This is a rule change to increase fairness and consistency, introduced in late Feb 2024.

Your recording must include you hitting newgame/yes/no in the menu, as well as one second after the game has loaded before you pick up the oar. The picking up of the oar must be visible

The reasons are as follows:

1. If you don't include the menuing, we cannot guarantee that when you pick up the oar it is the FIRST time you pick it up.
2. If you don't include a moment of idly looking at the oar, we cannot determine the exact frame of picking up the oar, which might otherwise happen before the game is visible.
3. Timing after the boat has loaded makes sure the loading time is not part of the run.

This rulechange only affects new recordings. For older recordings timing will start on fade-in of the boat.

Any new submissions where the oar pickup cannot be determined will be timed from the menuing and will include the loading time.