Rain Gutter Regatta Help

[SctDad 10]

Our Council is having a district event where they will be having a rain gutter regatta race. I have been told that the boats will need to be done before they get there and I am looking for any help with this. We have done two PWD races but no regatta.

 

Any hints, pointers or other help would be greatly appreciated.

[meschen 24]

Unless Dad is cutting the hull in two and building a catamaran, the RGR isn't nearly as depend on quality construction as the PWD is. The most important thing to remember to the glue the sail in place so that it doesn't spin around when the Scout blows on it. Best advice I can give is to fil up the tub at home beforehand and have the Scout practice a little in advance. Otherwise, just follow the directions in teh kit and have agood time.

[shortridge 184]

The regatta is tons more fun than a Pinewood Derby, IMHO. It's far more kid-centric.

 

Decorating the boats can be a blast.

 

If you get the chance to set up a practice course, tie the Cubs' hands behind their backs. I'm serious! That way the temptation to reach out and touch the boat with their hands won't be as strong when they get to the actual event. I've seen too many kids just crushed because they got DQ'd when their boat tipped over and they instinctively reached out to right it.

 

Have fun!

[Nike 94]

My favorite Cub event!! Definitely glue the sail on the top and bottom holes with a good sticky glue. I think altering the boat in the package, aside from a light sanding, is actually against the rules.

 

Don't forget to fill the gutters with giant ice cream sundaes afterward and dig in!

[Pack212Scouter 10]

We have run a RGR for two years now and are about to run our third. One of the great things about it is a boy with a kit, some sandpaper, and a little glue and paint can have a reasonably competitive boat in a little under an hour.

 

Some families can go as overboard as PWD though we found, so instead of making it anything goes, we rewrote our rules to limit extreme designs. If you are curious, you can read them here... http://www.eteamz.com/pack212/news/index.cfm?cat=400597

 

[momma_bee 10]

When we did them, an adult cut a slit in the box after the parts were removed. Then the boat was built and the medal rudder (is that the right part) is set in the slit to hold the boat up. The box can be taped to a table if needed and the box holds it for painting purposes.

[gwd-scouter 11]

I don't have any additional advice to offer. Would say though that the regatta was much more fun for the boys than the derby. Sure, it's fun for a boy to sit his car on the track and watch it roll down, but it's much more fun blow on the sail of your boat with all your might to the finish line.

[SctDad 10]

Hey guys,

 

Thanks for the info. So If i am understanding everyone right, it should not take all that much time to go through and make these. This will make the planning day go great.

 

Are there any major rules that I should be aware of. OUr district will be coming out soon so hopefully we will get some more direction soon. our roundtable is monday and I think that more info wil be out soon.

[raisinemright 13]

We have it clearly in our rules that the mast and standard sail must be used. There is an easy trick to RGR to cup the sial at the rear of the boat that virtually guarantees a win. We figured the easiest thing to do was eliminate the possibility.

 

We also give the kids drinking straws to help them direct their wind. McDonald's straws are best. They are a larger diameter and have a heavy wall. Just go to a Mac's and ask for 100 straws for a Scout project.

 

Also, the plastic gutters work OK, but they may need some reinforcing. Be sure the ground is level otherwise the keel may drag on the bottom. If you're indoors, have a shop vac ready for cleanup and to drain the gutter. I've though about installing a drainplug in our, but haven't gotten around to it.

[Scoutmaster Ron 12]

Have a seperate sibling race

[Scoutmaster Ron 12]

Have a seperate sibling race

[Scoutmaster Ron 12]

Have a seperate sibling race

[Eagle92 110]

At the Cub Family campout, they did a RGR and it was great, the bulk of the work can be done in about 30 minutes, although you need to allow time for things to dry. Son had a blast, and we tried to have it done at CSDC, but there was some confusion about the RGR as no one save the DE and myself ever saw one, and I saw it 2 weeks before CSDC! CD got the gutters, they just weren't usable ones.

[jsummerlin 10]

Second all the comments about this being the best derby, tons more fun and kid centric! You can actually let the boys do most of the work on this one as opposed to the pinewood.

 

Bring extra glue for those sails. Even with glue, after a few rounds many come apart.

[mikecummings157 10]

Set the raingutters up on a table, preferably outside.

 

If inside, bring a mop!

 

Good Luck.