How are promotions calculated
The Standard promotion times shown in the chart on page D1 in the Canoe Sprint & Marathon Handbook are times when the wind or weather is not affecting the speed of racing, which is the time your coach is quoting.
During a regatta the weather is monitored continually and calculations are made as to what handicap is required to be either added or subtracted from the standard time depending on the condition during the racing. If there is a tail wind giving us a course which is running fast the promotion time is move up by the appropriate number of points, equally if there is a head wind which slows the course down then the promotion times are moved down to allow for this. This is monitored throughout the day and the handicap can change from one set of races to another if the weather changes.
The aim is to gauge paddler's times as if the race had not been wind assisted. As a sport which is affected by the weather we can't have a firm set time for promotions as the weather can have a marked affect on the times achieved.