Pack 1855 Raingutter Regatta Info & Rules

 

 

  

Overview

So just what is a Raingutter Regatta? The Raingutter Regatta is a boat race that is designed to be a parent-son project. Please feel free to give guidance and minimal assistance to your Scout as he builds his Raingutter Regatta boat. These “Raingutter Regatta Rules” are written to help you keep it simple and fun for your Scout, and to know what to expect when it comes time to race your boat. A special note to all parents and Scouts: together, please read the concluding paragraph on sportsmanship. While everyone will be trying to win, it's always a good idea to start out by remembering the Cub Scout Motto, "Do Your Best," and some of the basic ideas behind good sportsmanship.

 

 

So just what is a Raingutter Regatta? The Raingutter Regatta is a boat race that is designed to be a parent-son project. Please feel free to give guidance and minimal assistance to your Scout as he builds his Raingutter Regatta boat. These “Raingutter Regatta Rules” are written to help you keep it simple and fun for your Scout, and to know what to expect when it comes time to race your boat. A special note to all parents and Scouts: together, please read the concluding paragraph on sportsmanship. While everyone will be trying to win, it's always a good idea to start out by remembering the Cub Scout Motto, "Do Your Best," and some of the basic ideas behind good sportsmanship.

So just what is a Raingutter Regatta? The Raingutter Regatta is a boat race that is designed to be a parent-son project. Please feel free to give guidance and minimal assistance to your Scout as he builds his Raingutter Regatta boat. These “Raingutter Regatta Rules” are written to help you keep it simple and fun for your Scout, and to know what to expect when it comes time to race your boat. A special note to all parents and Scouts: together, please read the concluding paragraph on sportsmanship. While everyone will be trying to win, it's always a good idea to start out by remembering the Cub Scout Motto, "Do Your Best," and some of the basic ideas behind good sportsmanship.

 

Assembling and Decorating the Boat

 

·         Use the boat as-is out of the kit. No shortening or lengthening of the boat is allowed. Sanding is allowed as long as the length of the boat remains as is in the box. 

·         The boat can be decorated in any manner the Scout chooses. Keep in mind that if you add too much weight, the boat may not float, so testing it would be wise.  Putting items on the side of the boat may make it too wide and then drag along the side of the raingutter, which will cause the boat not to race well.

·         The sail can be decorated. Do not add width to the sail because it will then be too wide. You may trim it down, but do not trim too much because the Scout needs a good size target for blowing.                                                                   
·         The sail MUST be free flowing. Meaning, the sail cannot be attached in any way to the boat. Fastening the sail to the boat will be cause for disqualification.


                                                  

 

 

 

Racing Rules

 

·         Upon arriving to the race, the Scout will hand over his boat to Port Patrol (an adult judge). If the Scout’s boat passes inspection, the boat will be given a number & then “dry docked”. The Scout will not be allowed to touch the boat until his race.

·         Each Scout will be given a straw to blow their boat down the raingutter track.

·         Numbers will be drawn to determine heat races (1 vs. 6, 3 vs. 5, etc.).

·         Port Patrol will place a starting block at the tip of each boat.

·         Port Patrol will give a “Ready, Set, Go” to start the race and then lift up the starting block.

·         Scouts cannot touch their boat with their hands or the straw. NO pushing the boat down the track is allowed. Tip: have the Scout’s outside arm tucked behind their back and use their inside arm to hold the straw as they race.

·         If a boat tips over, only Port Patrol may touch the boat to stand it upright. The Scout may not touch their boat during races.

·         The boat that wins their heat is declared the winner of that race and moves on. The loser moves to the consolation bracket.

·         The Pack uses a double elimination process for the races. That means that a Scout is not out of the Regatta until they lose 2 heats. Each Scout gets the chance to run their boat a minimum of 2 races.

·         GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP IS A MUST! All scouts are to cheer on others during the race. Any Scout who demonstrates poor sportsmanship will be immediately disqualified!

·         It is good sportsmanship for the winner of a heat/ race to cheer on their opponent to encourage that Scout to continue to finish the race even though the other scout has finished. It is about finishing by doing your best, not just about winning!!!

·         HAVE FUN!!!

Sportsmanship – “How should I act?”

 

Three things the Raingutter Regatta requires each participant to learn. First, the craft skills necessary to build a boat. Second, the rules that must be followed. Even more important, though, is how we act and behave while participating in the Raingutter Regatta or any other group activity. This is called sportsmanship.

 

The first thing to remember about sportsmanship is that everyone's skills are a little different. Your craft skills may be just developing, while someone else may be more experienced. Parents have different skill levels, too. Whether or not you feel that you have good boat-building or racing skills, remember you and your friends are individuals first and racers second. This idea is often called having respect for others.

The second thing to remember is to follow the rules. Without rules, there would be no Raingutter Regatta. You will never know if you are really good at doing something unless you follow the rules. This is often called being honest.

The third thing to remember about good sportsmanship is that there are winners and losers in every competition. You accept this when you choose to compete. There may be times when you win and feel happy, and times when you lose and feel unhappy. Being a winner is easy, and losing is sometimes hard. If you win, you must not brag or gloat. If you lose, you must not feel jealous or bitter. To be a good sportsman, you must be able to say, "I did my best" and be satisfied with the results. You must also be able to appreciate and feel happy for someone else when he runs a good race or builds a neat boat.

 

Good luck & have fun Pack 1855!!