Competitors will be provided at HOCR Registration with a Countdown clock enabling them to get to the Start Line in time for their starting position in their race. HOCR Timing and Technology group - in close cooperation with team members from MIT and CalTech - has perfected a handheld countdown LED display clock which upon receipt by each sculler/coxswain at HOCR registration will be set to the US Naval Observatory chronograph time of day and then activated such that at time 00:00:00 they are to cross the Start Line (in sequence behind their preceeding sculler/crew) thereby eliminating the ongoing problem of "clogging" or "extra gap" between crews.
Says erstwhile HOCR Umpire Irragafatz Ikutchitoots... this control system will incent all competitors (on fear of time penalty for being more than 2 seconds OFF of the appointed time) to finally take the Start at HOCR seriously. If a competitor is either early or late to the Start Line, the Countdown Clock will emit an onerous and audible siren indicating the infraction - which then noted by Umpires will result in a race infraction penalty.
The tests conducted of the countdown clock project began in earnest during the recent Australian Head racing season where one club from Alice Springs described the countdown concept as a TIMEBOMB. During the warmup for their races in Perth, none of the crews strayed more than 150 meters from the Start Line, in fear that they'd miss their Start Slot altogether. Obviously the HOCR Start Line Marshals won't let this cowardice occur in Boston.