Official Rules

Click here to view the USAT Official Rules

MESP Official Race Policies

• All entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable to other athletes or other events.
• If you are unable to compete, we do offer a Right to Purchase for the following year's event. The Right to Purchase does not transfer your registration fee towards the next year but does allow you to preregister for the event.  To take advantage of this, please visit the following website to complete the form:  http://mesp.com/deferment.cfm.
• Number Plates and Race Numbers MUST be visible at all times in order for riders to be scored.
• Racers must wear the assigned timing chip in order to be scored.
• Helmets must be worn at all times during the biking portion of the race.
• All athletes are expected to conduct themselves in a sportsman-like way. MESP reserves the right to refuse future race entry and to disqualify anyone who conducts himself or herself in a way unbecoming of an athlete. Fighting, foul language, cheating and other un-sportsmanlike practices will not be tolerated.
• The timing director and the USAT official will resolve all timing problems. If an official is not present, the timing director will have the final decision on all protests with the consultation of the race director if necessary.
• Timing problems and protests must be presented within the posted 15-minute protest period. Problems and protests presented after the 15-minute protest period may not be addressed in time for the award ceremony.
• Riders starting in the wrong wave will be disqualified.
• Results will be posted online the day of the event.

USAT Policies

• USAT rules are enforced. USA Triathlon officials will handle protests, and their rulings are final.
• Non-USAT members must pay a one-day license fee of $10 per person per event for ages 14 and up.
• Age Group: Determined by age on Dec. 31 of the event year, not by age on race day. For example: If you turn 25 years old in July of 2010, you will race and be ranked in the 25-29 age group for the entire 2010 season.

Wetsuits

Age group participants shall be permitted to wear a wetsuit without penalty in any sanctioned event up to and including a water temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water temperature is greater than 78 degrees, but less than 84 degrees Fahrenheit, age group participants may wear a wetsuit at their own discretion, provided however that participants who wear a wetsuit within this temperature range shall not be eligible for prizes or awards. Age group participants shall not wear wetsuits in water temperatures equal to or greater than 84 degrees Fahrenheit.  The water temperature will be taken on the morning of the event by USAT officials and the temperature will be announced all morning from the main stage.

Nautica South Beach Triathlon Photo Contest Official Contest Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

The Nautica South Beach Triathlon Photo Contest (“Contest”) is sponsored by VF Sportswear, Inc., 40 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 (“Nautica”). 

Nautica invites interested parties to submit up to two (2) digital photographs for possible publication on the Nautica blog at http://360blog.nautica.com.

Term

The Contest period begins April 11, 2010, at noon (12 p.m.) U.S. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends April 21, 2010, 5:00 p.m. ET.. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to these official rules (“Official Rules”) and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a skill-based contest, and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.

Who May Enter

Contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry. Employees of VF Sportswear, Inc., and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related are not eligible. CONTEST IS VOID IN PUERTO RICO AND WHERE PROHIBITED.

How to Enter

To enter, send an email to nauticatidesofchange@gmail.com and attach up to two (2) of your photograph(s) which must be taken during the  Nautica South Beach Triathlon race weekend, April 10 & 11, 2010, and must relate to some aspect of the Nautica South Beach Triathlon. Entrants also must include the following information: your name, address, telephone number, email address, photo caption; a description of each photograph not to exceed one hundred characters indicating why you the think your photograph is special, and information on the subjects in your photograph(s).

No entrant may submit in total more than two (2) photographs. If an entrant exceeds these limits, Nautica may at its absolute discretion either disqualify all the entrant's entries or select at its absolute discretion entries to go forward for judging and reject the remainder.

Each entry also must comply with the following requirements (the "Photograph Requirements"):

Photographs must be in digital format. Only e-mail entries will be eligible. Scans of negatives, transparencies, or photographic prints are not acceptable. All digital files must be must be in JPEG format. Photographs that include sculptures, statues, or other works of art will be accepted only if the entrant provides the Artist Release in the form as described below in "Releases".

The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single (and not a composite) work of original authorship taken by the entrant.

The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of Nautica, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.

Entries must be made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, internet domain owner, or other person or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. Nautica reserves the right to examine the original photograph/source material in order to confirm compliance with these rules.

Releases

If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons (other than Nautica South Beach Triathlon athletes) appear in the photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation.

All releases from individuals appearing in the photograph must be in the form provided by Nautica.  Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner. (Download the Personal Release form. Acrobat Reader is required to view the download.)

Similarly, upon Nautica’s request, each entrant must be prepared to provide a signed written license from the copyright owner of any artwork or other copyrighted material that appears in the photograph entry. All releases from artists must be in the form provided by Nautica.  Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. (Download the Artist Release form. Acrobat Reader is required to view the download.)

For the purposes of these Official Rules, the entrant will be deemed to be in receipt of Nautica’s request or notification, (a) in the event that Nautica sends the request by postal mail, five business days after the request was posted, or (b) in the event that Nautica sends the request by email, on the day that the email was sent. The entrant must be prepared to provide all required releases within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Nautica's request.

Contest Winners

Five (5) Contest winners will be selected. The Contest winners will have their photographs (with a credit to entrant) and statements about their work posted on http://360blog.nautica.com for a period of not less than one year.

Potential winners shall be required to sign and return within seven (7) days following an attempted notification, an Affidavit of  Eligibility and Release in the form provided by Nautica.

Failure to execute and deliver any required documents to Nautica by the specified deadlines may result in disqualification from the Contest, and selection of an alternate potential winner. 

Judging

All eligible entries received will be judged to determine the top five (5) scoring photograph entries by a panel of judges, consisting of representatives/staff of Nautica.  Judging will be based on the following equally weighted judging criteria: 1) Creativity (artistic and visionary), 2) Uniqueness (distinctive), 3) Photographic Quality, and 4) Public Appeal (likelihood of interest to the public), (the “Judging Criteria”).  In the event of a tie, winner of the tie will be determined based on the highest score for Creativity.  In the event of a further tie, winner of the tie will be based on the highest score for Uniqueness. On or about April 23, 2010, the five (5) Winners’ photographs, names and statements about their work will be posted on http://360blog.nautica.com.

Nautica assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries; or alteration of entries. Nautica is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to in this Contest.

Conditions

THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Entrants agree that this Contest shall be subject to and governed by the laws of the State of New York and the forum for any dispute shall be in the State of New York, United States of America. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or on connection with this Contest are hereby excluded and any entrant expressly waives any and all such rights. Certain restrictions may apply. Entries void if Nautica determines the photograph to not be an single original, or if the entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft or lack of any requisite Releases.

By entering, entrants also agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) that the decisions of the Judges are final and binding with respect to all matters relating to the Contest; and (c) if the entrant wins the entrant will be required to grant Nautica the rights set forth in the Terms of Use at http://360blognautica.com.  In the event that the selected winner(s)  is/are ineligible, cannot be traced or does/do not respond within seven (7)  to a winner notification as required by these "Official Rules, Nautica may select an alternate potential winner.  Nautica reserves the right to verify the validity and originality of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant's identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Official Rules or who tampers with the entry process. Materials will not be returned or acknowledged. Failure by Nautica to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.

Right to Cancel or Suspend Contest

If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, Trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Nautica that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Nautica reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If Nautica elects to cancel or terminate the Contest, Nautica will not retain any rights in the submitted photographs.

Winners List

Entrants are responsible for complying with these Official Rules. Winners' names will be available online at http://360blognautica.com after May 1, 2010. Alternatively, for names of winners send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:  Nautica, Attention Marketing Department, 40 West 57th Street, NY, NY 10019.