The New England Triple Crown Champions will be selected by the competitors' placement in the three whitewater events held--wildwater, slalom, and freestyle-- according to the following method.

1. 1. Although each event may have its own separate classes for C-1's, K-1's,  and C-2's, these classes will not apply for the Triple Crown ranking. There will be only two classes in the Triple Crown: Men's, and Women's. I.e., within each event, times or scores will be compared between all men in that event, and all  women in that event, regardless of the boats used. Note that all those racing in an event count in the establishment of the rankings within that event, not just those entered in the Triple Crown. In the case of paddlers competing in the C-2 event, both paddlers in the C-2 will receive the placement earned by his or her  C-2 time or score. In the case of C-2 mixed, the man would be placed in the men's category, and the woman in the women's category. Likewise there will be no distinction between Junior and Senior racers; all will be included in the same  ranking, separated only by sex. If paddlers race in different classes within the same event--C-1 and K-1, for example--both placements will be used to establish the overall ranking within that event, and their highest placing will be used to determine that paddlers’ ranking within the Triple Crown competition.
   

2. 2. Note that although each event will be run in general accord with 2009 ICF race rules for that event, certain modifications will be made in order to run a more time-efficient competition. Please do note the major changes in slalom rules for 2009--better of two runs counts, and single pole gates are allowed  (with another pole on shore for gate judges' reference, i.e. to establish a gate line). Although there will be no boat, life jacket, or helmet control, competitors are required to wear an adequate life jacket and helmet and are  expected to race boats that conform to the racing rules of each event.  (Minimum length for slalom singles: 3.5 meters; Doubles: 4.1.  Maximum length for wildwater: K-1=4.5 meters; C-1=4.3 meters; C-2=5 meters.)  An exception will be made for rotomolded or similar ("plastic") boats which are illegally short for the slalom rules; these will be allowed to race in the slalom with no penalty. All composite boats used in the slalom, however, are expected to be no less than an inch shorter than the minimum length. The in the wildwater event should also be in general conformity to the wildwater rules (no rudders allowed, for example, and no K-2's), and no more than an  longer than the maximum length. (Note that slalom boats, creek boats, etc. easily meet the wildwater rules.) The organizers reserve the right to measure, inspect, and disqualify craft that are in violation of these good-sportsmanship guidelines.
   

3. 3. All racers in each event will be assigned points according to the table below. When overall Triple Crown standings are calculated, the points earned in this manner by each paddler who is entered in the Triple Crown (all three events) will be added to establish the Triple Crown standings. Those who race in fewer than two events will not be ranked in the overall standings. If a competitor receives a DNF as their final overall time or score in an event, that competitor will not be ranked in the Triple Crown standings.
   

4. 4.TOP CANOE AWARD: There will be a $500. best canoeist prize, awarded to the highest placing racer who competes in all three events in either the C-1 or C-2 class. If none or only one racer qualifies for the final on Sunday, the award will be made based on Saturday's results, using the same overall Triple Crown rankings as described in the rules above. If, however, more than one canoeist qualifies for Sunday's final, the best canoeist prize will be awarded according to Sunday's results. 
   

5. 5. Proper gear and clothing (i.e, Dry-tops, drysuits, and or wet suits) are required due to the early season cold water conditions.
   

Triple Crown Point Scoring

1st Place receives 30 points

2nd Place receives 28 points

3rd Place receives 27 points

4th Place receives 26 points

5th Place receives 25 points

6th Place receives 24 points

7th Place receives 23 points

8th Place receives 22 points

9th Place receives 21 points

10th Place receives 20 points

11th Place receives 19 points

12th Place receives 18 points

13th Place receives 17 points

14th Place receives 16 points

15th Place receives 15 points

16th Place receives 14 points

17th Place receives 13 points

18th Place receives 12 points

19th Place receives 11 points

20th Place receives 10 points

21st Place receives 9 points

22nd Place receives 8 points

23rd Place receives 7 points

24th Place receives 6 points

25th Place receives 5 points

26th Place receives 4 points

27th Place receives 3 points

28th Place receives 2 points

29th Place receives 1 point

30th Place receives 0 points

4. In the event of a tie between two or more boats, the boat with the highest point individual run wins the tie. If there is still a tie, the boat with the next highest individual run wins the tie. For example: Boat A has a 1st place, 5th place, and 5th place = 80 points. Boat B has a 1st place, a 2nd place, and an 8th place = 80 points. In the first tie Boat A and B stay tied because they both have a 1st place. In the second tiebreaker Boat B wins because Boat B has a 2nd place compared to a 5th place. If the tie is still not resolved after comparing all three events the tie will be decided by the best combined percentage off the leader in the final results of the three events. 

5. 5.By applying the above method to the results of Saturday's competitions, those entering all three events will be ranked first to last, and the top 10 men and top 10 women will be chosen to compete in the finals on Sunday. The finals will once again consist of one wildwater run, two slalom runs of which the better result counts, and a freestyle contest.  The results of these final competitions will be used alone to produce the final results for the top 10 men and women. (Saturday's results will be ignored in establishing the final ranking.)
   

 

Prizes and Awards

First Place Triple Crown:     $1000 (Men’s and Women’s, each)

                Second Place:       $500 (Men’s and Women’s, each)

                Third Place:           $250  (Men’s and Women’s, each)

                Top Canoe:           $500 (Men or Women)

Prize money and trophies will be awarded for the Triple Crown winners (both Men’s and Women’s). There will be individual event awards (trophies) for Saturday’s competitions.