When can practices be booked?Practices for the 2012 season may be booked starting January 15th, 2012. When you are ready to book practices please send an email to: dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca indicating your team name and your requested coaching level. If you are registered for the 2012 Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival include your team number as well. Your information will be entered into our online registration system and you will be sent a password so that you can login to book all of your practices. The online booking system can be found at: http://www.eventsalive.com/dit/jsp/Login.jsp. If you would like to look at current availabilities you may do so at the following link: http://www.eventsalive.com/dit/jsp/availabilitiesro.jsp. Please note that while you may book practices without submitting payment your practices are not confirmed until payment is received. If you are in jeopardy of losing your practice bookings because you have not paid you will be notified by email and given 2 days to respond.
When do practices take place and what are the standard days and times?Practices for the season begin the first week of May (weather dependent) and end the last week of October. Practices for the Ottawa Festival take place between June 6th and June 22nd, 2012. Our standard booking times are: Weekdays - 6am, 7am, 4:45pm, 6pm, 7:05pm, and 8:10pm Weekends - 8am, 9am, 10:10am, 11:15am, and 12:30pm. If you would like a time during the day on week-days or week-ends please send an email to: dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca and we will see if this is possible.How much do practices cost?Practice Fees for 2012 can be found on the practice fees page.What are coaching levels?Each coach is assigned a coaching level. Coaching levels are determined by the number of practices that a coach has coached in our dragon boat program. There are four levels of coaching including Regular (Reg), Intermediate (Int), Advanced (Adv), and High Performance (HP). When you register your team you need to indicate the level of coach you would like. All of our coaches are excellent. The rates for the coaches are $26, $29, $31, and $34 based on the level you select. Coaching Levels: The following descriptions provide general guidelines that may help you in selecting a coach for your dragon boat season. Regular (Reg) - Recommended for teams looking to have fun and learn some basic instruction about paddling dragon boat. Intermediate (Int) - Recommended for teams interested in having a good workout balanced with fun and technique. Advanced (Adv) - Recommended for teams wanting to push themselves with challenging workouts and advanced technical concepts. High Performance (HP) - Recommended for comprehensive coaching for experienced paddlers looking to specifically improve technique and fitness. What happens if a coach is double booked?In the case where 2 or more teams book a specific coach the team who has paid for their session(s) first will take precedence. What is your cancellation policy?A team may cancel a practice without charge if 24 hours notice is given. If less than 24 hours notice is given then the cancellation is subject to a charge of $25. How do we pay for practices?Payments can be made by cash or cheque. Cheque is the prefered method of payment but cash will be accepted. Cheques should be made out to 'Rideau Canoe Club' and sent to the following address:Rideau Canoe Club - Dragon Boat 804 Hogs Back Road Ottawa, ON K2C 0B1 After your practices are booked you will recieve an invoice by email within a few weeks. We ask that payment for any extra practices be made before your first practice. If you require a receipt for practices please send an email to dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca and one will be provided. How long are practices?Practices are 55 minutes in length. Longer practices may be booked but they are subject to additional charges. We ask that you arrive about 15 minutes before your practice start time so that we are able to get on the water on time. In the case where members of the team are late, the practice will still end at the scheduled time.Is there a clinic where our steersperson can learn how to steer?Yes. The Rideau Canoe Club will host two steering clinics where steerspeople can come out and get one on one attention from experienced coaches. The cost to attend each clinic is $10/person. The clinics will take place at the Rideau Canoe Club on TBD and TBD from 3pm - 5pm. If you would like to reserve your spot now please do so by filling out the form at the following link:Register for steering clinic - Coming Soon! If you are interested in helping out by lending a hand to paddle during the steersperson training sessions please sign up below. There is no cost and you will get some time out on the water! Register to paddle during Steersperson clinic - Coming Soon Is there a clinic for drummers?Yes. The Rideau Canoe Club will host two drummers clinics where drummers can come out and get tips about calling the race. Topics discussed will be commands, race strategy, etc. Below is a document to help drummers. It includes a variety of information related to drumming as well as information for the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival. This document is being updated regularly with more information. The clinic will take 45 minutes and will take place on TBD and TBD. Registration is not required. Simply show up at the canoe club at 5:15pm. There will be a $5 fee to participate. Where do the practices take place?The location of practices is at the Rideau Canoe Club. The Rideau Canoe Club's address is 804 Hogs Back Road close to Prince of Wales Drive. It is right beside the Hogs Back locks. You can see a white building as you are driving down Hogs Back Drive.View Map When should my team arrive at the practice site?Teams should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start time of their practice. Make sure to allow yourself enough time to assemble your team. During the core festival training period from June 6th until June 22nd there will be a many dragonboats at the Rideau Canoe Club. In order to determine which boat you are practicing in please talk to one of the staff members (identified with festival T-shirts) or check the signs which indicate your corresponding boat number. Once you determine your boat number proceed to the number indicated by signs on the dock. Your coach will meet you there.What should I wear to practices?When attending practices you should make sure to dress appropriately. You will get wet during these practices so try to choose clothes which are quick to dry. T-shifts and shorts typically work best.Where do we park?As a result of heavy machinery and traffic from the club renovation last season the field is being regraded and new sod is being laid down. As a result there is no available parking in the field. Parking will available in Riverview Mall (area indicated by purple rectangle) and Hogs Back Park (indicated by red circle). Please try to use alternate means of transportation or car pool as there will be limited space available. Ensure to communicate this to your team members. We are hoping to have completed the restoration of the grass by late June at which point you will be able to use the field again. Please note that if parking at Riverview Mall you MUST park in the designated areas which are marked by blue and/or red government signs. If you park near the Quickie or the restaurant you may be subject to a ticket of $49.00   Do I need to bring anything to practices?Paddles and life jackets are provided but you may bring your own life jacket if you prefer. Due to the nature of the sport we also recommend teams bring water with them to drink during the practice, particularly on very hot days.Where do I park for practices?There is limited parking available at the Rideau Canoe Club. Due to the number of people the RCC will not be able to handle all vehicles. Other options for parking include:Hogs Back Park Mooneys Bay Surrounding side roads. Please pay attention to all markings on the field when parking and do not block exits for parked cars. Some lines will be drawn on the field to indicate where cars should be parked. Please note that you should allow yourself enough time to get to the practice site after you park. If there has been an extended period of rain the field will be closed for parking so plan ahead to find alternate parking arrangement. If it is raining are practices cancelled?No. Practices are not cancelled if there is rain. The only situation where a practice may be cancelled is in the case of lightning. Typically these decisions are made on site and in the history of the festival only about 5 practices in total have been re-scheduled due to weather. Please note that when there is an extended period of rain the field will be closed for parking.TIM HORTONS OTTAWA DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL SPECIFIC QUESTIONSDo we need a steersperson?Every team must provide a steersperson for the race. Steering is not an easy task and we recommend that you appoint someone who has some canoeing or sailing experience (if possible). Steerspeople will be given instruction during the practice sessions but it is highly recommended that they attend at least one of the steering clinics. If we really can't find a steersperson what do we do? If you are finding it difficult to find a steersperson you are able to purchase a steersperson for $20 per practice. On race day the Ottawa festival teams will have the option to pay for a steersperson $25 per race. If you feel that you are going to need a steersperson for the race please contact us (dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca) in advance. Steerspeople are provided on first come first serve basis. Steerspeople on race day should be paid directly. This will not be collected in your regular team fees. Are drummers available for hire? Drummers may also be hired on race day. The cost for drummers is $25 per race. Please contact dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca in advance of the festival. Drummers on race day should be paid directly. This will not be collected in your regular team fees. How many practices are included with the festival registration? When you register for the Ottawa Festival you receive 2 free practices. These practices must be taken during the period of June 6th to June 22nd, 2012. |