The CCA Potomac Downriver Race is hosted by Sycamore Island and co-sponsored by Potomac Whitewater Racing Center. It is one of the longest running whitewater races in the nation.
THERE WILL BE NO ON-WATER SAFETY, NO SHUTTLE, AND NO POST-RACE GATHERING. THIS IS A SELF-START, AND SELF-TIMED EVENT.
BEFORE RACE DAY:
- Register online by Friday 25th at 5 PM and fill out the online ACA waiver
- ALL participants must have the online ACA waiver completed to participate, failure to do this will disqualify you.
- The ACA online waiver is at: https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/5e29c3ceb21d8/web/
- Under Club Information, selection "Canoe Cruisers Association"
- Under Event Information, enter "CCA Downriver Race"
- For activity start date, enter 09/26/2020
- For sponsoring club, enter "Canoe Cruisers Association"
- This event is primarily "competition"
- Have your ACA membership number ready to enter.
- You will receive an email to confirm your e-signature, which you must open and click on the link to complete your waiver.
- Thank you!
- Call Jen Sass if you need assistance: 301-752-8069
- Find a buddy to race with, and make sure that they are also registered online by the deadline, and have their ACA waiver filled out
ON RACE DAY:
- Check the USGS Little Falls gauge; the race will be postponed for high water if the river is at 6 ft or above;
- Grab your face mask, and head to the river;
- Set your shuttle;
- Start at Anglers Beach with your race buddy, and record your start time;
- Finish at Sycamore Island anytime between 11 AM and 3 PM;
- Report your race time to CCA volunteers that will greet you at the Sycamore Island finish line (near MD shore). BEWARE do not approach the Brookmont/Little Falls Dam);
- Grab your race t-shirt and head on your merry way.
Check race results on-line a few days later
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's race is structured differently from previous years. All registration is on-line, racers take their own times, race with one or a few buddies, and start at times of their own choosing. Racers must finish at Sycamore Island between 11 AM and 3 PM on Saturday.
For assistance, contact Jennifer Sass, Tel: 301-752-8069, Email: sass.jen@gmail.com
PANDEMIC-RELEVANT REQUIREMENTS:
Do not attend – either as a racer or volunteer - if you think that you may have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 in the past two weeks, or if you have any of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, including but not limited to: fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea. Please call your medical provider for any symptoms that are concerning to you.
All participants – racers and volunteers – must have a face mask to be worn when social distancing cannot be maintained. Maryland requires face coverings be worn in outdoor public areas, whenever it is not possible to maintain 6+ feet of physical distancing. Your face mask must comply with CDC recommendations: fits snugly but comfortably against the sides of the face; completely covers the nose and mouth; is secured with ties or ear loops; includes multiple layers of fabric; allows for breathing without restriction.
To protect racers and volunteer staff, there will be no day-of-race registration or check-in. To make the race work, racers need to follow the procedures shown here.
All racers must complete on-line registration, including payment and ACA waiver, by 5 PM on Friday Sept 25th. There will be no volunteer staff at the start to take day-of-race registrations.
There will be no official timekeeping; you must take your own time and report your finish time to the volunteer staff at the finish line. This is a ‘trust-in-timing’ event; we trust you.
Racers are responsible for their own safety. By registering, you are agreeing that all racers must take responsibility for their own safety and provide rescue and assistance to fellow racers. Additionally, racers must race with at least one registered buddy boat that can be both a witness to the run and for safe paddling. Buddy boats will launch close together and should be of comparable speed, so racers are not paddling alone.
Racers must be familiar with this stretch of the Potomac River, and be well within your abilities to paddle it at the race-day levels and conditions. This is not an event for beginners.
There will be no shuttle set, so please plan your own transportation.
There will be no after-race party, no picnic, and no awards ceremony. We know you are saddened, and we are too. But you still get the t-shirt!
Protecting the health of CCA racers, volunteers, and friends is our priority. We want this day to be fun, safe, and compliant with all Maryland State pandemic orders and guidance. That includes playing outdoors, social distancing (6+ feet apart), refrain from congregating, and wearing a proper fitted face mask when distancing isn’t possible.
By participating in this race in any capacity, including as a racer or volunteer, you are agreeing to fully comply with all orders and guidance issued by the Maryland Governor’s office relevant to the covid-19 pandemic at the time of the race.
RACE INFORMATION:
The CCA Potomac Downriver Race is hosted by Sycamore Island and co-sponsored by Potomac Whitewater Racing Center. It has been held continuously since 1956 and is the second longest continuous running whitewater races in the nation.
This is a race for whitewater paddlers, from the pros to parent/child tandem teams, but it is not a novice race. All participants should have experience with Class III rapids and self-rescue. All boats must have adequate flotation and all occupants of the boat must wear a helmet and a PFD (life jacket).
The race starts from Anglers Beach. At 6 ft and above, the race will be postponed for high water.
ONLINE REGISTRATION REQUIRED, by Friday Sept 25th at 5 PM:
The race is open for online registration only. No day-of-race registration.
Online registration will close on Friday Sept 25th at 5 PM ET.
- ○Racers fee is $20/person. Tandem racers must each register and pay separately.
- ○Racers must complete the fields for boat, gender, and age to be eligible for their appropriate category.If you decide to change what boat you will be racing after you complete registration, you must contact Jennifer Sass (sass.jen@gmail.com) and get your registration changed manually in the data system before close of registration.Do not wait until the last minute.You must race the class of boat you are registered for at close of registration on Friday, September 25 at 5 pm.
- ○Children 10 yrs. and younger in a tandem boat with a paid adult are free, but still need to fill out a registration and waiver.
- ○Anyone not successfully completing registration and waiver is not part of the race.
By registering, you are agreeing to fully comply with the CCA Pandemic-Relevant Requirements detailed above, including taking responsibility for your own safety, providing rescue and assistance to fellow racers as needed, and racing with a buddy. By registering, you are also agreeing to fully comply with all orders and guidance issued by the Maryland Governor’s office relevant to the covid-19 pandemic at the time of the race.
PLAN FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, PAIR WITH A RACE BUDDY:
All racers must take responsibility for their own safety and provide rescue and assistance to fellow racers. Additionally, racers must race with at least one registered buddy boat that can be both a witness to the run and for safe paddling. Buddy boats will launch close together and should be of comparable speed, so racers are not paddling alone.
RACE FORMAT (see photos below):
IF LITTLE FALLS GAUGE IS 6 FT OR ABOVE, THE RACE WILL BE POSTPONED.
- ●RACE START TIME:
- ○To avoid a crowd of racers, there is no set start time.Racers must finish at Sycamore Island between 11 AM and 3 PM, and time their start accordingly.
- ○There will be no race staff at the starting line; show up and go when you are ready.
- ○There is no pre-race gear check.Racers must use appropriate gear, boat flotation, helmet, and PFD.
- ●START LOCATION: ANGLERS BEACH
- ■Set up by placing the STERN of your boat touching the sand just upstream of the boat ramp at Angler’s beach.
- ■Start your timing device and begin your race.
- ●COURSE:
- ○You may take any route down the river. There are no markers. Take whatever lines you think are the fastest and safest for you, except for near the finish, below.
- ○Finish line is on the channel between the Maryland (left) shore and Sycamore Island.
- ○Racers must turn into the Maryland shore channel above Rupert's Island, the island just upstream of Sycamore.This is to avoid the risk of racers mistakenly approaching Brookmont (Little Falls) Dam that is 1/2 mile below Sycamore Island.
- ●FINISH, 11 AM to 3 PM: Finish line will be at SYCAMORE ISLAND, in the channel between Sycamore Island and the Maryland (left) shore
- ○You must cross the finish line between 11 AM and 3 PM to have your finish time recorded and get your race t-shirt.
- ○Stop your timing device when the bow of your boat crosses the finish line hung over the channel
- ○CCA Volunteers will be there to greet races, record self-reported finish times, distribute race t-shirts and grab-and-go snacks.Give the volunteers your name and time and stick around until they find you on the registration sheet and record your time.
- ○You may take a rest on Sycamore Island before departing, but please wear your face mask and respect the 6-ft distance between individuals.
DO NOT PASS SYCAMORE ISLAND; THE BROOKMONT (LITTLE FALLS) DAM DOWNSTREAM OF THE ISLAND IS A LOW OVERHEAD DAM AND CAN BE DEADLY.
During the entire race, including time spent on Sycamore Island, every person is required to fully comply with all orders and guidance issued by the Maryland Governor’s office relevant to the covid-19 pandemic.
RESULTS:
Race results are based on an honor system. Please report your accurate race time to the CCA volunteers that will greet you at the finish line.
The finish rankings will score points in the President of the Potomac competition. All participants, no matter one's rankings, will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
All results will be posted within a few days after the race on the CCA Website and CCA Facebook page.
Boat categories:
- Female/Male - Wildwater and Wavehopper type boat
- Female/Male - Long boat and slalom boat (9 ft 2 in and over)
- Female/Male - Short boat (up to 9 ft 2 in)
- Female/Male - Closed/Decked Canoe Solo (C1)
- Female/Male - Open Canoe Solo (OC1)
- Kayak Tandem (K2)
- Canoe Tandem (OC2)
- Parent & Child 9 and under
- Parent & Child 14 and under
- Stand-up Paddle Board (SUP)
- Raft, other
Age class:
- Child 9 and under
- Youth 10-14 Female/Male
- Junior A 15-17 Female/Male
- Junior B 18-29 Female/Male
- Open 30-49 Female/Male
- Senior 50-59 Female/Male
- Master 60-69 Female/Male
- Legend 70 and over Female/Male
An ACA Waiver and Insurance Form must be completed for each participant. If you are an ACA member, please include your ACA number. The ACA Online Waiver is at: https://bit.ly/2QfJZq9