Raingutter Regatta

  1. Overview – “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, appropriate to his age and abilities. This is a chance for your son to be part of be part of a team (he and you), and to enjoy the spirit of friendly competition with his peers. These “Raingutter Regatta Rules” are written to help you keep it simple and fun for your child, 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.

  1. Ground Rules for Participation – “Who can race?”

The leadership of Pack 936 always tries to keep our activities family oriented, so not only can the scouts have fun, but their brothers and sisters can too. Here are our participation guidelines:

    1. The race is open to all Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos Scouts registered to Pack 936, as well as any prospective Cubs who bring a boat to race between ages 5-11 (1st through 5th grade).
    2. Each scout or sibling may enter one boat in each class of the competition (Standard Sailboat and Trimaran Boat). They should have a significant level of participation in building their boat (designing, sanding, gluing, painting, decorating, etc.).
    3. The boat must have been built during the current program year (June 1, 2016 – May 31, 2017). Boats that have competed in a previous regatta are not permitted.
  1. Boat Specifications – “Are there boat building rules?”

To ensure that the race is as fair as possible, all boats must be made from the Official BSA Raingutter Regatta kits. All parts provided in the kit must be used in the boat construction. NO substitutions are allowed. Also, no other form of propulsion besides the sail is allowed. Here are some additional boat construction details to be aware of:



    1. Standard Sailboat (old style kit no. 17090)
      1. Hull: Must be no longer than 7” or shorter than 6-1/2”. The boat body CANNOT be wider than 2-1/2”. The boat must remain a single hull boat using the supplied hull wood. Multi-hull catamarans and boats with stabilizing outriggers are not allowed for this kit. Hull should be painted, stained or otherwise finished to minimize water-logging during the race.
      2. Mast: May not be higher than 7” from the deck or shorter than 6” from the deck. Masts may not be extended, but may be decorated. The mast hole layout specifications given in the BSA kit are for informational purposes only and alternative placements are allowed.
      3. Sail: Supplied in kit. The sail may be trimmed but must not be added to or enlarged. It may be decorated. The sail may only be attached to the mast by glue, no mechanical fasteners will be allowed and the sail may not be in contact with any part of the boat except the mast.
      4. Rudder and Keel: The provided keel and rudder must be used and should be securely attached to the bottom of the hull. The keel may be decorated but may not be altered in shape, size or weight. The rudder may be decorated. It may also be sanded but only to flatten and true it so as to guide the boat on a straight course. It may not be reduced in overall size. Only the keel and the rudder may be placed below the waterline. The keel and rudder layout specifications given in the BSA kit are for informational purposes only and alternative placements are allowed. Alternate placement, however, cannot cause the boat to exceed 7” in overall length.
      5. Decorations/Additions: Details such as figures, decals and paint are permissible as long as these details are securely glued or fastened to the boat. Decorations may not be placed in such a manner as to alter sail performance or change the boat dimensions as listed above. The Scouts are encouraged to decorate their boat, as this adds to the experience.


    1. Trimaran Boat (new style kit no. 612513)
      1. Outriggers/Hull: The outriggers must be no longer than 7”, or shorter than 6-1/2”. The finished boat must be 3-1/4” wide, which is the dimension of the molded hull. The outriggers must be solid and not split into multiple parts and must be evenly placed. The outriggers should be cut on the leading edge as shown in the enclosed instructions. One may not be placed ahead of the other. Basically, the Trimaran Boat should look like a Trimaran Boat shown on the kit box. The boat requires no keel or rudder and none may be added.
      2. Sail: Supplied in kit. The sail may be trimmed but must not be added to or enlarged. It may be decorated. The sail may only be attached to the mast by glue, no mechanical fasteners will be allowed and the sail may not be in contact with any part of the boat except the mast.
      3. Mast: May not be higher than 7” from the deck or shorter than 6” from the deck. The mast hole is molded into the top of the plastic hull and is the only placement allowed for the mast. No deviations will be allowed and no modifications to the hole are allowed. The mast MUST BE perpendicular (90 degrees) to the hull, angling the mast in any direction is not allowed.
      4. Decorations/Additions: Details such as figures, decals and paint are permissible as long as these details are securely glued or fastened to the boat. Decorations may not be placed in such a manner as to alter sail performance or change the boat dimensions as listed above. The Scouts are encouraged to decorate their boat, as this adds to the experience.


  1. Competition – “How will the race be run?”

Every race has to have rules, and ours is no exception. Here’s what to expect:

    1. Two Scouts will race against each other at a time. We will try to start with Scouts of the same rank racing each other. However, as the races advance, all ranks will be racing against one another.
    2. 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!”
    3. If a boat capsizes or becomes stuck, the participant will be allowed to right the vessel, but must be careful not to advance the boat in the process.
    4. Once the race is started, the boat may not be touched, unless the boat capsizes or becomes stuck.
    5. If, in the judgement of the race official, the outcome of the race was affected by a participant inappropriately advancing his boat by contact, the official will issue a warning and re-run the heat. Subsequent violations may result in disqualification from the event.
    6. If, in the judgement of the race official, the outcome of the race was affected by outside interference, the official may call for the heat to be re-run.
    7. If a boat becomes damaged, and upon the official’s 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.
    8. Un-sportsmanlike conduct WILL NOT be tolerated from any participant or spectator and will be grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or race area.
    9. All decisions by race officials are FINAL. Remember this is a friendly sporting competition.


  1. Sportsmanship – “How should I act?”

Two things the Raingutter Regatta requires each participant to learn are 1) the craft skills necessary to build a boat and 2) 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 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!

(special thanks to Pack 70 out of New Canaan, CT for this excerpt on sportsmanship)