The canal is not wide enough to allow boats to go up to the start while racing is in progress so the Regatta runs under a batch system. A batch of 6 to 8 races is held every 30 minutes. Competitors boat starting 30 minutes beforehand and are marshaled above the finish line. There is a small amount of room here for crews to keep moving. After the previous batch has finished the crews then proceed up past the start, turn and are marshaled with their opposition. During the batch crews are started at roughly 2 minute intervals. After the race crews turn straight into the basin and come off the water.

Because of the batch system there are no long waits for the opposition to turn up; if a crew does not appear by the start of the batch they forfeit the race. For this reason it is essential that all doubling up of boats crews and coxes is notified so that adequate time can be arranged between races, and there is a strict limit of only two events per boat / competitor. The regatta has finished on time or just before at 5.45pm for the last ten years. The earliest possible start is 9am if there is a full program of 170 entries.

Leicester Rowing Club Goes Green !