Since Vacaville is a landlocked community, it is not a place where one would expect to find epic boat races.
Except at Walter Graham Aquatic Center, that is.
On Aug.7, the Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting its first-ever Cardboard Boat Regatta, where families can create boats out of cardboard and duct tape and try to sail them across the pool. These will not be just ordinary sailboats, though. They actually will be piloted by a designated team member.
Aquatics Coordinator Taya de Alba said the event came about as staff members thought of ways to bring Vacaville’s youth out of the COVID-19 blues.
“We were thinking about, ‘What’s the best way to keep people social distanced, but also do an activity that’s not your regular swim lesson?'” she said. “Somehow, Cardboard Boat Regatta came up in the conversation when we were brainstorming ideas between staff and upper management.”
Teams of four will be able to register, and they will be given two cardboard boxes, a utility knife and two rolls of duct tape. From there, they will have free rein to design the boats however they want, and one team member will get inside to race the boat from one end of the pool to the other. The entries will be judged on their creativity, speed and mechanics, the latter of which will be determined by how well the boats are structured and whether or not they float.
“We’re hoping to get as many families and kids involved as possible,” de Alba said. “We’re hoping to get a pretty big event going on.”
The event will be an opportunity for kids to put their scientific and creative thinking skills to use, and de Alba said it would also allow them to be with their friends, especially after a year of isolation.
“We’ve all been doing things individually,” she said. “This is a great way to get kids and families back in a working team again with a group of at least four. That way, we can spark their interest going into the school year and ready to meet their friends again for in-person.”
The Cardboard Boat Regatta will take place 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Walter Graham Aquatic Center, 1100 Alamo Drive. The construction portion will take place 1:15 to 2:15 p.m., and the races will start at 2:30. Preregistration is $35 and can be done online at Cityofvacaville.com/aquatics or in person at Three Oaks Community Center at the same address as the Aquatic Center. Drop-ins will not be allowed, and all ages are welcome to participate.
For more information, call 469-4026.
"first" - Google News
July 14, 2021 at 09:01AM
https://ift.tt/3xFCb5k
Creative skills to blend with boat racing in first Cardboard Boat Regatta - Vacaville Reporter
"first" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2QqCv4E
https://ift.tt/3bWWEYd
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Creative skills to blend with boat racing in first Cardboard Boat Regatta - Vacaville Reporter"
Post a Comment