General Format

• Each racing class will race 5 times over two distances:
  • 2 x 500m races
  • 3 x 200m races
• Racing class means Mixed, Women, Open, Para dragons, All Cancer Paddlers (ACP)
• Combined time means the sum of the official race times from the races specified in each section.
• Unless otherwise stated, 500m races are used for seeding only and do not award medals.
  For 200m:
  • 200m Round 1 and 200m Round 2 are seeding races.
  • 200m Round 3 is the Final race (Grand Final or Minor Final, depending on the team’s qualification).

Racing Classes with 9 or more entries

1. Each team will race 2 x 500m and 3 x 200m (5 races total).
2. After the 2 x 500m races, the combined 500m times for each team will be calculated and ranked from fastest to slowest.
3. Teams will then be placed into 200m divisions based on those combined 500m times:
   • The eight fastest teams go into Division A.
   • The next eight fastest teams go into Division B, and so on (Division C, D, etc., as needed).
4. Within each division, teams race 3 x 200m.
   • The combined times for the 200m Round 1and 200m Round 2 will be calculated and ranked.
   • The four fastest combined times qualify for the 200m Grand Final.
   • The next four combined times qualify for the Minor Final.
   • 200m Round 3 will be raced as either the Grand Final or the Minor Final. Each team will race in one Final only (Grand or Minor).
5. Medals:
   • Grand Final: Medals to the top three teams (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in each division.
   • Minor Final: Medal to the 1st place team in each division.

Racing Classes with 5 to 8 entries

1. Each team will race 2 x 500m and 3 x 200m (5 races total).
2. Seeding for the 200m Finals will be based on:
   • The combined times of the 2 x 500m races, plus
   • The combined times of 200m Round 1 and 200m Round 2
3. The overall combined time from those 4 races (2 x 500m + 2 x 200m) will be calculated and ranked from fastest to slowest.
4. For that racing class (single division):
   • The four fastest combined times qualify for the 200m Grand Final.
   • The next four combined times qualify for the 200m Minor Final (if applicable).
5. Medals:
   • Grand Final: Medals to the top three teams (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
   • Minor Final: Medal to the 1st place team.

Racing Classes with 2 to 4 entries

1. Each team will race 2 x 500m and 3 x 200m, for a total of 5 races.
2. The combined times of all 5 races (2 x 500m + 3 x 200m) will be calculated and ranked from fastest to slowest.
3. Final placings for that racing class will be based on these combined times.
4. Medals:
   • Medals will be awarded to the top three teams (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

Tie-Breaks

If two or more teams have identical combined times:

1. The team with the fastest individual race time among the races used to calculate that combined time will be ranked higher.
   • Example: If the tie is in 200m seeding, compare each team’s best 200m time from Round 1 or Round 2.
2. If a tie remains, the team with the faster time in 500m Round 1 will be ranked higher.
3. If a tie remains, the Festival Chief Official will break the tie by random draw (e.g., coin toss or drawing lanes) conducted in front of the team captains.