Rendezvous: Historically, an annual gathering of fur trappers and traders, known to be lively, joyous gatherings. It was the social and business event of the year and included merriment, singing, dancing, running, jumping, racing, target-shooting, delicious food and frolic mixed with the business of trading. BOW TO STERN BUILD-A-BOAT CHALLENGE At River Rendezvous Saturday, June 30, 2012 Dear Boat Builder, Would Be Boat Builder, Boat Bum, or Basic Daredevil: The Third Annual Bow to Stern Build-a Boat Challenge is coming this June to the River Rendezvous festival, hosted by the Wisconsin Maritime Museum! Dust off those tools, sharpen a pencil, and start designing your entry for this boatbuilding competition! This entertaining event for the festival will bring boat builders from around the area in a competition using limited time and resources. Prizes will be awarded in a number of categories to reward creativity, engineering, and racing skills. This contest is meant to be a fun and enjoyable event for all parties involved and lets the public see what people can do. It is a great opportunity to show off your skills while showing up the competition. Please look over the enclosed set of rules, fill out the entry form and send it to us by June 8th. Then get busy gathering your team and designing the boat you know will win! We look forward to having you join us! Very Best Regards, Jennifer Mehall 652-0024 museum@wisconsinmaritime.org Wendy Lutzke 920-684-0218 wlutzke@wisconsinmaritime.org INTERESTED IN BEING A SPONSOR FOR THIS EVENT? Please contact Wendy Lutzke.
OFFICIAL RULES BOW TO STERN BUILD-A-BOAT CHALLENGE AT RIVER RENDEZVOUS General: Teams will consist of a minimum of 3 people and a maximum of 6. (The recommended team size is 4-6) Two people will be in the boat during the race. Date: Saturday, June 30, 2012 Time: Check-in and Set-up 9-10am Build Boats: 10am-4pm (sharp!) Parade and Race: 5:00pm Awards immediately following the race. Building Location: Parking lot to the west of Wisconsin Maritime Museum Race Location: launch from east of the submarine (bow), finish at a barge docked to the west of the submarine (stern) River Rats 2010 Entry fee: $75 per team Entry forms must be received by June 8 th. Late registrations will be accommodated if there is room. Limited availability. Teams will be registered on a first come first served basis. Teams will be required to sign hold harmless agreements prior to the event. Important Note: You will not be able to park in the lot where building is taking place. Boats will be displayed for the duration of the River Rendezvous on Sunday, July 1st. They must be picked up on Sunday by 6pm or will be disposed of by the festival volunteers. Construction: Each team will be supplied with: (4) sheets of 4 x 8 x ¼ plywood (6) 2 x 4 x 8 nominal lumber (100) 1 No. 8 flat head wood screws (2) tubes of quick drying caulk (50) tie wraps Teams may spend up to, but not more than $19.70 (1970, the year the Cobia came to Manitowoc) before taxes, of their own money on materials, excluding paint and brushes. Any consumable items (nails, screws, temporary glue) must be included in this total. Valid receipts for these materials must be presented to the judges prior to the competition or the materials may not be used. Be creative!
Up to three (3) quarts of latex interior flat paint and three (3) brushes may be used to decorate the boat. The paint must not be used to seal the boat from leaking in any way or as glue. Participants not adhering to this rule will be disqualified. No rollers or sprayers may be used. A mystery material will be supplied to each team at the start of the competition. You will be judged on how you use this material in the construction/decoration of your boat. Teams will be disqualified for using any materials other than those listed above. A banner with company or organization logo is permitted, and in fact encouraged. Teams must supply their own tools. There is no limitation on the number of tools, but they must be household grade. Power will be supplied, but no more than 20 amps per workspace. Battery operated tools are recommended. IMPORTANT! Proper (OSHA approved) safety equipment (safety glasses, dust masks, ear protection) is a requirement. Teams will be asked to show their safety equipment to the judges before the start of the competition. Individual team members without proper safety gear at that time will not be allowed to compete for their team. Safety equipment must be worn at all times when using tools that produce flying dust or debris. Those teams found not to be using their safety equipment during the competition will be disqualified. A space approximately 10 x 20 (two parking spaces) will be allocated to each team. Canopies will not be provided, but may be used. They must be secured with weights on each pole. Stakes may not be used. All construction must occur within that space. Your building area will be abutting other team s spaces, so all construction must take place within your building area. Teams may not store materials, supplies or trash outside of their building area. Teams must take care to ensure their sites pose no risk to the public. Plans may be used, but full size patterns or templates of any kind are forbidden. No alcoholic beverages may be consumed during the contest. Coaching from the sidelines is not permitted. Teams will be required to completely clean up their site after the competition. Racing: Boats must be solely human powered and all means of propulsion must be constructed from the materials given. Two team members may be in the boat during the race. One team member must be at the finish line (barge) to help bring the boat and boaters out of the water. Everyone loves a parade!! Any number of support staff from their respective company or organization may help the team transport their craft from the construction site to the launch site. The grander the spectacle the better! This is an area where your entire organization can participate. However, only building team members may assist with the launch. All boats will race at the same time. Teams may not deliberately hinder other boats during the races.
Last year s winning team will have a handicap, to be determined on the day of the event. USCG approved Personal Floatation Devices MUST be worn by all crew members during the races. Any boat that sinks or swamps during the races will be disqualified from the Grand Prize Trophy. The Coast Guard and Manitowoc Fire Department will be on hand to assist with any necessary rescue assistance. Judging: Judges will be selected from impartial groups in the community and beyond. Each boat will be rated by the Judges in the following categories: Appearance (of boat AND boaters) Originality (of boat AND boaters) Quality of design Quality of construction Use of mystery material Seaworthiness during the races Race finish place Fastest (race winner) Best use of materials Best bribe to the judges All categories will carry equal weight. The highest scoring boat will receive the Grand Prize Trophy. AWARDS: The stunning Grand Prize Trophy will be awarded to the winning team and may be held by that team for one year until the next competition at which time it will be awarded to the next winning team and so on. This trophy will make a handsome addition to any office! In the spirit of good sportsmanship, a Shipwreck award will also be presented to a team for a nicest try! Awards will also be made for Originality in Design and Originality in Construction. While these rules are written to be clear and easy to follow, there may be differing interpretations. In these, and in all cases, the decision of the judges will be perhaps whimsical and capricious at times, but definitely final. (Bribery is NOT discouraged, although culprits will be exposed!)
ENTRY FORM 2012 BOW TO STERN BUILD-A-BOAT CHALLENGE At River Rendezvous TEAM NAME COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION STREET ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP TEAM CAPTAIN PHONE: E-MAIL CREW MEMBERS (maximum team size = 6): Please fill out the above and return with a check for $75 made out to Wisconsin Maritime Museum at: Bow to Stern Build-a-Boat Challenge Wisconsin Maritime Museum 75 Maritime Drive Manitowoc, WI 54220 Teams are limited to 8; please get your entry in as soon as possible. Entries must be received no later than June 8, 2012. But the sooner you respond the better your chance of nabbing a spot! Hold harmless agreements will be available at the event for signing. You may not compete without signing one.