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Raingutter Regatta
Rules Pack 631, Larkspur, |
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• Hull may be no longer
than 7 inches and not shorter than 6 ½ inches. • Mast should measure 6
½ inches from desk to top of mast. • The sail should be no
larger than the material supplied in the kit. • There is no restriction
on color or design. • Boats must be made from
the BSA Raingutter Regatta kits. However the materials supplied in the kit
can be modified and added to somewhat. • The hull, mast, and sail
provided in the kit must be used, however, they can be modified. • The keel and rudder must
be used without modification. • The sail may be glued to
the mast or held in place in some other fashion. • Boys, when called to
race, place boat in gutter and place one hand in front of their sail holding
the boat back against the end of the gutter, they hold the straw in their
mouths with the other hand and get ready to blow on the word "GO"
from the judges. • Racing will be double
elimination. You must lose twice to be eliminated from further competition. • When racing boys are
allowed to "upright" their boats with their hands, but, cannot push
the boats forward when doing so. We will give one warning and run the
particular race over if one boy pushes his boat ahead AND that boat wins. We
will have to eliminate a boy from racing if he pushes his boat on the restart
of a race. We don't want to eliminate a boy from racing. • In all cases of
discrepancy, question, or fairness the scoutmaster will define the rule of
the race. Pack 631 Raingutter Regatta
Tips • The lighter the boat, the
faster it will go. However it can be less stable. • Blowing is typically not
a matter of how hard, but how straight. Blow evenly with the straw at a point
about 1 inch from the bottom of the sail. Blowing the boat down one edge of
the gutter rather than letting it "tack" back and forth seemed to
be the fastest. • Consistent blowing is
better than large puffs. • The bottom edge of the
sail needed to be about 1/2 inch above the deck of the boat. If the sail was
too low the corners rubbed against the gutter or dipped in the water. If the
sail was too high the boat was top heavy and tended to tip over. • The flatter the hull the
more stable the boat will be. Stability is a key to winning the race. • Some have had success in
placing a groove in the bottom of the boat to help keep the boat going
straight. • The boats sailed best if they
were balanced with more weight to the rear. This elevated the bow of the
boat, and when they were blown, they ran almost even. • The keels needed to be
placed about 3/4 of an inch behind the mast. Don't follow the instructions in
the kit. • The rudder should be
placed touching the keel. • Use "Krylon"
spray paint -- it dries in about one minute on the balsa wood hulls. • Have Fun !!!
Check it out! Photos from a past
Raingutter Regatta
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