All you need to know about this Saturday’s Detroit Memorial Regatta

Lake Sacajawea Park
Approximate address: 1701 Nichols Blvd., Longview, WA

The fifth race of the 2021 ERCU Pentair Championship Series is the Detroit Memorial Regatta set for Saturday, June 5 at Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the fifth event of the year:

Contest Directors
David Newton & Brad Lewis

Context
This is a brand-new race in 2021, which was created to memorialize and celebrate ERCU members who have passed away over the years.

This year, we will honor Marti Newton, Howard Price and Harry Gatjens.

Many thanks to Brad Lewis and David Newton for not only dreaming to create such an auspicious event, but also for their work in putting it all together. It will most certainly be a very special event and is one that should not be missed!

What to Expect

• As of this writing, there are 31 1/10 scale boats, 12 1/7 scale boats, and at least three 1/8 scale boats pre-registered for the Detroit Memorial Regatta. With at least 46 boats in the pits, it will be a long day of racing. Please plan for that and prepare accordingly.
• After the Drivers Meeting, we will take a group photo with our boats. Please be prepared for that and bring your big bright smiles!
• Larry and Denise Goldman will be on site with their famous hot dog BBQ for racers and owners participating in the event. Bring your own non-alcoholic beverages.
• There will be lots of giveaways in Newton Marine’s traditional drawing. Tickets will be given to each entry. Brush up on your trivia to win extra drawing tickets. Some of the awesome prizes include an actual hydroplane steering wheel, autographed by J. Michael Kelly and Corey Peabody of Strong Racing; a full set of the 2019 Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum thumb drives; exclusive Detroit Memorial Regatta buttons and much more!
• NAMBA members from around Region 8 – including Eugene – are expected to join us and assist with officiating.

Pre-Registration
Pre-Registration for the President’s Cup is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/detroit-memorial-regatta.html find the pre-registration link in a blue box just underneath the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page.

You can also find pre-registration by going to www.ercu-hydros.com, then selecting “Schedule” from the main menu, and “Detroit Memorial Regatta” from the schedule itself.

Schedule
It is our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m., so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. With the possibility that there may be new boats that need to be inspected or rookie drivers who may need to take a driving test, please plan to arrive early on Saturday morning.

The water will be open for testing until 9:10 a.m., with the drivers meeting set to begin at 9:15 a.m. 1/10 scale modern heat 1A will begin immediately after the drivers meeting.

Three Minute Clock
The three-minute clock will start as soon as all drivers indicate to the Chief Referee that they are ready and will not be stopped for any reason other than health or safety. There may be an opportunity to skip the clock ahead to 1:30 when all drivers are at the driving area and boats are ready to go in the water. This will be discussed at the drivers meeting.

Drivers Meeting
The Drivers Meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes. Drivers who are late to the drivers meeting, or do not attend, will NOT be drawn into the first heat – regardless of whether they are pre-registered.

The Drivers Meeting will begin at 9:15 a.m. at the scoring table. This drivers meeting will be an extended meeting, to provide time to honor past members of ERCU who have passed away, and to share some bench racing about those fine folks who helped make the club what it is. Please plan to bring a chair to the drivers meeting.

A Drivers Rep and Pit Boss will also be named at the Drivers Meeting.

Race organizers will have NAMBA racers from other clubs in attendance to assist with officiating and scoring throughout the event. Please treat them respectfully and use the proper channel if you have questions about calls. This means requesting a meeting with the Drivers Rep to pose your question and ask for an explanation and/or action.

Rookie/Guest Drivers
ERCU always welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. If a rookie driver needs to be qualified, we will close the course during the test session for the rookie driving test as often is as necessary. The full procedure for rookie qualifications, and for visiting drivers, is in the rulebook by clicking here).

2021 Rules
Please review the rulebook as is posted on the ERCU website, available under the Resources tab (or by clicking here). The Contest Director/Chief Referee will make every effort to be sure that officiating is consistent with the rules as published on the website, and that every effort is made to assure consistency in officiating.

New Boats
As noted above, it is possible that there will be new boats in the pits that need to be inspected. We ask that you print out the 2021 Hull Inspection Form, found on the Resources tab of the club website (www.ercu-hydros.com), and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat models.

Detroit Memorial Regatta Defending Champions
This is the inaugural running of the Detroit Memorial Regatta

Race Format

• LOVE PLAN: Three flights of preliminary heats, five laps each.
• First and second connies for each class (depending on total boat count and attrition).
• First connie winner advances to the final as a front-line starter. Second connie winner advances to the final as the trailer.
  • If there is not a second connie, the connie winner starts on the front line as the sixth boat in and the second place boat in the connie starts the final as the trailer.
• Final heat with top five boats in each class plus the connie winner on the front line.
• Classic Triple Crown Series Event #2.
• Flight Schedule
  • 1/10 Scale modern, classic, vintage heats
  • 1/7 Scale modern, vintage heats
  • 1/8 Scale heats (1/8 scale will not be scored; and there are no entry fees or registration necessary for 1/8 scale)

Post Race Cleanup and Awards Presentation
After the race is over, please remember to stick around to help cleanup and re-pack the club trailer. Also, please stick around after cleanup is done to help celebrate the day’s award winners. Awards will be given to the podium (1st, 2nd & 3rd place) for each division and each class. It’s always nice for the award winners to be present, and to have our friends present to recognize those who won. The race organizers have had three beautiful perpetual trophies made specifically for this event. They will be unveiled and presented to winners at the race.

Weather Forecast
As of this writing, the weather is expected to be 63 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain in Longview.

Covid Notice
Cowlitz County (where Longview is) is currently in Phase 3 in the state’s Covid reopeninhg protocol. According to the information from the Governor’s Office, we should still be fine for our outdoor event at Lake Sacajawea.

Pits
Please limit the number of people in your pit area. Also please set your pit canopies/tables a minimum of six feet from the pits nearest you. This is for everyone’s health and safety. It is also to show Cowlitz County, the City of Longview, and passersby that we care about following the Covid guidelines they – and we – have in place. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Nelson.

Restrooms
The club has arranged for a portable toilet to be on site during the event. Members will be asked to pay a $5 surcharge to help offset the cost of the portable toilet.

Electricity
There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source to charge your batteries if you need to charge during the day.