Untitled Document

Race Delays
The Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome, May 5-31, 2001

This race is an unstaged and nonstop race, as indicated in Rules 1 and 2. All participants signed a rules agreement form prior to the race agreeing to all rules and safety program. Judges can not modify rules. The 3 judges selected can not be altered by anyone other than the Chairman.

Unfortunately, Team Double Helix and Team Kruger encountered several legal and other delays from the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Law Enforcement during the race that were outside normal expectations.

Nevertheless, official race results do not include these delays, but delays will be noted on team page accounts when we receive all times, logs and public notes that teams would like to list on this site.

Noted delays are as follows:

1. Team Kruger and Team Double Helix were stopped at Mile 860 on 5/10/01 because Lock and Dam 1 was closed. Both teams were "clocked" when reaching the same place. Ketter's Canoes (independent 3rd party) timed the difference in times between the first place team (Kruger) and Team Double Helix at Stan Hanson's request (Stan is from Team Kruger). The time difference was recorded as 2 hours, 50 minutes, 58 seconds. Please see the May 10 report for more information.

Teams resumed the following day at 12 noon. This resulted in a delay of 18 to 20 hours for Team Double Helix and Team Kruger.

From Elizabeth Tynan - during the race, May 10, 2001:
Due to Stan of team Kruger and Tony of Team Double Helix requests, I decided to notify the judges. At approx 4:05 PM CST on Thursday May 10, 2001 I, Don Keller left detailed voice mails for Jim Seymore and Hal Marshall.

Hal could not get in contact with Steve Landick or Jim Seymore and appointed Elizabeth Tynan (Safety Officer) and Don Keller (Official Time Keeper and "back up" Safety Officer) as reserve judges. The judges decided to take the time difference the teams arrived at Mile 860 into account for the Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome, May 2001.

Note from Chairman and Founder after the Race (June 2001):
This race is an unstaged and nonstop race, as indicated in Rules 1 and 2. All participants signed a rules agreement form prior to the race agreeing to all rules and safety program. Judges can not modify rules. The 3 judges selected can not be altered by anyone other than the Chairman. Therefore this decision is not valid. The 3 appointed judges will be contacted and will be asked for a statement to this effect.

2. Team Kruger and Team Double Helix were stopped at Lock and Dam 11because the river was closed to all traffic. Team Double Helix arrived first by estimates ranging from 2 1/2 to 8 hours - I (webmaster, Mary Potter) will have to see logs to get the final time difference. Regardless of final time to lock through and arrive at the lower part of Lock and Dam 11, the teams were tied at this point and remained tied while they travelled together to St. Louis, Missouri. See May 14 and May 15 reports for arrival/travel at Lock and Dam 11.

The total time stopped was over 24 hours during this stop for both Team Double Helix and Team Kruger.

3. Team Double Helix and Team Kruger were stopped also by the Sherriff's Department during the next evening. The Sherriff did not know both teams had permission to travel on the closed section of the Mississippi River by order of the Coast Guard and teams had to wait on shore until 8:15 AM the following day until the Coast Guard could be contacted. See May 15 and May 16 report.