(a) A crew member may leave the boat at any time after the turn has been completed and run to and through the team’s allocated beach flags on their feet. The first crew member and a member of the second crew who is waiting with their toes on or behind the start change over line must visibly tag (refer section 2.28 for definition of a tag).
Note 1: The incoming crew member is not required to pass through the “in water” finishing flags to affect the tag.
Note 2: The second runner’s feet cannot cross the line to commence the second crew’s leg of the race until after the tag has been affected but the tag may be affected on the seaward or shoreward side of the line.
(b) The runner from the second crew then runs to the balance of the crew who are waiting with their boat on the sand or in the water behind the in-water finish flags. The crew competing in the next leg cannot enter the boat until the runner touches any part of the boat (not the oars).
(c) The same processes then apply to the second and third crews except that the third crew finishes the race as described in “The Finish”, (refer Section 5.4.8).