Rain Gutter Regatta Pack Event Sunday July 24 th Check-in: 1:30PM Races start: 2 PM Location: 4512 Hoffman Farms Drive Cost: $4/boat kit Organizer: Matt Cook Ahoy, Mates! Although the seas are only 10-foot lengths of rain gutter filled with water, and the ships are a mere 6 inches long, the race promises to be a fun and exciting event. Each boy builds his own boat, with supervision and help from parents or other family members. He also provides the wind for the sail using his own lung power. The main intent is for us to get together and have some fun on a Sunday afternoon. We again want to stay away from over the top rules and regulations for our sailing event let s make this fun and encourage your son to do his best on his boat and at the race. The rules for the Raingutter Regatta are very simple. The boys build boats from kits the Pack will provide these at no charge to Cub Scouts participating in the race. The kit will be at the May Pack Meeting. Please follow the assembly directions in the package and allow the boys to provide finishing touches as they choose. These are very easy to build and the scout can do most of it!!! It is important to note that you can t start building this on the day of the event as a few pieces need to be glued on to the boat and need some time to dry. The race will involve two rain gutters on saw horses filled with water. The boys blow air on the boat sails to move them through the water. Hands may only be used to upright a turned over boat and may not be used to advance the boat. Boys may not use body parts to move the boat just their lung power! Bring your Boat, squirt guns, chairs/blankets, canopies and sunscreen. AWARDS??? We will have trophy awards for speed and also additional trophies for best designs. The exact format of the awards for speed is TBD as this will depend on # of participants, but the boat awards will be: 1) Best Pirate Theme 2) Most Original 3) Best Cub Scout Theme. An award committee will be selected at the start of the event, and every participating Scout will receive a Regatta patch when checking in.
Below you will find several sections. Please take the time to read each section. 1. Basic Rules 2. Detailed Rules and Race Day Process 3. How to build a Raingutter Regatta Sail Boat 1. Basic Rules BASIC RULES The boat must be newly built for the current Cub Scouting year Hull: 1-piece design, no longer than 7" or shorter than 6 1/2" Mast: 6 1/2" from deck to top (measure the one from the kit...it may be too long!) Keel: Supplied in kit (no modifications) Rudder: Supplied in kit (no modifications)
Sail: No larger than material supplied Sail boat: Made from the provided official BSA Regatta kit Hydrofoils and catamarans are NOT permitted because they provide a competitive advantage. The rules for the Raingutter Regatta are fairly simple. The boys build boats from standard BSA kits. The boys can decorate in any manner they choose. The actual race will be divided into rank categories: Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos similar to the Pinewood Derby. The boys blow air on the boats, through straws, to move them through the water. Hands may only be used to upright a turned over boat and may not be used to advance the boat. Boys may not use their faces, lips, hats, nose or other body parts to move the boat -- just their lung power! 2. Detailed Rules and Race Day Process Construction rules 1. The boat must be newly built for the current Cub Scouting year. As much as practical, the boat should be substantially built by the Scout with parental supervision. The boat should use every part from the BSA Raingutter Regatta Kit. Additional parts, decals, paint, and glue are permitted. 2. Overall width shall not exceed 2 1/4 inches. 3. Overall length from bow to stern (including rudder) shall not exceed 7.00 inches, nor shorter than 6.50 inches. 4. The mast must rise 6.50 inches above the deck. 5. Below the waterline, no more than the forward 1 inch and the aft 1 inch may be shaped in any way. Surfaces and edges may be sanded smooth. 6. The boat must have a single hull. Although you might find designs for double hulled boats we ask that all boats must be single hull. The boat may not be of hydrofoil, hydroplane, outrigger, or catamaran design. 7. Only the sail supplied with the kit may be used. The sail may be trimmed, but must not be shaped or folded. The sail must be upright for its entire length and must be attached to the mast supplied with the kit. The mast may be placed in any position on the top of the boat and the sail may be arched or curved in one dimension only. The sail may be tied, tacked, or glued in place as long as it is upright and unfolded. 8. The keel and rudder from the kit must be used. Only the keel and rudder supplied with the kit may be placed below the waterline. The keel and rudder may be placed anywhere on the boat, but cannot cause the boat to exceed 7.00 inches in overall length. 9. The Rank, Den Number, and first and last name of the scout should be on the lower portion of the sail. 10. Modifications above the waterline for creative or decorative purposes are allowed as long as they do not alter sail performance. Details such as figures, decals and paint are permissible as long as these details are securely glued or fastened to the boat. The scouts are encouraged to decorate their boat, as this adds to the experience. Race Rules: 1. Two boys will race against each other at a time. 2. Each boat must start with the back of the boat touching the end of the rain gutter; the boy must hold it there with one hand. 3. When the starter says go, the boys will propel the boats by blowing on the sail, through a straw provided by the Pack. No sharing of straws please. 4. The boy may use his hand only to upright his boat or to remove an impediment (i.e. if the boat is stuck on the gutter). THE BOY MAY NOT ADVANCE THE BOAT WITH HIS HAND AT ANY TIME. If a boy does so, he will be given a warning and the race rerun if that boy wins.
5. If a boat gets broken during a race, the results stand. 6. The race may be rerun if the judge finds a reason that merits it. Decisions by the Harbor Master and First and Gutter Captains are final. 3. How to build a a Raingutter Regatta Sail Boat You MUST use the official BSA kit. The slot for the keel and rudder DO NOT come pre-formed...you add them during construction. You can paint and decorate however you like. Adding small action figures is a nice touch. Too much weight may sink the ship! One web site suggests "Krylon" spray paint works very well on Balsa Wood.
Sails may have the rank, den number and the Scouts First and Last name. This is optional, but recommended. Other sail decorations are acceptable and encouraged.
The instructions in the kit and several web sites suggest cutting 1/4-inch off all sides of the sail. This is optional. This allows the sail not to hang over the sides of the boat and touch the raingutter.
Some websites suggest that you plug the original mast hole with wood putty and drill a new one which does not extend all the way though the boat. This is a choice for you and your scout! You will need to make a slot for the keel and rudder. Every boat needs a keel and rudder or it will not go strait down the track.
Option 1: Install the rudder as shown in the kit instructions. It is up to you if the rudder touches the keel or if you want to leave a space (as in the picture of the red boat above). Option 2: Install the rudder upside down and touching the keel. Some sites say this will make your boat go faster, some sites say it does not matter. Experiment in the bath tub and have fun! Suggestions from other Packs...All of these are OPTIONAL 1. 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. 2. Tie back sail by tying thread to each of the lower corners of the sail and then securing the "lines" to each side of the boat (tying to a straight pin and then pushing the pins into the hulls is an easy way to do this.) This will keep the sail from twisting when being blown on. The sail will stay at a 90-degree angle to the hull and allow it to "catch" the most air possible, thereby promoting speed. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. Keep hull flat. Do not round the hull into a V as with a normal boat. The flatter and wider the hull the more stable the boats are, that are made from the BSA kit. 6. Sandpaper the balsa hull to the desired shape, adhering to the racing rules. First use a medium-grade sandpaper, then finish off with very fine sandpaper. 7. Placing a groove in the bottom of the boat helps the boat go strait. 8. 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. 9. Look straight down the raingutter with your ear almost in the water and blow strong and long. (practice really helps!) Make sure the airstream is landing in your sail (near the base) not in the water. About one second will pass with each breath you take - so the fewer the better! And most importantly; HAVE FUN
Raingutter Regatta Tips and Tricks Standard BSA kit construction tips: Trim the hull to make it symmetrical. Ensure the rudder is flat. A bent rudder will steer the boat into the raingutter. Wax the hull. Use paraffin or ski wax. Seal the boat in oil based, acrylic paint or polyurethane coating. Attach the metal keel ¾ to 1 further aft (toward the rear) than what the instruction recommend. Add bumpers to the boat to keep it from sticking to the sides of the raingutter. Heavier boats are slower, in general. Ensure deck-o-rations do not add excessive weight. Do not place too much weight toward the bow of the boat. The boats sail best with more of the weight toward the aft end of the boat. Attach accessories (such as people, animals, etc.) firmly to the boat using hot glue. Use an acrylic clear coat varnish or seal over decals and accessories. Use several layers to create a deep shine and hide the edges of the decals. Ensure the boat is waterproof! Paint all exposed areas of wood with acrylic or oil-based paint (acrylic is water resistant when dried). When racing, blow a thin stream of wind, rather than try to blow big puffs of air toward the boat. Appendix A Glossary Aft Toward the stern. Many seafaring terms are from Old English; this one means back. Beam The width of a boat at its widest. From an Old English word for tree. Bow The forward part of a boat or ship. Centerline The line down the middle of a boat. It s used as a guide to make boats symmetrical. Dry Dock Area to set aside to modify or repair boats prior to the start of the event. Harbor Master Referee or the Official in Charge of the Regatta. Hull The body of a boat exclusive of deck structures. From an Old English word meaning "to conceal"; the crew is "hidden" from the water in the hull. Keel Extension of a boat, running the length of the bottom of its hull. Old English word for "throat, beak of a ship". Port The left side of a boat looking forward. Also called "larboard". From Latin "port" or "harbor". Long ago, it is said, certain major ports were approached so sailors saw them first from the left side of the ship. Eventually, that side was called the port side. Port Authority Pack leadership responsible for race rules and operation. Starboard The right side of a boat looking forward. Old English: steering oar + ship's side. Stern The rear end of a boat. Old English word meaning "to steer". BSA Sail Template Three separate parts make up the sail (See below). 1. Wall - The back of the sail. "C" shaped when viewed from the top, it rises vertically. 2. Roof - The top part of the sail is flat, sloping down toward the bow. 3. Floor - The bottom of the sail is horizontal. It is hot glued or stapled to the deck. Assembly Glue the parts of the sail together with hot melt glue. Plastic model cement does not stick to the plastic.
1. Using the Sail Template (Appendix F), trace the outline of the wall, roof and floor on the sail material with a ballpoint pen. 2. Cut out the wall. 3. Cut a small shape from scrap. Glue it over the mast hole in the sail wall. 4. Cut the edges of the floor and roof that have no tabs first. 5. Cut an arc passing the scissors through the tips of the tabs. 6. Cut the left sides of the tab triangles then the right sides. 7. Remove any dangling triangles between tabs that are not completely cut off. 8. Test bend all tabs back. Then raise them to make right angles. 9. Beginning with the center tabs of the floor, apply small dots of hot glue. Immediately, firmly, press each tab to the center, bottom edge of the wall. Bonding is immediate - a second chance to line parts up is not likely. 10. Continue to put hot glue on the tabs next to those already bonded to the wall and press them firmly in place. 11. Carefully join the roof and wall piece in a similar fashion. Press each tab to the wall firmly. Bond only a few tabs at a time so the hot glue does not cool before it is pressed in place. Appendix C Bumpers Add bumpers to keep the boat from rubbing and sticking to the gutter walls and overhanging lips. Bumpers can save the day when everyone else gets stuck! The two kinds of rain gutters require two kinds of bumpers. A third kind of bumper is needed to get a better start. Problem: You are getting ready to deliver that last directed puff of air to the sail. Suddenly, you notice the little overhang along the top edge of the gutter has your hull pinched under it. You blow hard, but the boat only spins a bit hinged between the lip and the water. Your boat has just been Shipwrecked! Lip bumpers keep the boat off the lip-edge of the raingutter wall. To keep from getting stuck under it, the bumpers must be tall enough to clear the lip of the raingutter. Construction A good size for lip bumpers is one inch tall and one-half inch wide. Bumpers should be thin and springy if possible. Cut bumpers out of wood, plastic or other waterproof (or water-proof) materials. Round the corners of your bumper so sharp edges don't catch. Glue the bumper to the edge of the hull as far forward as possible. If your bow comes to a point (like an unaltered BSA kit hull), attach bumper pairs to the bow, beam and stern. Whenever possible, build the bumpers into the hull. A Better Start Problem: "Blow!" the race begins, but your boat just doesn't pop off the starting line. Something is holding it back momentarily. Surely, this slows it down. Adhesive contact can be a problem at the starting line! The boats are required to start backed up against the raingutter end cap. When the stern is flat, it contacts the end cap over its
entire width and height. When wet, this contact can be quite forceful, preventing a clean get away. Avoiding contact is the key to defeating adhesive forces. To do this, make little bumpers that jut out to the rear, holding your boat away from the end cap at least 1/8-inch. Better yet, cut a long notch in the back of your hull so only the outside edges of the stern touch. Removable Bumpers Transparency film or other springy plastics can be glued with rubber cement (contact cement) to the hull after it is finished. Because the glue can be separated from the plastic and wooden hull, bumpers can be removed with no trace when desired. But make sure to allow the glue to fully dry before testing! Regatta Rules 1. Rigging for sail allowed but stay with the kit. 2. Can add accessories. 3. No catamarans. 4. Hull may be no longer than 7 inches nor shorter than 6.5 inches. 5. Mast should measure 6 ½ inches from deck to top. 6. The keel and rudder supplied in the kit must be used with no alterations. 7. The sail should be no larger than the material supplied in the kit. Make a stand of short Popsicle sticks (2 x's connected) or use the Regatta box and cut slits for the keel and rudder. Construction Tips for the "How To Book" 1. Sandpaper the balsa hull to the desired shape, adhering to the specifications required. First use a medium-grade sandpaper, then finish with a very fine grade sandpaper. 2. Give model two coats of sanding sealer. 3. Mast can be tapered with either a hand or electric drill. While you carefully turn the dowel, work a piece of sandpaper back and forth until desired shape is achieved.