Since the phrase "power boat" has many meanings and interpretations, the NCPCA has determined that a qualified power (or sail) boat must meet the following requirements:
| At least 21' in length
| Inboard power plant (including I/O's)
| Permanent head
| Permanent galley
| Permanent bunks
| Operates at a speed of between 5 and 10 knots | |
The minimum amount and type of equipment required to run a contest is as follows:
| Compass
| NOAA chart for the given course
| A clock or stop watch
| Race numbers
| Course instructions | |
The size of the crew required varies with each contestant. Most NCPCA members run with only two people, but three or four crew members are helpful to divide up the responsibilities. The various jobs aboard are helmsman, navigator, time-keeper, and spotter.
The procedures may seem complicated; but in fact, they are relatively simple. When you receive the course instructions from the race committee, you inform the committee as to the speed at which you wish to enter (from 5 to 10 knots).
The committee then gives you a start time. This is the exact time of the bow of your boat should cross the start line. In addition to the start and finish lines, contestants will be checked at three or more unknown places on the race course. The errors accumulated throughout the contest, multiplied by your entered speed, determines your error points. The contest then becomes a series of short laps, each accurately timed by the committee. The boat with the least error points becomes the winner.