TWS 2023 Announcements

Checkpoints

Checkpoint #10 will no longer be at Saltwater Barrier. New location just below Hwy 35 Bridge (Mile 251) at Papa and Maga’s Calhoun Riverside RV Retreat. Address: 125 Haeber Lane, Tivoli, TX 77990. There will be NO ACCESS to Saltwater Barrier for Team Captains or Spectators. Cut off time: 7:00 AM Wednesday. Please be courteous during night time hours as there are people staying in the RV park.

Checkpoint #4 (Gonzales Gravel Bar) will move from the gravel bar (Mile 85.79) to the Gonzales Dam (Mile 84.46). There will be a mandatory left portage at the dam so that all boats will pass the checkpoint and can be signed through by their crews. All boats will exit the river above the dam, take the portage and head down the path to the put in below the dam. See Course Description for additional details.

Teams may arrive early at the Meadows Center to unload boat and gear so that everything is ready for the teams assigned check-in time. Do not proceed to Race Check-in table until boat, required equipment, inventory form and waivers are completed. You may come to side table at Race Check in to ask for waivers if not completed beforehand. Bring completed Equipment list to check-in. Ensure that you have everything set up to begin check-in at your assigned time. Click here for Team Inventory/Equipment List.

Teams may leave after check in is complete and then return for the race briefing. See below for details regarding Race Briefing.

At your assigned check in time: Proceed to registration table to pick up race packet at Check-in table prior to having a Race Official to check in your boat and collect signed waivers. Race Official will be wearing TWS Race Official shirts and carrying clipboards. Race Officials should be at the check-in table when you get your race packet and will follow you to your boat. If a Race Official is not available at the check in table – look for one on the way back to your boat and let one know where you are located and they will come to you once they finish up current boat they are checking in. Race bags will contain racer t-shirts, team captain t-shirts and TC vehicle placards. The placards must be displayed on TC vehicle dashboard.

Required Equipment will be checked at this time – see Section 3 Required Equipment on the website. Click here for rules. It is highly recommended that the paperwork is filled out ahead of time and ready to be reviewed when race official checks boat in. See above for link to Team Inventory sheet/Equipment List. It is available under The Race menu option. Verify expiration date of Flares before coming to check-in to determine if new flares are needed.

Racers and Team Captains must sign waivers. Waivers are available online and we encourage completing beforehand and brought to race check-in. Waiver forms will also be available at check-in. Waivers must be completed prior to engaging a Race Official to complete check-in.

Read Waiver instructions carefully. If a racer or TC cannot be on site Friday to sign waivers, they must sign/turn in waivers Saturday morning by 7:30. Race officials will collect the waivers from the team when the boat is being checked. Click here for link to instructions and waivers.

Team Captain changes will incur $25 admin fee – payable at Check-in. Cash, Check and Credit/Debit cards accepted.

Race briefing: will be from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. – One racer per team must attend race briefing in person and strongly recommend one team captain per team attend race briefing in person. We will also live-stream on Texas Water Safari Facebook page. It will also be uploaded that evening to the TWS YouTube Channel. Links are available to FB and YouTube at the top of our website page. Regardless, if all competitors attend the race briefing or not, they are still responsible for any new information that is presented e.g. mandatory portages, rule changes, etc.

There will be some Palmetto Park passes available for sale at check-in table. Passes are required for anyone entering the park. This is an official check point so all team captains will need one. Annual State Park Passes are valid as well.

Make sure your boat has been cleaned to TPWD guidelines. The guidelines are posted on texaswatersafari.org under The Race menu (Clean Boat Campaign pdf).

Parking: We will have a designated boat unloading area. This is not a parking area. It is for dropping off boats. Please unload boats as quickly as possible. See Parking Shuttle Announcement.
DO NOT ACCESS Spring Lake @ Meadows Center before June 10 8AM. This is private property.
No private drones are allowed at Meadows Center.