What happens at the start, and what is my job there?

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Be on time. Be at the start, ready to row, two minutes before your start time. Arriving later earns a yellow card, and the race can start without you. Don't enter the course until your race is cleared. Roll call: the umpire takes the roll call and checks bow numbers and equipment. Damage on the way up: tell the umpire. After checking with the President of the Jury, the umpire may reject the claim, allow repairs or delay the start. Keep the boat straight. It is your crew's responsibility to keep the boat straight in its lane. Respond to the aligner's "TOUCH", "BACK" and "HOLD" calls. Not ready? Raise your hand to show you're not ready. The umpire may take note, but doesn't have to wait for it to come down before starting. A crew that keeps failing to get straight and ready, and becomes a nuisance, can be dealt with as the umpire sees fit. The start: "ATTENTION" with the red flag raised, then a 1 to 5 second pause, then "GO" as the red flag drops. In wind or rough water the umpire may use a rolling start, lining you up about 100 m above the line. False start: if your bow crosses the line after the aligner's white flag and before the red flag drops, it's a false start, and your crew gets a yellow card. Two yellow cards in one race mean exclusion. Only the aligner decides false starts. Restarts and re-rows are always from the original start line.