Baltic Cup 2016 race regulation

Baltic cup 2016 organizers:
Latvian Federation of Sleddog Sports http://www.sleddog.lv
Lithuanian Federation of Sleddog Sports http://www.mushing.lt
Estonian – Sleddogs Club Baltosport https://www.baltosport.ee
in cooperation with
St.Petersburg Federation of Sleddog Sports http://www.spb-sfes.ru
Nordic sleddog club of Belarus- http://www.sleddograce.by
RaceDog Latvia – http://www.facebook.com/racedoglatvia

Official web sites:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balticcuprace
Internet: http://www.balticcup.net

1.Goal and tasks; categories and classes:
1.1. “Baltic Cup 2016” is held under IFSS race standards, seeking to popularize sleddog sport and find out the best dryland athletes in Baltic region.

1.2.Race categories for competition:
Rigs: DR4 and DR6
Scooters: DS1 and DS2
Bikejoring: DBW and DBM
Canicross: DCW and DCM

Each category is opened if at least 5 mushers have entered. (3 for DR4 and DR6).
If less then 5 (3), season points are awarded, but the organizer may chose not to award the category (except diplomas)

1.3. Classes:
Open class – all participating athletes that are not eligible for FCI Nordic class;
FCI Nordic class – participants racing with northern FCI pedigree breed dogs (other breeds are to be approved by Baltic cup organizers)
1.4. Nordic class shall be opened only if there are at least 5 such entries in one category (if there are less, it is up to the organizer to decide to award Nordics separately or not).
1.5. Open and Nordic classes are to be awarded separately if 1.4. is fulfilled.
1.6. Organizers also award separately (at events) veterans and juniors according to IFSS rules, if there are at least 5 in the same category. Otherwise they are included in Elite category and it is up to the organizer to decide to award them separately or not.
1.7. It is the option of the race organizer if there is more than 3 participants in any class, to divided them into groups (for example RNB1 and RNB2 or Beagle group). Only for overall Baltic cup standings RNB1 and RNB2 shall be awarded if there are at least 5 for season standings

2. Place, time, number of events
2.1. Series consist of four events held in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia:
I event – Latvia (Racedog Latvia – 9-10.04.2016.
II event – Lithuania – 31.04.-01.05.2016.
III event – Russia – 28.-29.05.2016.
IV event – Belarus – 1.-2.10.2016.
V event – Latvia (Dogsport Carnikava) – 22-23.10.2016.
VI final event Estonia – 5.-6.11.2016.

3. Organization
3.1. Each country organizes its race, according to these regulations and by the International Federation of Sleddog Sports race rules (IFSS) – www.sleddogsport.net.
3.2. Organizer of each event can expend the race regulation if needed according to its needs by local laws.

4. Competitors
4.1.Anyone can take part in the competition from any country who is eligible to IFSS race rules and these regulations. If one participant enters twice the same class, he has to nominate before start which will be the points scoring entry (only one).Organizer may refuse to let anyone to run more than twice in same race.
4.2. Age categories are defined in IFSS race rules. The minimum age in rules has to be reached by 31.12.2017. (example: if you birthday is 09.09.2001. you may enter bikejoring; kids can chose to run in kids or junior canicross according to age as in example)
4.3. Each musher has to declare by the start of his first race in season in what age category he/she shall participate (junior, elite, veteran) for season standings.

5.Applications
5.1. Organizers allow competitors to pre-register via email at least 1 month before the race.
5.2. Registration forms should be available in local language and at least in English.
5.3. By sending the race application, the competitor guaranties to pay the listed entry fee even in case of not attending the race.
5.4. Competitor due to objective reasons, (personal illness, dog diseases, etc.) has the right to cancel his/her registration no later than 5 days before the race start only if they are confirmed also by national/regional federation(!). 50% of fee shall be returned.
Other (extra) cases can be decided by organizer of the specific race event (for example: If no entry visa is given to enter the race holding country).

6. Safety 
6.1. Competitors are responsible for the condition of their own health (and dogs) and carry the responsibility to follow race rules and regulations of the event, by signing the application form. Persons who are younger than 18 years of age application is to be signed by at least one of their parents or a guardian. Organizers of the event are responsible against participants according to local law. It will be allowed for DR6 class to be run by 3 or 4-wheel carts by their choice.

7. Entry fee
7.1.The organizer of the event saves 1 EUR from each application (including juniors and veterans, but not kids) that is to be spent at the end of the season and or for different expenses regarding international race status:
a) Cups, medals, diplomas;
b) other decided by the organizers

8. Point scoring
8.1.Table of individual categories and classes for Baltic cup 2016
Winners total time (h:mm:ss:00 = X) of the class and category is to be as a benchmark for rest and will be valued with 100 points (same as IFSS World Cup). Each next place finisher will divide the winners time with his/hers result and multiplied by 100 (rounded up to nearest 0.1 point). To score points, you have to finish within 200% of the winners time.
Example:
1st place = 00:20:00.00 (twenty minutes, 00 seconds) = 100 points
2nd place = 00:21:00.00 = (20min/21min)*100 = 0.95238*100 = 95,238 = 95,2 points
8.2. Points are calculated according to an occupied position in its class.
8.3. Junior and Veteran points are calculated together with the Elite class (Overall) results, and they are listed in overall results table, but market as veterans or juniors. Separate ranking for Juniors and Veterans will determine season winners if there are at least 5!

Season points:
8.4. Three out of six best results will be counted for season ending standings. Two of the results have to come from races in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia. To qualify for final standings the racer must have started at least 3 events.
8.5. In case of even points in the standings, a tie breaker of such criteria is in force (till the first decides the winner):
a) count of most higher places (1st places to 1st places, than the next place)
b) best sum of total time of commonly attended races
8.6. To become Baltic Cup champion, you have to have won at least one race of 3 or more participants or been within 95% of winners time in 2 events.

9. Anti- doping
10.1. Participants are to follow the IFSS anti-doping rules and local authority rules.
10.2. Participant is to be excluded from Baltic cup if he refuses to take the test, or does not provide its dogs for tests.
10. Changes
10.1. Changes in the race regulations can be made only via negotiations by Baltic cup organizers.