat, even be it excluded of the race.

5-13 Therefore and if he decided to withdraw from the race and to desert his own craft to take board on another boat, each skipper tacitly agrees to take the risk of losing his boat thus left to its own device (be it or not equipped with a jury mast possibly proposed and given by one of the accompanying ship come for help).

6 - THEORETICAL CALENDAR

6-1 The Notice of Race and Preliminary Rules are published before 8th April 2007, in other words 23 months before the start.

6-2 Entries are open from 9th April 2007, and shall close at the end of the prologue, in other words before 12th October 2008 at 4:00 pm.

6-3 A prologue is being organised in Saint Martin de Ré, Ile de Ré, Charente Maritime, between Tuesday 7th October 2007 and Sunday 12th October 2007 at 4:00 pm.. The aim of the prologue is :
-    to gather for the first time race entrants, their boats, media, partners of the race and of the skippers, etc ... ;
-    to have the entrants participate to various training course for survival, weather forecast, video production, short waves radio operation, etc... ;
-    to produce the first footage for video and photo library of the race ;
-    etc ...

6-4 The prologue as well as courses taking place at the same time are compulsory and must be followed by each competitor.

6-5 A press conference is organised in Paris on Thursday 6th March 2008, in other words one year up to the start of the race. Media are then convied to a last press point on Thursday 5th February 2009, i.e. one month before the start of the race.

6-6 In order to ensure that media and inspection operations run smoothly, all of the competitors and their boats must arrive in the harbour of the start no later than 11 days before the theoretical start date, in other words before Wednesday 25th February 2009 at midnight.

6-7 In the event of a late arrival, a penalty corresponding to the sum of 50 € (excl. tax)  per hour of delay shall apply. Monies received by way of penalty are paid over to a charity organisation in Senegal. Penalties must be paid before the skippers’ briefing session, failing which the competitor in default shall not be permitted to cross the starting line.

6-8 Unless weather conditions are wholly unfavourable, or an unforeseeable event arises, the race start is scheduled to take place on Sunday 8th March 2009, at a time which is best suited to the technical and media restrictions.

6-9 The time limit for the race finish and therefore the closure of the finishing line shall be set at the end of the twentieth day following the arrival of the first ranked competitor ... in other words at the end of the four hundred eightieth hour after this arrival.


7 - ENTRIES

7-1 Each skipper wishing to take part in RAMES GUYANE 2009 must have reached the legal majority by the start date. Entries shall be made in writing, and include an exhaustive list of nautical and maritime experience.

7-2 Once the application has been accepted by the organisation committee, each skipper shall :

·    7-2a Fill in the Entry Form and return it to the organisation committee, 54° West, together with a payment of 5,980 € (excl. tax) corresponding to the third of general amount (tax inclusive) of the entry fee covering administrative expenses, participation to communication expenses, etc...
·    7-2b If he does not want to buy one of the secondhand available Rames Guyane 2006 monotype, place an order with the race organisation for the construction kit of his own boat ;
·    7-2c make the proof of his joining the Rames Guyane skippers association (O.R.A.) as well as a Rowing Club affiliated to the FFSA (Fédération Française des Sociétés d’Aviron), both compulsory to take part in the race.
·    7-2d No later than end of the prologue i.e. before Sunday 12th October 2008 at 4:00 pm, pay the balance of his entry fee, i.e. 11,960 € (10,000 € excl. tax).

7-3 Skippers shall only be considered as entrants once the full amount of the entry fee (17,940 € all incl.) and all elements comprising the application have been furnished.

7-4 Therefore, any skipper having properly entered for the race but who have not yet paid the entire sum of his entry fee on Sunday 12th October 2008 at 4:00 pm shall immediatly be demeaned from his entrant’s position and shall let another competitor, registered on the secondary entrant’s list, take his place.
7-5 Entries shall be restricted to a maximum of 30 boats, among which 10 shall be reserved to foreign skippers and 6 shall be reserved to women, depending on the applications. 5 “guest” skippers can be added to those 30 entrants, upon invitation and at the discretion of the organisation committee. This discretion may be exercised even after the prologue.

7-6 By mean of equity, applications shall be ratified in rank of receipt of application forms, if they are complete and according to quotas for welcoming women and foreign skippers.

7-7 The organisation committee has the right to accept or refuse an application without providing any explanation.

7-8 Boats registered shall bear the same nationality as that of the skipper.

7-9 Should the organisation committee consider an applicant’s maritime experience to be insufficient, or for any other reason not to be justified, it may require the applicant to undertake a solo qualifying passage on a rowing boat on a course of approximately 500 nautical miles between the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands.

7-10 Each entrant may appoint a reserve skipper who may replace him in the race in the event of a major problem arising. A separate entry form shall be supplied in such cases.

7-11 In the event of a late withdrawal, in other words after 9th  January 2009, failure to qualify, or retirement during the race (which shall be determined by the organisation) or in the event of force majeure, the entry fee, construction cost and media coverage fees already paid over shall not be reimbursed.

7-12 In the event of a skipper failing to comply in whole or in part with his obligations, the race organisation may only rely upon the case of force majeure if the skippers have received notification thereof, as soon as possible and by recorded delivery letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The following are examples of force majeure : armed conflict, social conflict, fire, water damage, explosions, or exceptional weather conditions.

7-13 Should the event be cancelled and exception made of force majeure, entry fees already paid over (but not the construction cost) shall be reimbursed.

8 - COURSE
(Subject to unfavourable technical or administrative conditions) :

8-1 Start lined up on Senegal River and below Faidherbe bridge joining St Louis du Sénégal and Sor cities. (cf. racing instructions).

8-2 Finish off the coast of Cayenne on the longitude of the “waiting” buoy moored 3 nautical miles in East of island “Enfant perdu” (05°02’N / 52°18’W) (cf. racing instructions).


9 - SIGNING ON / OFF SHEETS

9-1 No later than four days before the start of the race, in other words before Wednesday 3rd March at 8:00 pm latest, skippers shall provide the race organisation with his signing on sheet indicating the name and contact details of the person to be contacted 24h/24h in the event of serious problems arising.

9-2 Within the 24 hours following his arrival, each skipper shall fill in a signing off sheet certifying that he has run the race in accordance with the rules and regulations. If the competitor has breached one or more of the rules and regulations, he shall provide the jury with a written report setting out the circumstances surrounding the breach.


10 - COMPULSORY EQUIPMENT ON BOATS ENTERED

10-1 In addition to the boat and equipment required under the Rames Guyane monotype measurement rules, the following equipment is compulsory :

10-1a Basic equipment :

·    Electricity (cf. measurement rules)

·    Navigational equipment shall include :
o    Permanent GPS with external antenna fixed onto the console
o    Permanent barometer
o    Bulkhead compass, secondary compass or bearing compass
o    Marine charts and statutory navigation documents
o    Main pair of oars and oar hooks

·    Safety equipment shall include :
o    8 meter long regulation floating rope, supplied by the organisation
o    Permanent running lights on the console
o    Strobe lights on the console
o    Complete main mooring gear made of an 8 kg “grapnel” anchor, 8 meter of Ø 8 mm chain, a shackle for a Ø 12 mm mooring rope ;
o    Permanent Active Echo sounder with external antenna fixed onto the console
o    50 m long x 12 mm diameter towing line
o    Officially approved extinguisher
o    2 hand-operated drying pumps (cf. measurement rules)
o    Officially approved fog horn
o    ARGOS beacon (supplied by race organisation) bearing a strong and suitably adapted line 2 m long.
o    Set of officially approved regulation hand flares
o    Main 80 cm diameter floating sea anchor, ordered and made at a sailmaker workshop especially for this race
o    Survival suit and related safety equipment
o    Safety harness with length of line
o    SARSAT COSPA distress beacon coded to MMSI number which is personal to each boat, programmed to compulsory frequencies of 121.5 and 406 Mhz, and bearing a strong and suitably adapted 2 m long line
o    Tool kit and composite repair kit
o    2 tubes of mastic glue and gun (e.g. Sikaflex)
o    2 battery-operated projectors and spare batteries
o    Officially approved life jackets
o    Pair of binoculars
o    Two bailers and 2 hand buckets
o    Officially approved medical kit (cf. sailing instructions)
o    Supplies of fresh bottled water or sealed water carriers of minimum quantity = 20 liters.

·    Life on board shall include :
o    Electrically operated water maker (5 litres / hour)
o    Gas run stove with integrated cartridge or reload bottle placed in stem compartment.

·    Communication equipment shall include :
o    Permanent VHF with possible AIS capacity and lined to GPS with a minimum power output of 25 watts and with external antenna on the console
o    Iridium telephone system with external antenna and data equipment
o    Short waves radiophone (brand, technical assets and running ways to be specified before end of 2007).

10-1b Miscellaneous compulsory equipment :
o    A minimum of 2 pairs of spare oars
o    Spare set of oar hooks
o    Spare sliding seat
o    Hand-operated water maker spare (e.g. Pur Powersurvivor 06)
o    Hand-held GPS and charger or spare batteries
o    Hand-held VHF and charger or spare batteries plus watertight pouch
o    Spare radar reflector (in case of failing Activecho)
o    2 sets of spare parts for drying and ballast hand-pumps
o    Hand-held strobe light and batteries
o    Second 50 m long x 12 mm diameter towing line
o    Secondary floating anchor with a minimum diameter of 40 cm ordered and made at a sailmaker workshop especially for this race
o    Full set of spare parts for the Iridium telephone system (charger of batteries, batteries, etc.)
o    Spare external VHF


11 - INSPECTION AND CONTROLS

11-1 Each boat shall be tested for one design compliance, quality of construction and compliance with the measurement rules before the end of the prologue organised in the Ile de Ré during the month of October 2008. No structural modification may be made once this compliance test has been carried out.

11-2 In the course of the last week leading up to the race, a final inspection is carried out on all boats entered (minimum weight, compulsory equipment, compliance with one design rules and regulations…)

11-3 Immediately after the finishing line has been crossed, the inspection committee will undertake the customary inspections relating to seals on water supplies and safety equipment, stowage of non-biodegradable waste etc…

11-4 All competitors shall undergo anti-doping tests in the week leading up to the start, as well as the day after each qualifying competitor crosses the finishing line.


12 - NAMES OF BOATS AND PUBLICITY ON HULLS

12-1 Each competitor shall suggest an official name for his boat. It may bear the name of one of his partners.

12-2 As a general rule, the whole of the space represented by the forward roof above the lateral hand rail, to port and to starboard of the hull of each boat taking part, shall be reserved for the name and logo of the race organisation’s main partner.

12-3 A race number shall be allocated to each of the competitors entered and shall be visible throughout the race on either side of the boat’s hull at the stem. Light colour hulls shall bear black numbers and dark colour hulls shall bear white numbers, these numbers made of digit(s) of minimum unit size = 50 cm heigth by 35 cm width, written on a rectangle which stern vertical size is placed 20 cm to the stem.

12-4 A skipper having a preference for a particular number – maximum of 2 figures – shall indicate this preference on his entry form. This request shall be satisfied in so far as it is possible.

12-5 The organisation committee reserves the right to define the conditions in which the name and logo of a competitor’s partner may be displayed, if the partner is in direct competition with one of the race organisation partners, or if one of the partner(s) were to be considered as incompatible with the spirit of the race.


13 - OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE AND NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

13-1 Throughout the duration of the race, the competitor may not be supplied in any way nor come into physical contact with another vessel, with the exception of a video or safety vessel chartered by the race organisation or one of their tenders.

13-2 Competitors may however put into mooring (on anchor or on a buoy but not along a wharf) in a bay or a harbour and on his own capacity and then possibly disembark, but going through the highest tide marks or any technical, material or human assistance are prohibited.

13-3 Radio, (Iridium) telephone, written or satellite (Inmarsat M or C) communications are not considered as outside assistance.

13-4 During the race, the competitor cannot modify, even temporarily the one design aspect of his boat by installing, for example, spars, masts, or other appendages which may reinforce the effect of the wind on the hull or on the boat’s infrastructures.

13-5 Any breach of this fundamental rule will lead to the competitor being immediately excluded from the race.

13-6 Medical assistance by telephone is permitted. Physical medical assistance is prohibited and no-one is allowed to embark on board the boats. In the event of an emergency situation, and with the jury’s agreement, drugs may be issued. If a competitor receives assistance requiring the presence of a person or even of a doctor on board, he must retire from the race.


14 - MULTIMEDIA RULES
   
14-1 in appliance with law # 84-610 of 16th July 1984 regarding organisation and promotion of sporting activities, events or gatherings modified under #2003-708 on 1st August 2003, it is recalled that :

14-2 : “the application of each entrant in Rames Guyane 2009 implies that his name and his image, the image of his boats, of  his partners and sponsors, as well as the image of his family members and his technical staff happening to be on the places of start, finishing and any other official event or spaces linked to the race, shall be exploited by SARL 54° West for media and non-commercial purposes, to improve the notoriety of Rames Guyane, its entrants and the whole of its partners, and this on any territories, on any support and without any limit of duration.”

14-3 Therefore, the competitor assigns to the race organisation throughout the duration of the race, the temporary right to use video images, pictures and sound records of him and the boat, produced before and during the race by him, his suppliers or the race organisation. This temporary right to use such images is non-exclusive, and must be solely for media and non-commercial purposes.

14-4    Furthermore, and as he is an entrant in the race, the competitor :
-    14-4a : accepts the services of the supplier officially approved by the race organisation, exclusive supplier which identity will be specified before end of January 2008 and only supplier entitled to offer preferential group rates for everything relating to the management and transmission of satellite sounds and data (Iridium), pictures or video records dedicated to the race ... knowing that any breach into this rule shall lead to the competitor being immediately excluded from the race.
-    14-4 B Accepts to make himself available for a maximum of 2 non-consecutive days to enable video images to be shot for the race’s general video library – before the start and after having decorated his boat with the colours of his partner and the race organisation’s partners.
-    14-4 C Undertakes to sell to the race organisation, should it consider necessary, a minimum of 5 minutes of images taken by the competitor during the race in order for the official RAMES GUYANE 2009 video to be produced and if this movie is commercialised. The sale price shall be agreed in advance (e.g. 300 € / minute).
-    14-4 D Undertakes to leave his telephone unit on stand by and to reply to calls from race HQ, shore or land lines, within the daily time bands which shall be decided upon by the race organisation (cf. Racing instructions).


15 - SKIPPERS’S OBLIGATIONS

15 – 1 Skippers correctly entered in the race shall be present :

-    15 – 1A At press conferences presenting the Rames Guyane 2009 or at any race partners presentation event ;

-    15 – 1B At Ile de Ré, between Tuesday 7th October 2008 at 5:00 pm and Sunday 12th October 2008 at 4:00 pm to take part with their boat ready to row and coloured with their partners’ names, in the prologue organised at St Martin de Ré.

-    15 – 1 C at the various official events and activities organised in the 12 months leading up to the start with the aim of promoting the race, its partners or the partners of skippers taking part.

-    15 – 1 D at official ceremonies and events organised after the finish in Guyana as well as at the prize-giving ceremony organised in Saint Laurent de Maroni

15 –2 Breaches of this rule shall give rise to financial penalties which shall be deducted from prize monies and trophies awarded to competitors.


16 - PRIZE MONEY AND BONUS

Subject to sufficient funds being available and if the sums thus gathered might not weaken the media coverage concept of the race, the first five competitors regularly ranked will share a total amount grant of 60,000 € all incl.


17 - ECOLOGY

17-1 In accordance with the aims of Rames Guyane 2009 which concerns the fight for the protection of the ocean environment, each skipper entered in the race shall :
·    17-1 A Keep on board all of the non-biodegradable waste resulting from personal use during his passage
·    17-1 B During his daily radio chat sessions with the race organisation, describe the positive and negative factors of his immediate environment and indicate and pollution he identifies as emanating from human activity
·    17-1 C Take part in experiments and analyses which might be undertaken during the race in agreement with certain national laboratories of maritime eco-toxicology or weather study institutes (winds, currents and sea fare studies, etc...)
·    Etc ...