2025 Event Information for Competitors
Finals 6 December 2025
| 07h30 | JM Reserves Final | Inland Reserves 1 | East |
| Coastal Reserves 1 | West | ||
| Inland Reserves 2 | Middle | ||
| 08h00 | JW Reserves Final | Inland Reserves 1 | East |
| Inland Reserves 2 | West | ||
| Coastal Reserves 1 | Middle | ||
| 08h30 | Junior Men’s I Final | No Race | |
| 09h00 | Junior Men’s H Final | No Race | |
| 09h30 | Junior Women’s G Final | No Race | |
| 10h00 | Junior Men’s G Final | Selborne College | West |
| Buffalo Rowing Club | Middle | ||
| Germiston High School | East | ||
| 10h30 | Junior Women’s F Final | No Race | |
| 11h00 | Junior Men’s F Final | Somerset College | East |
| Parktown Boys High School | West | ||
| 11h30 | Junior Women’s E Final | Somerset College | West |
| Germiston High School | East | ||
| 12h00 | Junior Men’s E Final | St Alban’s College | East |
| Jeppe High School for Boys | West | ||
| 12h30 | Junior Women’s D Final | Assumption Convent | East |
| Pennisula Girls Rowing Club | West | ||
| 13h00 | Junior Men’s D Final | Bishops Diocesan College | East |
| Rondebosch Boys High School | West | ||
| 13h30 | Junior Women’s C Final | Diocesan School for Girls | West |
| Clarendon High School | East | ||
| 14h00 | Junior Men’s C Final | St Andrew’s College | West |
| King Edward VIII School | East | ||
| 14h30 | Junior Women’s B Final | St Mary’s School | East |
| Holy Rosary School | West | ||
| 15h00 | Junior Men’s B Final | South African College High School (SACS) | West |
| St Stithians Boys College | East | ||
| 15h30 | Junior Women’s A Final | St Stithians Girls College | East |
| St Andrew’s School for Girls | West | ||
| 16h00 | Junior Men’s A Final | St John’s College | East |
| St Benedict’s College | West | ||
Heads Race 5 December 2025
| Start Order / Bow number | Girls | Heads Races Launching Time |
| 1 | St Andrew’s School for Girls | 13:20 |
| 2 | St Stithians Girls’ College | 13:20 |
| 3 | St Mary’s School, Waverley | 13:15 |
| 4 | Holy Rosary School | 13:15 |
| 5 | Assumption Convent School | 13:10 |
| 6 | Clarendon High School | 13:10 |
| 7 | The Diocesan School for Girls | 13:05 |
| 8 | Somerset College | 13:05 |
| 9 | Germiston High School | 13:00 |
| 10 | Peninsula Girls’ Rowing Club | 13:00 |
| 11 | Inland Reserves 1 | 12:55 |
| 12 | Inland Reserves 2 | 12:55 |
| 13 | Coastal Reserves 1 | 12:50 |
| 14 | Coastal Reserves 2 | 12:50 |
| Start Order / Bow number | Boys | Heads Races Launching Time |
| 1 | St Benedict’s College | 15:45 |
| 2 | King Edward VII School | 15:45 |
| 3 | St John’s College | 15:40 |
| 4 | St Stithians Boys’ College | 15:40 |
| 5 | St Alban’s College | 15:35 |
| 6 | Rondebosch Boys’ High School | 15:35 |
| 7 | Jeppe High School for Boys | 15:30 |
| 8 | St Andrew’s College | 15:30 |
| 9 | Bishops Diocesan College | 15:25 |
| 10 | South African College High School | 15:25 |
| 11 | Selborne College | 15:20 |
| 12 | Parktown Boys High School | 15:20 |
| 13 | Germiston High School | 15:15 |
| 14 | Grey High School | 15:15 |
| 15 | Buffalo Rowing Club | 15:10 |
| 16 | Somerset College | 15:10 |
| 17 | Inland Reserves 1 | 15:05 |
| 18 | Inland Reserves 2 | 15:05 |
| 19 | Coastal Reserves 1 | 15:05 |
2025 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday 4th December
1400 – 15h00 Crew registration
Friday 5th December
10h00 Coaches meeting
14h00 Junior Women’s Heads Race
16h30 Junior Men’s Heads Race
18h00 Coin Toss for finals races and Captains Photo
Saturday 6th December
07h30 Junior Men’s Reserves final
08h00 Junior Women’s Reserves final
08h30-15h00 Finals I-B
15h30 Junior Women’s A Final
16h00 Junior Men’s A Final
17h00 Prizegiving Ceremony
GENERAL INFORMATION
ACCESS AND TRAILER PARKING
All crews will be based at the Halyards Hotel and Port Alfred Small Boat Harbour area. Boat trailers should park on the grass area as indicated, access will be organised from Sunday 30th November onwards and 24hr security provided from the morning of Tuesday 2nd December. Please ensure trailers are parked considerately to ensure space for all competitors as well as boats which will need to be stored in that area.
Boats may be stored on trestles on the lawn in front of the Halyards Hotel, as well as in the adjacent car park which will be cordoned off from Tuesday 2nd December onwards.
No vehicles may park on the municipal slip way as shown or blocking any other road or access/driveway in the area.
Please ensure valuables are left out of sight and bus windows are closed when left unattended.
REGISTRATION
Between 14h00 and 15h00 on Thursday 4th December, one Manager or Coach from each club will need to register their crew with the organising committee team located at the Halyards Hotel restaurant deck. The club representative will need to sign as confirmation that both coaches and coxes have read the competitors information provided. They will also need to collect the event sponsor stickers for their boat and blades (see sticker application guide below).
STICKER APPLICATION GUIDE
As part of the competitor’s pack, each crew will receive eight blade stickers and two boat stickers from Standard Bank, as well as bags and event programs for your crew. Please ensure these stickers are applied to your boat and blades before you race.
Please remove any other old stickers or USSA-R Boat Race stickers. Crews may be delayed in boating if their stickers are incorrectly applied.
KIT
Crews are required to wear registered racing uniform as per the RowSA Rules of Racing.
NAVIGATION AND BEHAVIOUR ON THE WATER
During the week of the event, the river will be busy with many crews training throughout each day. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that training sessions take place safely and that we respect locals and other river users. We rely on the support of the Ndlambe Municipality and the Port Alfred community to ensure this event is permitted, and welcomed, back each year.
- Please keep to the standard navigation rule in keeping to the cox’s right side on the river when rowing (i.e. your bow-side blades closer to the bank), especially when passing other crews or other boats using the river.
- Do not stop in the middle of corners or under the bridges as you may not be visible to oncoming river traffic or block the
- Coaches/Launch drivers: Whilst you are allowed to follow your crews as necessary during training, please be considerate with your No wake areas must be always adhered to. As a guideline, always leave a 10-metre gap between your coaching launch and the jetties.
- Please be courteous and considerate to other river users, they have the same right to the water as we
- Please be mindful of loud megaphone use whilst navigating the built-up area of the river, especially during early morning training
- Please ensure crews are not on the river before Sunrise or after Sunset. Outside of this, compliant marine navigation lights are required on both rowing boats and coaching launches.
Competitors and supporters are again reminded of the events reliance on the support of the Ndlambe Municipality and the Port Alfred community to ensure the event is permitted, and welcomed, back each year.
- No signage will be permitted on bridges or on, or over, municipal structures.
- No parking on bridges and verges. Traffic laws will be strictly enforced.
- Spectators to refrain from running across roads, particularly on bridges.
- No trespassing on private jetties.
- No swimming on East or West Beach. Swimming only at Kelly’s Beach with adult supervision.
- Whilst there will be private security at Centenary Park during racing, security in that area remains a huge concern. Please do not leave vehicles unattended and only spectate at Centenary Park in large groups.
- No open fires are permitted.
HEADS RACE INFORMATION
PRE RACE BOAT CHECKS
Race officials will be checking all boats before they go afloat to ensure that the have heel restraints, bow balls, buoyancy compartments/canvasses and general security of fixings in line with RowSA Rules of Racing. In the event that a boat is deemed unsafe by officials, it will not be allowed to boat.
To alleviate jetty congestion, boat checks will be done on land, ahead of launch time.
COXES WEIGH IN
Coxes will be required to weigh in at the following times prior to the Heads Race
12.00-13.00 – Junior Women 14.30-15.30 – Junior Men
Coxes minimum weight as per RowSA Rules of Racing (50 kg women, 55 kg men). Coaches are responsible for sourcing appropriate ballast if required.
BOATING
Boating will take place in reverse order (the highest number crew boating first). Please refer to the separate document ‘Crew Launch Times’.
Crews will be called from the trailer and boat park area when required to boat. This is to avoid long queues and a delay to the starts. Crews will be called two at a time, and the next two warned to get hands on and ready. Please leave the trailer park promptly when your crew is called by the marshals. If any crew has not reached the jetty within 5 minutes of being called, you will risk losing your boating slot.
As the race is televised, and to respect all competitors waiting at the start, it is vital that the heats and finals races all start on time. The two-minute rule will be applied.
RACE NUMBERS
Before boating, each crew will be issued with a bow number corresponding to their place in the start order. Bow numbers will be checked by event officials up-river. In the event of a bow number being lost, the crew should notify the officials at the earliest opportunity.
*After the race, please return any uncollected bow numbers to the official’s conference room at the Halyards Hotel.
RACE REGULATIONS
The general principles of the RowSA Rules of Racing will be applied, however, your attention is drawn to the SASRU local rules specific to the South African Schools Boat Race event.
The conduct of the race shall be the sole responsibility of the Umpire. Any penalised individual, crew or club has the right to appeal to the regatta Jury, comprising the President of the Jury, an appropriate official, regatta chairman and SASRU representative.
Schools Boat Race Rules
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
Medical assistance will be based in the competitor area at the Halyards Hotel. At least one responder will be on the water during racing on a dedicated safety boat. In the event of a medical issue, the alert should be passed to the nearest official as soon as possible. Where possible and dependent on the severity of the incident, crews should proceed to to the Halyards Hotel Jetty to receive attention. Known medical conditions should be communicated to the President of the Jury immediately after the managers meeting.
RESULTS
Live results will be available.
Results will also be shared via the event social media pages. The live timing feed for the Friday Heads races should also provide live information for spectators on crew’s progress as they pass intermediate timing points on the course.
FINALS RACES INFORMATION
ALLOCATION OF BANKS
Following the publication of official results, crews competing against each other in the finals shall choose sides for their race with a coin toss. The faster crew from the heads race selects heads or tails. The winner of the coin toss will then choose the East or West Bank from which to start their race.
BOATING FOR FINALS
Crews should boat with plenty of time to spare ahead of their finals race. Junior Men’s crews are advised to boat an hour ahead of their race. Junior Women’s crews at least 45 minutes ahead of their race time.
The two-minute rule will be applied.
ROWING TO THE START
Crews rowing to the start of their final should pay close attention to crews racing on the course and should move well away from the racing line and stop rowing while the racing crews come past.
FOLLOWING FINALS RACES (COACHES & SCHOOL STAFF)
We will have space in umpires launches for at least one coach or staff member to follow your crew’s race. We will try and accommodate more if there is space. Please be at the Ski Boat Club jetty 30 minutes before your final start time to board.
NB no coach boats or other non-event boats will be allowed to follow finals races. This is the rule set by Ndlambe municipality and will be enforced by local authorities on the river.
PRIZEGIVING
A prizegiving ceremony will follow straight after the final race of the day, starting at 17h00 on the lawn area outside the Halyards. All competitors and supporters are welcome to attend. Medals will be awarded to the crews placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each category with floating trophies for the winners and runners up.