The Directors and Management Crew of this year’s Avon Descent wish all competitors and their support group the very best and hope safety will be high on everyone’s priority list.

It is expected that with the recent rain, the river level will provide the usual challenges and it should not be taken for granted that it will always be a safe journey down river.   River levels change rapidly and can provide unexpected hazards that are to be approached with caution and it should not assumed that they are the same as previously experienced.

• Be aware of and abide by all the rules of the race.
• We ask that both competitors and their support crews respect the Private Property of others and in particular, the property owners of the land we will pass through.
• We ask that if a competitor is in distress on the side of the river that this is quickly identified and appropriate action taken. It would be reasonable to expect that the care of an individual will take precedence over a placing in the race.
• Overtaking practices is a fundamental in cooperation amongst competitors – the craft that is to be overtaken should be aware that this is about to happen and hold their line while continuing to travel downstream. The craft that is making the overtaking manoeuvre is to make their presents known and take as wide a line as practical and in a safe manner.
• Safety Flags – please refer to page 31 of the 2017 Event Guide and make yourselves very familiar with them. Yellow being caution, red being stop and black being immediate disqualification. Failure to adhere to course officials and directive flags could result in an event penalty.
• Railway safety – our partners in this event, ARC Infrastructure, have provided a clear message about safety around the railway tracks and crossings, also on page 31 of the Event Guide. Competitors and in particular those that travel down the valley road are to ensure they are familiar with the wishes and expectations of our railway partners. The respect of the rail personnel and adhering to their instruction is paramount.
• Withdraw from the race – let us know. The extraction pickup point in the upper reaches of the second day will no longer be a delivery to the airstrip.  Competitors that have been withdrawn from the event, will be transported back to the rail crossing upstream of Emu Falls to await collection from their support crew.
• When a competitor withdraws from a race, this must be communicated to 0456436500  giving the surname and race ID.
• Avon Tracker – this APP has been designed to track the progress of competitors and it is in the interest of all to have access to monitor competitors during all stages of the event. This feature is a vital tool in mapping the position of the competitor between checkpoints and this information will influence the action of both event officials and competitor support crews.
• Competitors are to make themselves aware of the cut off times on each day and comply with instruction if those times are exceeded.

Have a great race, stay safe and enjoy the days ahead.