Official Raingutter Regatta Rules

The Raingutter Regatta is a parent-son project. Please feel free to give guidance and minimal assistance to your Scout as he builds his Raingutter Regatta boat, appropriate to his age. This is a chance for your son to be part of a team (he and you), and to enjoy the spirit of friendly competition with his peers.

Saturday, the scouts must register their boats before 7:30 pm. There will be an open sibling race at the end of the Scout competition and the sibling boats will follow the same rules as the Scouts.

Competition:

  1. Participants will race with other Scouts from their same rank.
  2. The race will involve two 10-foot lengths of raingutter filled with water.
  3. The race begins once the official starter has placed the competing boats against the back wall of the gutter and commands the Scouts to "GO!"
  4. On the starter's command, the Scouts will blow into the sail of their boat in order to advance them through the water. The boat can only be propelled by blowing into the sail. Once the race has begun, the Scout CANNOT touch his boat.
  5. If a boat capsizes or becomes stuck it will righted by a race official only.
  6. If a boat is touched by the Scout's face, lips, hat, nose or other part of their body, then the Scout's boat will be returned to the starting position to continue racing.
  7. The first boat to cross the finish line is the winner of that heat. The finish line official will have the final and ONLY say in determining the winner of that heat. The winners of each heat will advance until a single winner is determined.

Rules:

  1. Each participant may enter only one boat in the competition.
  2. The boat must have been built during the current school year. Boats that have competed in a previous year are not permitted.
  3. If a boat becomes damaged and upon the officials permission, the Scout may be allotted a short span of time to make (reasonable) repair to the boat before the next race. Time will be determined by the race official ONLY.
  4. Only the race official can determine if a race needs to be rerun due to boat damage or outside interference.
  5. Ungentlemanly or un-sportsman like conduct WILL NOT be tolerated from any participant or SPECTATOR and will be grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or race area.
  6. All decisions by race official are FINAL. Remember this is a friendly sporting competition. SPORTSMANSHIP and FUN is the main objective for the scouts and all to enjoy.

Boat Specifications:

  1. Boats must be made from the official BSA Raingutter Regatta kits or kit provided by the pack. All parts (hull, mast, keel, rudder and sail) provided in the kit must be used in the boat construction. (NO substitutions are allowed!)
  2. Hull: No longer than 7" or shorter than 6 ½". The boat body CANNOT be wider than 2 ½". The hull must be solid and not split into multiple parts. The mast may not be higher than 6 ½” from the deck, nor shorter than 5 ½” from the deck.
  3. Catamaran boats are not permitted. Basically the sail boat should look like a sail boat displayed on the box.
  4. Sail: Must use the sail provided in the kit. It may be trimmed, but cannot be enlarged or added to. It may be decorated.
  5. The mast hole, keel, and ruder layout specifications given in the BSA kit are for informational purposes and alternative placements are allowed.
  6. No other form of propulsion besides the sail is allowed.
  7. Decoration such as sailors, cannons, etc. may be added as long as they are firmly fastened to the boat. The decorations may not be placed in such a manner as to change the boat dimensions as listed above.

Inspection and Registration: (Closes at 7:30 pm)

  1. Each boat must pass a technical inspection and be registered before it may compete.
  2. Boats that have not registered by the cutoff deadline of 8:45am will not race.
  3. Please allow yourself time to pass inspection and make any small adjustments as needed before 7:20 pm. Once the boat is inspected and registered, it will not be touched until race time.

Rewards and Recognition:

  1. The most important values in Raingutter Regatta competition are parent/son participation, good sportsmanship and learning how to follow rules.
  2. Every participating Scout will receive a Raingutter Regatta participation certificate.
  3. Awards will be given for first place finishers in each rank.

Boat Assembly Suggestions and Tips:

  1. Shaping the boat: Sand the bottom front corner. Do not round the sides of the hull. Less rounded is more stable than a more rounded hull
  2. Use epoxy or hot glue to install the rudder, mast, and keel. Do not use super glue or water soluble glue such as Elmer's or school glue.
  3. Sail: Insert the sail onto the mast using the holes on the sail. The top of the sail should be approx ¾" from the top. Use tape or glue to secure the sail so that it will not rotate around the mast. The bottom edge of the sail needs to be about ½" above the deck of the boat. If the sail is too low, the corners will rub against the gutter. If the sail is too high, the boat will be top heavy and will tend to tip over.
  4. Use Krylon spray paint because it dries quickly. Sailboats must be painted 24 hours before racing.
  5. Many Scouts tend to blow "down" onto the boat, rather than "ahead". Try to focus on a point on the sail as a target and concentrate on blowing "along" the course. There is a tendency to get too close to the boat which can cause it to be blown over. Try to practice the best blowing method for you.

Page 1 of 2