Reef Racer Challenge

[piper_chuck]

Last fall a few club members with children talked about buying boats that would allow them to race. Over the winter three of us bought Aquacraft Reef Racers for them. This past Sunday was the first of our Reef Racer Challenge series. We had 5 children, I believe in the 4 to 9 year range who raced. We made the course marked by two pieces of pool noodles held in place by a brick. We threw them about 15 feet offshore, close enough to snag them with the retrieve pole at the end of their "heat".

For the start, we found what worked best is to put the boats in the water and hold them by the antennas to keep them sort of lined up. When the CD said "go", the kids started running all over the place. The words mayhem and chaos come to mind. They were going in circles, hitting each other, going the wrong way, getting snagged on buoys, etc. We let them run around for 5 minutes or so and then the CD called "one more lap" and picked a color for the winner.

At the end of the day we gave first place ribbons to each child. I don't know who had more fun, the kids, or the people watching them. My daughter is still talking about her "win", although she does realize everyone won.

I have some pictures and video that I'll post on our web site. It'll take me a couple days to edit the video.

 

[Andy Greene]

Last fall a few club members with children talked about buying boats that would allow them to race. Over the winter three of us bought Aquacraft Reef Racers for them. This past Sunday was the first of our Reef Racer Challenge series. We had 5 children, I believe in the 4 to 9 year range who raced. We made the course marked by two pieces of pool noodles held in place by a brick. We threw them about 15 feet offshore, close enough to snag them with the retrieve pole at the end of their "heat".
For the start, we found what worked best is to put the boats in the water and hold them by the antennas to keep them sort of lined up. When the CD said "go", the kids started running all over the place. The words mayhem and chaos come to mind. They were going in circles, hitting each other, going the wrong way, getting snagged on buoys, etc. We let them run around for 5 minutes or so and then the CD called "one more lap" and picked a color for the winner.

At the end of the day we gave first place ribbons to each child. I don't know who had more fun, the kids, or the people watching them. My daughter is still talking about her "win", although she does realize everyone won.

I have some pictures and video that I'll post on our web site. It'll take me a couple days to edit the video.

Awesome stuff , glad to hear you guys are getting the little ones involved.

Andy

 

[Ed Knudsen]

"The words mayhem and chaos come to mind. They were going in circles, hitting each other, going the wrong way, getting snagged on buoys, etc. We let them run around for 5 minutes or so and then the CD called "one more lap" and picked a color for the winner"

Geeeeeeeees sounds like the 20 mono heat I was in at the last 2 day we had in Brandon! LOL

I was the one getting snagged on the buoys!

Great idea for the web site.

Ed

 

[Ron Olson]

Great little thing you've got going on there Chuck.

to add some other boats in the same category with really close ot the same speeds you could add the Zig-Zag Racer's and the new Aquacraft Rio to the mix to make it easier to keep track of who is who. Both of those will take a beating that any kid can dish out.

 

[mprfrk440]

Hey Chuck,

Man what fun that was watching the kids.

the amazing thing was that for the first couple of minutes they were going all directions, and I mean ALL, and nobody hit anyone, pure amazing.

We had a blast and now Carter's fill in driver has got to have one to race.

Thanks for offering this for our kids, great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doug

 

[Roger Hooks Jr.]

Every year at the Grand Prix Classic we raffle off Zig Zag racers to Spectators to race against the Mayor of the Host town where we hold the race. The boat went out to the first six names/numbers called.

Both Kids and adults alike stepped up to the challenge. Since many are first time R/Cers we give them a quick but probably confusing R/C lesson. Especially the part about left being right and right being left when the boat is coming at you.

I call for veteran racers to volunteer as pitmen and women. They prep their drivers and launch their boats at the start. The course is simple. Go straight out to the Start-Finish bouy, go around it and come back. You might think this is too simple but when you see the action you know that it is more than enough. As mentioned before boats are going every which way until they figure out it doesn't take much stick to go straight. Then once they get going in a straight line and towards the direction of the bouy they find that even going around the bouy, just once, is a challenge. Some turn to quick, miss going around the buoy all together and have to make 2 or three attempts. Others hold the stick for too long and go around twice then continue to head farther out instead of heading back. This is all coupled with the fact that I never specified which way around the buoy you have to go. Clock-wise... Counter-Clockwise... it didn't matter. I thought it would be just enough of a challenge to get around the buoy for any first timer... and... I was right. So... imagine little technicolored water skimmers zipping around this poor unsuspecting buoy from all directions. Then usually finally someone gets their bareings and heads back to shore... And they are coming back full bore right into the beach.

It is usually a good laugh for everyone and the mayor usually gives his boat up to another spectator. The winner of the race gets a 1/12th Scale ProBoat.