Thank you for registering for the 4th annual Bay Bridge Paddle. Please follow our website (www.baybridgepaddle.com) for up to date information. Details of the event are below - please read! See you on June 1st!

We have been busy planning the 4th annual Bay Bridge Paddle. To ensure a safe and fun event for all, please review the below information before joining us on Saturday, June 1st at Sandy Point State Park.

Friday May 31st:
Clinics at Sandy Point State Park. 2pm. Train with the local pros and get ready for the race on Saturday. Prior registration required.

Packet Pickup - Green Turtle, 177 Jennifer Rd, Annapolis. Save time on Saturday and pickup your racer packet Friday between 4pm and 8pm. Stay for drinks and something to eat and mix it up with your fellow paddlers.

Saturday, June 1st: Sandy Point State Park, 1100 East College Pkwy, Annapolis, MD. Please plan to arrive no later than 1 hour before your start time, to allow for parking, check-in, and racer briefing. Even if you picked up your packet on Friday, you must swing by the Check-In tent to let us know you are here so we can account for you on the race course.

Parking - Click here for your Parking Pass.
Each participant is entitled to ONE parking pass. Place this pass on your windshield prior to the main gate of the park. Follow signs to EAST BEACH for the paddle event. Cars without parking passes will be charged $5 per person by the park.

Unloading - Once you are at East Beach, you will be directed where to unload your SUP/Kayak/OC in our unloading zone. Please do so quickly, then follow our parking attendants as they direct you where to park.

Weather - As you know, we can not control the weather. We will make a decision on the race Friday evening, based on forecast and predicted conditions. We will send out an email Friday night and also post on FB if there is a change to the schedule below. Start Times "Could" be adjusted based on weather conditions. The event is rain or shine.

Schedule - Times subject change. Please listen to the racer briefing in case we need to adjust the start times at the last minute.
7:15am - check-in begins
7:30am - rental pickup for those reserved ahead of time
(no rentals day of)
8:00am - racer briefing
8:30am - 9M course -OC-6s start
8:35am - 9M course - Kayaks, Surfski, OC1/OC2 start8:40am - 9M course - SUPs start8:45am - 5k course - Kayaks and Kayak Double start8:50am - 5k course - SUPs start9:00am - 1.5k course - Kayaks start9:05am - 1.5k course - SUPs start
11:00am - Live music by Doug Segree
11:00am - Obstacle Course (sponsored by Geico)
1:00pm - Awards Ceremony and Raffle
7:00pm - After party at Stan & Joe's Saloon, West Street Annapolis

Waivers - Please be sure to have your signed waiver. Save Time! Electronic/online waivers can be completed and signed before May 30th. After that, waivers can be downloaded here (download here for Under 18 waivers). Participants will not be allowed to participate without having submitted a signed waiver. This is an ACA requirement.

Water Conditions and Temperature -
Although conditions can be calm, racers must be prepared for open water conditions, especially those participating in the longer courses; as you progress further from shore you may encounter increasing wind, current and wave size. Current water temperatures are in the upper 60's degree range. On Saturday, June 1, sunrise is at 5:42 AM. As always, please check the weather as you get closer to the event.
Equipment Guidelines -
All racers must properly wear a US Coast Guard Approved Flotation Device on their body at all times during the race and follow Coast Guard regulations for their boat type. Paddlers must meet the American Canoe Association Essential Eligibility Criteria. All competitors should know their capabilities and make an informed decision to paddle based on the conditions and their skill level. Make sure to wear weather appropriate clothing and bring enough hydration and food to complete the race. All paddlers using a paddleboard or a surfski must wear a leash; this is mandatory. All kayakers must be able to complete a wet exit, right and re-enter their kayak and drain the vessel. All kayaks should have securely fastened, adequate buoyancy to float the kayak horizontally if filled with water (sufficient to support a 25 pound weight in a boat full of water). Any kayak entered in the 9 mile race should be of sufficient length (suggested 14' or more) and performance to meet the timing cut-offs and the conditions and sit-in kayaks require a spray skirt. Ensure you have an appropriate bailing device for your style of kayak. Kayaks may be subject to a visual inspection and approval on race day, and any vessel that does not meet the safety requirements may be prohibited from use in the race.

Again this year, we have chipped timing, so ensure that you are wearing your bib number visibly on your chest or the left side of your shorts and that your timing chip is around your ankle. It is important that you make sure to cross and step on the timing mat when you finish the race. Please note that any chip worn higher than your ankle may not be correctly read.

Courses and race details -
All racers will start and finish in the same area of the East Beach at Sandy Point State Park. OC-6's will start 5 minutes prior to everyone else. Kayaks and surfskis will start approximately 5 minutes before the paddleboarders in each race, lining up in the water parallel to the finish buoy. Paddleboarders will line up on the beach holding their paddles and boards. Please give your neighbor enough room to safely start the race.All races will receive a notice to assemble for race start, a warning prior to the start and then a horn or siren to start the race.

OC-6's will have a water finish line, measured at the buoy closest to shore which the boats will pass on their left side. All other craft will finish on the shore by running through the finisher chute and across the timing mat with their paddle in hand. As you enter the finishing chute, ensure that you run across the timing mat so your chip can be read. There will be volunteers present to catch watercraft and move them to shore as paddlers come into the finish. If you can remember your number and shout it when crossing the finish line, please do so, the timers will appreciate it. Once you cross the finish line, please clear it quickly to allow the other competitors to finish unobstructed and the timers to see finisher numbers.

The 1.5K Recreational course will be closer to shore in shallower waters; paddlers will launch from East Beach and head south toward the Bay Bridge. They will turn at the second buoy and follow the course back to finish at East Beach.

The 5K Intermediate course will launch from East Beach and head south along the shoreline toward the Bay Bridge. Paddlers will stay parallel to the shore line and make a left side buoy turn to enter the bridge spans. They will proceed west to east under the bridge and make a left side buoy turn to exit the bridge and go north to finish at East Beach.

The 9 Mile Elite course will launch from East Beach and head toward Sandy Point Light. Keeping the light house to their right, paddlers will round the lighthouse then stay parallel to the shore line and make a left side buoy turn to enter the bridge spans. They will paddle west to east between the bridge spans across the bay, making a single left side turn around pillar #43 and returning east to west between the bridge spans. Paddlers will make a right side buoy turn to exit the bridge and go north toward the lighthouse; they will make a left side buoy turn to round the lighthouse and then paddle back to the finish at East Beach.

There will be mandatory cut-off times for the 9 mile course at 3 Miles (1 Hour), 6 Miles (2 Hours) and 7.5 Miles (2.5 Hours). Racers need to be able to complete the 9 miles course within 3 hours and all race traffic must be clear of the bridge by 12:00. All courses and start times are subject to change based on weather conditions. See our website for maps of the course.

Safety Information -
There will be safety boats all around the perimeter of the race zone. The Coast Guard has granted a permit that will restrict commercial and recreational boating activity from entering the racing area, including the Bay Bridge Span. There will be several different watercraft present around the race area to assist paddlers as needed. If any paddler is in distress, they should indicate so by waving their paddle above their heads. Paddlers who see a distressed paddler should assist in the rescue of this paddler as needed and help to gain the attention of the closest safety personnel. Paddlers in distress will receive immediate assistance from the nearest support vessel. Any paddler who voluntarily withdraws from the race MUST notify the nearest safety boat and provide their race number. The paddler MUST also sign out at the race tent on the beach once they are on shore.

Racers may be removed from the course due to safety issues or if they fail to meet the timed cut-offs for the race. Depending on the circumstance, including weather conditions and paddler's location, racers may be turned back to Sandy Point State Park or removed from the water. All racers that are withdrawn from the race will be listed as DNF in race results even if the racer continues to the finish line after receiving assistance. Racers MUST sign out at the race tent on the beach once they are on shore.
Rules / Starts and EtiquetteNo paddler may interfere with another paddler. All racers must stay within the course, may not enter or exit the Bay Bridge spans outside the race course or round a buoy in the wrong direction in order to gain an advantage.

All paddlers must stay clear of all man-made and natural obstructions including the rock jetties on both sides of East Beach. Stay far enough from shore to avoid any fishing lines in the water. When paddling between the bridge spans, stay clear of the pilings, the current can accelerate you toward them and causes varying unstable water around their base. Racers must not climb onto any part of the bridge structure; this will result in immediate disqualification as well as subject you to potential trespass laws. Food - Breakfast (provided by Naval Bagels) and lunch (provided by Newks) is included for each racer, as is bottled water. You will receive meal tickets in your packet pickup. Additional lunch items are available for purchase after the race. Beer, wine, and liquor will also be available for purchase. All food/beverage purchases are cash only. There is not an ATM on site, so please plan accordingly.

On the Beach - Plan to stay for live music, the obstacle course, and the awards. We have a TON of great raffle prizes, including SUP boards and accesories. Raffle tickets will be 1 ticket for $5 or 5 tickets for $20. Proceeds from the raffle and the event go to The Foundation for Community Betterment.
Paddle on!

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