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Race Quailfying Procedures

 pdf_icon.pngDownload KZN River Grading's

River Gradings and Qualifying

There are a number of systems in place, all for different reasons, we start off with the basic Proficiency System:

1) In order to paddle and for the safety of yourself as well as organizing clubs and unions you have to be "rated" for a particular race. The first thing that needs to be done is a Flat Water Proficiency Test (BPT), this allows you to paddle Flatwater races ONLY. Once you have completed the Flat Water Test successfully, you then need to complete 3 Time trials or flat water races.

After that you need to complete a River Proficiency Test (RPT). After you have successfully completed that, you can start racing 'C'-rated(CR)  or ‘B’-rated(BR) river races, after you have completed 6 CR or BR or a combination of CR and BR river races within qualifying time (which is 175% of the winners time). Then you can start racing AR river races. This doesn't mean you can't race CR or BR river races anymore, you can now race both!! After having completed 3 AR river races you become AR+, and NOW you are at the top! You can now race ANY river or flatwater race.  

Ok, thats the proficiency ratings (FW, CR, BR, AR, AR+)

Now there is the grading system:

2) SEEDING and BATCHING

  1. In SA River Championships, and other major events where applicable, the starting arrangements should be made to suite the venue and the circumstances in consultation with the CSA Marathon Chairman.  When considered appropriate or when the numbers dictate the Junior classes can be started separately. The ladies should always be started separately in a way which will not allow assistance to be gained from other classes. If necessary the rule which prevents riding the wave of boats in other classes can be enforced
  2. Seeding and batching for SA River Championships and all other races where seeding or more than one start batch is required must be done using the National Grading System for K1s and K2s.. This must be updated after every  event and published in all CSA media, including the CSA website, and any other relevant websites.

Using the Grand Prix events as the base an initial National Ladder be established. Any paddler who did no GP races in the year prior to setup will start at 175%.

  1. The ladder will be used very strictly to batch day 1 of all races where batching is required. This ladder will be based on the paddlers percentage of the winners time averaged over his best three results, or his only three results or only two results or only result in the year prior to the establishment date.
  2. In the case of K2’s, each paddler in the combination will take the same percentage as his/her personal percentage on the ladder. There will be no separate K1 and K2 ladders. However, K1 and K2 race percentages are considered separately.
  3. When a K2 enters a race the individual ladder percentages will be averaged to get the combinations percentage for seeding or batching purposes.
  4. Each race percentage earned will degrade as follows – 8 months = 1%, 1st 30 days after the 8 months 2%, 2nd 30 days 3%, 3rd 30 days 4%, 4th 30 days and thereafter 5% every 30 days.
  5. All races all around the country will be used in the updating of the National Ladder updated on a weekly basis.
  6. If the race is a GP event the results in the main class will stand as they come. However if the race is not a GP event or the class is not the main one in a GP race the winning boat’s starting percentage will be the ceiling for percentages in that race and all other results will be relative to it.
  7. In the case of a race with a restricted entry all the entries will be placed on a ladder created from the National Ladder percentages and priority given to acceptance from the top down. Rejected entries will have their entry fee refunded.
  8. The only cases where manipulation of the batching is allowed is in the case of visiting paddlers and the final seeding within the first batch at races and where seeding trials are held for the starting positions within the first batch.
  9. If a paddler wishes to drop a race from their National Ladder calculation for sweeping or beginner assistance reasons they may apply to the race organizer to be classed as a sweep. If this is acceptable, that race will not count as a grading race. All designated sweeps will be excluded from the grading.

Grading and index table:

A Grade: 100%  - 112%

B Grade: 113% - 125%

C Grade: 126% - 140%

D Grade: 141% - 165%

E Grade: 165% upwards

 

All of the above ratings and gradings have been enforced for the Safety of the Paddlers, Organizers, Clubs , Unions and CSA. 

For more information, use the “Contact Us” page to contact the union Administrators

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