Race in a regatta

What can I use if I don't have corks, bottle caps, a skewer, or a ready recycled hull?

Use folded sponges, pieces of craft foam, or plastic jar lids taped under the hull instead of corks or bottle caps, use a wooden craft stick or drinking straw as the mast, and choose a cleaned milk jug or takeout container as your recycled hull while securing everything with tape as in the 'Attach corks or bottle caps under the hull with tape' and 'Make a mast by inserting a skewer or popsicle stick into the hull' steps.

My boat tips or sinks when I put it in the water—how do I fix it?

Follow the instructions to 'Add or move coins or washers until the boat floats balanced' and, if needed, reposition or add more buoyant supports like extra corks or bottle caps taped under the hull or slightly trim the hull shape with adult help to rebalance the boat.

How can I adapt this regatta activity for different ages?

For younger children use a large pre-cut hull (for example a milk jug) and have an adult do the 'Ask an adult to cut or trim your hull' step with big paper sails to tape, for elementary kids let them insert the mast and balance coins or washers themselves using 'Make a mast by inserting a skewer or popsicle stick into the hull' and older kids can design multi-sail rigs and timed races when they 'Set up a start line and a finish line.'

How can we extend or personalize the boat and the regatta?

Decorate and waterproof your hull and sail as in 'Decorate your hull and sail using colouring materials', add a taped coin pouch as a removable weighted keel to improve stability and speed, experiment with different paper sail shapes from the 'Cut a sail from paper and tape it to the mast' step, and run multiple heats recording times before you 'Share a photo and a short story about your finished boat and the regatta on DIY.org.'