This event is open to Woodlake residents and their invited guests only.
Date: Thursday, July 4, 2024
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Shelter Cove Boat Ramp
Registration Deadline: July 1 at 5:00 pm:
NOTE: Must have 5 boats registered for event to take place.
NOTE: Must have minimum of 3 persons in each boat
WCA is inviting kids and grown-up kids of all ages to build a boat to float/race on the reservoir for our first ever Recycled Regatta.
This can be a great family or neighborhood event. Get your team together and register and start making your boat for the race! Spectators can line up on the reservoir marina path and cheer on their favorite boats.
THE CHALLENGE is to build a water-worthy boat out of recycled materials.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: This activity is open to anyone that lives in Woodlake!
Ever wanted to make your own boat out of recycled materials or paddle the reservoir dressed in the theme of your boat? Get creative because here is your chance to do both!!! We will have several heats of “boats”, depending on the number of entries, leave the launch area while being timed, until they get to the end of the race. The winning regatta is the “boat” that stays afloat for the entire race and finishes in their intact boat when crossing the finish line; only uses recycled oar like propellants or the like to advance their Regatta; cannot touch the reservoir bottom at any time, cannot use a motor or a battery powered engine, and must make something out of recycled materials that propels you or sails you forward; and have all members in the boat that you started with at the beginning of the race, when you cross the finish line. No propelling your boat with any of your body parts. i.e.-kicking or swimming the boat. Must wear life jackets at all times while on the water.
The Regatta entries must be made completely of recycled/repurposed/reused material! Come watch them race and see if they float! Gather a crew of at least 3 people and race the reservoir! Race starts at the boat ramp at Shelter Cove and ends at the same place. The Regatta’s will need to paddle out to a placed buoy, near the Woodlake Pontoons in the marina, go around the buoy placed there for race day, and head back to the boat ramp at Shelter Cove. All entrants must ensure that their portion of the launch area/pit area has been cleaned prior to departure after the race. All boats must be removed from the marina after the races and any boat pieces that fell off in the water they must retrieve.
JUDGING (winning categories):
• Pride of the Fleet -best constructed and decorated (wins 2-hour pontoon ride for the 2024 season for up to 10 people)
• The Sailfish-fastest race time (wins 2-hour pontoon ride for the 2024 season for up to 10 people)
BOAT CONSTRUCTION RULES:
Design is the builder’s choice. Let your imagination reign supreme!!
Accepted Materials:
- Plastic (bottles, barrels, etc.)
- Tin/aluminum cans
- Cardboard
- Rope/fishing line/cloth
- Duct tape/Packing tape – SEAMS ONLY
- Glue
- Water based paint
- Other RECYCLABLE materials
Materials NOT Accepted:
- Rubber
- Wood
- Inflatables (raft, pool toys, mattress, etc)
- Glass/fiberglass
- Caulking
- Styrofoam
- Expanding/Foam Insulation
- Varnish/Flex Seal
- Engines & Electrical Systems
Woodlake’s Recycled Regatta OFFICIAL Rules:
- All boats must be registered online by July 1, 2024 by 5:00 pm.
- All registered boats must be named.
- All boats must be at the entry point ramp at Shelter Cove by 9:30 am ready to race.
- Captain and crew must be IN the boat when it crosses the finish line.
- Must have minimum of 3 persons in each boat
- The boat must be human powered (no swimming the boat).
NO ENGINES OR MOTORS ARE PERMITTED – INCLUDING BATTERY OR ELECTRIC OPERATED POWER SOURCES.
- Boats may not be pushed by Crew or by outside assistance. Oars must also be made of recycled materials.
- Boats constructed using “Materials NOT Accepted”, will be disqualified and not permitted to race.
- The use of mechanical devices, such as bicycle chains, sprockets, etc. are not permitted. Oil or grease is not permitted on any vessel.
- Contestants will begin the race in their respective boats, at the entry ramp at Shelter Cove. Any boat crossing the starting line before the starting gun will be DISQUALIFIED. As soon as each race is completed, all boats will immediately go to shore, whether they have reached the finish line or not. This will clear the way for the next race.
- NO LITTER! All contestants must remove their boats from the water, and collect anything that has fallen from boat.
- This is a family-friendly event.
- Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated and will be considered grounds for disqualification and removal from the area.
- PARENTAL CONSENT, BY SIGNATURE, IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CONTESTANTS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
Each participant on a boat must hand in a signed waiver by their guardian if under 18. If over 18, participant will need to sign a waiver themselves and turn it in.
- Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. (Only one guardian per boat needed.) No exceptions.
- A participant may not compete in more than one crew.
- DO NOT wrap the hull in tape, plastic, shrink wrap or any other material.
- Boats will be permitted in the water only to participate in the appropriate race for which they have been assigned. Any boat in the water at other times, interfering with a race, will be disqualified.
- It is highly recommended that you test run your boat, under the direct supervision of an adult. You will learn about things you want to adjust or fix.
SAFETY RULES:
- All crew members must supply and wear a life jacket and shoes. Life belts are NOT permitted.
- The passenger area of the boat must not be permanently enclosed above the shoulders of the occupants. Each crew member must be visible while the boat is in the water.
- Boats must be free of sharp edges or anything that could pose a danger.
- All participants must be able to swim. No exceptions.
PLANNING TIPS:
- A cubic foot of water weighs about 62 pounds. That means that a 120-pound person will float in a boat that is 1 foot by 1 foot by 2 feet, of course, that would be a bit uncomfortable.
- A flat bottom boat is recommended. A V-shaped bottom is likely to tip over unless the V is very gentle.
- The lowest center of gravity is the most stable. Kneeling or standing may cause you to tip over.
- Build a Team, the more the merrier. Fill out and submit your paperwork to WCA. Must have 3 member minimum in each boat.
- Play with design ideas. Create a materials list. Start to collect recyclable materials- LOTS OF THEM! Start construction- consider a practice run. All water activities should be supervised by an appropriate adult.
For more information, please email Jenny at jennyd@woodlakeva.org or call 804-739-4344 Ext. 4110.
ON RACE DAY:
- Judging of boats construction will take place at 9:30am in and around the ramp area of Shelter Cove. First heat will need to be in water by 10am.
- Regatta Judges will inspect each boat prior to racing and have the final say on whether a boat has satisfied the intent of the rules.
- Boats will be disqualified if they don’t satisfy the boat construction rules.
- All entrants must ensure that their portion of the Judging Area has been cleaned prior to moving to the Start Line to begin their race.
- To qualify as a finisher in any race, you must be IN your boat when it reaches the shore, not towing it with your hands.
- You must remove your boat from the water immediately after the race.
- At the end of the event, all boats must be removed from the event space.
- Participants are expected to maintain the decorum and dignity expected of a yachtsman.
