• I.      MALE: All team members must be male.
• II.     FEMALE: All team members must be female.
• III.   MIXED: Teams will have any combination of both male and female members.
• IV.    MASTERS: All team members must be FORTY (40) years of age or older at the start date of the race and each team may consist of any combination of male and/or female members.
• V.     DORY: Teams may consist of any combination of male and/or female members. Refer to Rule No. 7 for size and construction limitations.
• VI.    INTRAMURAL: All team members must be active students presently enrolled in schools in Belize and may consist of any combination of male and/or female members.
• VII.  PLEASURE CRAFT: Teams may consist of any combination of male and/or female members. Refer to Rule No. 7 for size and construction limitations.

• Male, Female, Mixed, Masters AND INTRAMURAL Divisions - Only open CANOES with a maximum length of TWENTY (20) FEET will be allowed to compete. Canoes may be constructed of any material and by any method but for safety considerations the material and/or permanently added floatation shall provide at least 25 pounds of buoyancy with the canoe swamped.
• DORY DIVISON - Only open DORIES with a maximum length of TWENTY (20) FEET will be allowed to compete. Dories shall be made of one (1) continuous natural timber log.
• Pleasure Craft Division - Only open Canoes with a maximum length of EIGHTEEN (18) FEET and a minimum width of TWENTY-SEVEN (27) INCHES at the FOUR (4) INCH WATER LINE will be allowed to compete. Canoes may be constructed of any material but for safety considerations the material and/or permanently added floatation shall provide at least 25 pounds of buoyancy with the canoe swamped.

• a. Rudders: Steering rudders or any guiding apparatus directing the course of the craft WILL NOT be permitted.
• b. Keels: A keel, if any, must be straight and shall extend over the entire length of the craft and not project more than ONE (1) inch below the hull.
• c. Decking: A maximum of TWENTY-FOUR (24) inches of cowl or decking of any kind or material WILL be permitted at each end of the canoe.
• d. Spray Skirts: Permanent or temporary spray skirts or other devises used to deflect or prevent water from entering the canoe WILL NOT be permitted.
• e. Bailers: Manually operated permanently installed siphon-type Self Bailers WILL be permitted. Water or bilge pumps of any description whether hand or battery powered WILL NOT be permitted.

• STATION PRIZES: During each day’s course of the race there will be several Station Prizes awarded to the first team of any Division to reach designated stations along the course of the race. The Competition Committee will determine the location and value of these designated Station Prizes and will announce their locations and values at the “Pre-Race Meeting” and before the start of each day’s race. A Race Official will judge the winning team at each Station Prize.
• DAY PRIZES: At the end of each day, each Division will have a minimum of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Winners determined by each team’s lowest elapsed time.
• DIVISION PRIZES: At the end of the race, each Division will have a minimum of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Winners that will be determined by each team’s lowest accumulated elapsed time.
• CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZES: At the end of the race, the team with the lowest overall accumulated elapsed time, regardless of Division, will be designated as the overall LA RUTA MAYA CHAMPION of the year. There will also be a minimum of 2nd and 3rd Place Championship Winners. The Sponsor of the LA RUTA MAYA CHAMPION of the year will receive the Big H “Kinich Ahau” Trophy, which will be theirs to publicly display throughout the following year. The trophy is to be passed on year to year to the sponsor of each year’s winning team.

In addition to Division and Station prizes, the Competition Committee may designate other Special Prize categories. All prizes will be monetary or goods and/or services in nature and will be presented to the winners at an Awards Ceremony to be held after the end of the race at a place and time to be announced by the Race Management Committee.

11. PROTESTS: Any team wishing to lodge a formal protest concerning the actions of another team or of a Competition Committee decision or action must do so in writing to an authorized Race Official as soon as possible after the incident occurs and in no instance later than ONE (1) HOUR after the protesting team has finished that day’s course of the race. Decisions regarding any and all protest are within the sole parameter of the Race Committee and their decisions will be considered FINAL.

12. SAFETY: Qualified first aid personnel will be provided by the Competition Committee and will accompany the entire race. All medical problems or concerns must be reported to a Race Official or Race Medical Personnel as soon as possible after the incident occurs or the concern arises.

13. FOOD AND DRINK: Each team will be provided with basic nutritional meals, fruit and water throughout the event. All disposable materials (paper, foil, plastic, etc.) are to be deposited in designated trash receptacles at each nightly camp.

14. LITTERING: No garbage or other items of any description will be intentionally disposed of or discarded in or along the river, at any nightly camp or at any other unauthorized location. “BETA NO LITTA”! Intentional littering can result in disqualification.

15. NIGHTLY CAMPS: Nightly camps will be determined and designated by the Race Management Committee. Each team will be responsible for providing their own camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc.). The Race Management Committee will provide a vehicle for transportation of team camping equipment between the nightly camps for teams requiring such assistance. Portable toilet facilities will be provided at each camp. If a team decides to overnight elsewhere, the race committee must be notified in advance of the location.

16. TEAM NUMBERS: Each team will be provided with a Team Number that is to be affixed to each side of the bow (front) of the craft. If a team number is lost, the Team Captain MUST notify a Race Official as soon as possible.

17. MODIFICATIONS: Once the race has officially started, modifications or changes of any kind to the original design, shape or construction of a team’s canoe or dory WILL NOT be allowed. In the event that a craft becomes damaged during the course of the race, the team may be allowed to patch or repair such damage in order to continue the race in a safe manner. Before making any repairs, the Team Captain must notify a Race Official who will inspect the craft and the Competition Committee will decide whether or not the repairs will be allowed. After the repairs are made, the craft must once again be inspected by a Race Official and then the Competition Committee will determine if the repairs meet official regulations before allowing the team to continue the race. Teams WILL also be allowed to replace broken or lost paddles from any source throughout the entire race. Waxing of craft hulls before the start of each day of the race WILL be permitted. All decisions concerning any modifications, changes or repairs to any competitive craft will be within the sole parameters of the Competition Committee and their decisions will be considered FINAL.

18. RACECOURSE RESTRICTIONS: During the Official course of each day’s race, all teams MUST remain in the water within the natural banks of the river. Canoes and dories may be carried or dragged through shallow waters or around total river flow obstructions or any obstruction that exceeds personal safety considerations. When portaging around an obstruction, a team is required to leave the river at the nearest safe exit point before the obstacle and then re-enter the river at the nearest safe entry point immediately after the obstruction.

19. TEAM RESTRICTIONS: All teams are to remain together while engaged in the actual race. In the event that a team member or members are forced to leave their craft and discontinue the race for medical or other reasons, he or she MUST remain on the nearest safe riverbank until picked up by a safety boat or other authorized Race Official or Team Sponsor representative. In the event that a Team Sponsor picks up a team member, that Team Sponsor is required to immediately notify a Race Official with the name of the team member that they have removed from the race. The remaining team members MAY CONTINUE on with the race but must immediately seek the assistance of the nearest Safety Boat and advise a Race Official of the location that the team member or members were left. When a team member or members leave a team under the above circumstances, he or she WILL NOT be permitted to rejoin their team during that day’s course of the race. After examination and medical clearance by Official Race Medical Personnel, the team member or members WILL be allowed to rejoin their team for the next and remaining days of the race.

20. EQUIPMENT: Each team’s equipment (canoe, dory, paddles, life preservers & all other accessories) will be provided by the team or its sponsor. The Competition Committee WILL NOT be responsible for providing or transporting any racing equipment.

21. LIFE PRESERVERS: A serviceable, approved TYPE II, III or V Personal Floatation Device (PFD)is to be worn correctly (as per manufacturers instructions) by each team member at all times while on the water. Teams using PFD’s with canisters to inflate the life saving jacket must be in possession of a replacement canister or jacket or jackets in the event of a occurrence where the vest had to be used.

22. ASSISTANCE: Teams WILL NOT be allowed to receive any physical assistance of any kind or nature from ANYONE during the course of the race, except in emergency life threatening situations or authorized assistance received from Official Safety Personnel.

23. ASSISTANCE: Teams WILL be allowed to receive water and other nutritional liquids and food from their coaches and ground crews at any time during the course of the entire race.

24. BENDS: When going around a bend in the course, the team on the outside must leave way for the team on the inside, if the bow of the inside canoe is at least even with the bow of the outside team.

25. OVERTAKING: When a team is overtaking another team, it is the duty of the overtaking team to keep clear of the team being overtaken. The team being overtaken is NOT allowed to alter its course to make difficulty for the overtaking team.

26. INTERFERENCE: Intentional interference with another team’s progress WILL be grounds for disqualification.

27. COLLISIONS: Any team who collides with the craft of another team or who damages the craft or paddle of another team MAY be disqualified.

28. REPORTING: Immediately upon completion of each day’s race, each team’s captain MUST report to the Official Race Committee Timekeeper to verify their team’s completion of that day’s racecourse, their team number and official elapsed time.

29. PROHIBITED: There will be NO drinking of alcoholic beverages or use of any illegal drugs during the entire course of the event.

30. SPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT: All team members, coaches, ground crew members, sponsors and sponsor representatives must exercise the highest degree of sportsmanlike conduct and professionalism at all times throughout the entire race. All Race Officials, Committee Members, Race Medical Personnel and other Race Volunteers must be shown respect and their directions followed at all times.

31. HONORABLE MEANS: Any competitor who attempts to win any part of the race by any means other than honorable or who disregards the honorable nature of the Rules and Regulations WILL be disqualified.

32. VIOLATION OF RULES: Violation of any of the Official Rules and Regulations by any team or team member CAN result in Team disqualification. Any team or team member found in violation of the Rules and Regulations and is disqualified by the Race Committee WILL NOT be allowed to continue the race. In the event of team disqualification, all station and or place prizes won by the disqualified team prior to disqualification will be forfeited and then awarded to the next ranking team in that Division and Class. All decisions concerning rule violations and disqualification are within the sole parameters of the Competition Committee and their decisions will be considered FINAL.

33. REPORTING CONCERNS: Any logistical problems, safety concerns, rules violations or other matters of concern to the safe and uninterrupted completion of the race MUST be reported to a Race Official as soon as possible after the circumstances in question are discovered.

34. RULE CHANGES: The Competition Committee reserves the right to change, modify or amend these Rules and Regulations to meet any unforeseen safety or other conditions or considerations that may threaten the safe and uninterrupted completion of the race.

35. GOVERNING BODY: The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge Management Committee stipulates that it is the sole and only authorized Governing Body of the event and that all Official Rules and Regulations, announcements, decisions, rulings or other official communications or directives are solely within their parameters alone.

* The change in rule 21 is justified by using rule 34. Due to recent rains, river levels are high and the safety and rescue command has seen it necessary to impose this change in the rule.

For more information and Registration contact:

Race Headquarters at

BIG H ENTERPRISES

35 Buena Vista Street

San Ignacio, Cayo

824-2444

Revised: February 2, 2007