Ideas for a Raingutter Regatta
- According to Boy's Life Magazine, a champion regatta racer floats upright, moves in a straight line, keeps the boat's nose above water and doesn't drag too much in the water or on the raingutters. Incorporating these elements in a regatta racer is fairly simple. Using a Boy Scouts of America regatta kit, scouts (and parents helping out) can follow simple instructions for building a fast boat that meets these criteria. Placing the boat's keel back as far as possible on the ship (right next to the rudder) helps the boat stay righted, and trimming the boat's paper sails ensures that they don't drag on the edges of the raingutter during a race.
- Scouts are not required to use a BSA regatta kit to build their boat, as long as the boat they enter in the regatta meets the race's specifications. Alternate designs, like a dual-hull catamaran suggested by scouting father Carl Schott provide fun and, if executed properly, fast Raingutter Regatta racers. According to Schott, the catamaran design addresses several issues with the BSA kit boat-- namely the boat's instability and predisposition to steer off to one side or the other.
- According to Cub Scout Pack 713's website, there are no specific rules mandating that a regatta racer have a sail. Boats are only allowed to be propelled by the air in a scout's lungs, but an open cabin to catch that wind will work, too. An open cabin may be constructed from wood, sail material or, really, any material the scout chooses. The only regulation is that the wind-catching cabin does not exceed the maximum sail area expressed in the official Raingutter Regatta rules.
- Using lung-power to propel a racer down a section of raingutter at top speeds isn't something scouts should just jump right into, says Pack 713. Before the day of the actual race, scouts should use their bath tubs at home or other water-holding devices to practice propelling their racers over water. Blowing too hard, too fast is a recipe for hyperventilating so parents and scouts should both me mindful that no one gets light-headed during the race.
