1. Competition Rules

a.      All members of a team must travel together in the same boat/canoe and under the same regulation.

b.      Should a team member be forced to, or elect to, drop out of the Safari for any reason, the team member may not reenter or be replaced.

c.      Relays in any form are prohibited

d.      All supplies, equipment, and items of repair must be in the possession of each team and listed on the check-in sheet at the beginning of the Safari. Nothing may be purchased by or delivered to an individual or team during the entire Safari except as stated under Section 4d

e.      Teams shall not receive help or assistance of any kind during the Texas Water Safari except verbal assistance or those items listed in Section 4: Team Captains Rules and Responsibilities

f.       Should medical care be required by a team member

i.          It is the sole discretion of the team members and/or the team captain(s) to request medical care from any individual to ensure the health or safety of the affected team member.

ii.          By signing the entry form and liability waiver, the team members and team captain(s) expressly agree and understand that there is no obligation on the part of the Texas Water Safari Corporation, its board members or officials to provide standby medical care at any point along the race course.

g.      Paddlers will be subject to spot checks at any time by judges or officials who will report their findings to the Head Race Judge.

h.      Penalties, from time penalties to disqualification, may only be imposed by the Head Race Judge, Race Chairman or TWS Board of Directors.

i.        Teams must negotiate over, around, under or through all obstacles from the originating point in San Marcos along the entire length of the rivers and bays to the finish line in Seadrift.

i.          For any "shortcut" to be legal, it must have a flow of river water through it.

ii.           Overland portages are not allowed except where necessary for log jams, dams, or bridges.

iii.          Teams are required to exit the river immediately above each obstacle and return to the water immediately after clearing the obstacle.

iv.          EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE (places where river or bay water flows, but which are still illegal) are:

1.      The left channel around Thompson's Island below the road bridge.

2.      The Victoria barge canal and the boat cut between San Antonio Bay and the barge canal.

j.        The coastal portion of the race shall be that part of Guadalupe and San Antonio Bays from the mouth of the Guadalupe River to the finish line in Seadrift, Texas.

i.          PFDs must be worn crossing the bay (inflatables must be inflated). 

ii.          In case of stormy weather or high wind, teams may follow the shoreline to Seadrift after crossing to the east side of Guadalupe Bay.

iii.          Contestants may row, paddle, walk, swim, carry, or drag the boat from the east side of Guadalupe Bay to the finish line. They may not enter the Victoria barge canal and, if they choose to carry, they must follow the shoreline (i.e. no shortcuts).

iv.          Teams entering the barge canal may be disqualified or face a minimum time penalty of two hours.

k.      Intentional interference with another team's progress during the race will be grounds for disqualification.

l.        Pace Boats

i.          Pace boats or canoes (i.e. crafts that are paddled or powered that follow or lead Safari paddlers for the purpose of "keeping a team up" or conveying water) are illegal.  

ii.          Any other use of a craft such as, travel down the river to accompany the team to “keep them up” provide any other type of support including wake riding or drafting is illegal and are grounds for disqualification.

m.    Deliberate littering of the river is grounds for disqualification. Teams should keep their trash in their canoe and hand it over to persons on the bank.

n.      Cutoff Times

Staples Dam FM 1977

Saturday

15:00

Luling 90

Saturday

20:00

Palmetto Bridge & Park

Sunday

8:00

Gonzales 183 (Gravel Bar)

Sunday

16:00

Hochheim Hwy 183

Monday

7:00

Cheapside Bridge (766)

Monday

14:00

Cuero 236

Monday

19:00

Victoria City Park Boat Ramp

Tuesday

9:00

Swinging' Bridge (off Canal Road)

Tuesday

20:00

Salt Water Barrier

Wednesday

6:00

Seadrift Flagpole and Pavilion

Wednesday

13:00

o.      Protest Policy

i.      Any protest by a competitor must be accompanied by a $100 fee and must file the protest no later than 1:00 PM on Wednesday. The fee is refundable if the protest is upheld.

p.      Other

i.      In formulating the rules that govern this event, every effort has been made to foresee all situations and problems that might arise; however, officials of the Texas Water Safari Corporation retain the right to change or amend these rules at any time without liability or recourse from any party regardless of the circumstances. Should such changes or amendments be made, all entrants will receive notification of same.