By David Johnson
For the BYU sailing club, it''s not whether you win or lose - it''s how you float your boat.
More than a dozen BYU sailing enthusiasts gathered in the Garden Court of the Wilkinson Center on Nov. 14 for the second annual BYU Rain-Gutter Regatta.
The rain-gutter regatta is a competition where individuals design, build and race miniature sailing ships down a twelve-foot-long rain gutter.
Cub Scouts have been competing in rain-gutter regattas for years, but the BYU Sailing Club has only recently adopted it as an off-season activity.
'When it gets too cold to go out or the water at Utah Lake gets too low, we go indoors and do things like this,' said Steve Morris, Sailing Club adviser. 'It''s a good tie-in because right now there''s the America''s Cup Race. So it''s nice to get in the mood of racing.'
The regatta is divided into three divisions of competition: open, standard and artistic.
'Open is basically anything goes,' said Jared Jaymes, 23, a junior from Provo majoring in engineering. 'Standard is slightly revised from the Cub Scout rules. And then the artistic is just the most artistic.'
Some racers were confident in their sailing skills and the design of their boats.
'My boat is gonna win the standard class,' said Craig Youse, 40, a senior from Hong Kong majoring in Asian studies. 'I''ve got a super machine on the outside. I''ve got three layers of paint finely sanded and I''ve carved out the inside wood to make it ultra light.'
The event was held indoors to compensate for the cold weather and to equalize competitive conditions, event planners said. Not everyone appreciated the decision.
'Weather is a huge thing,' said Lane Maygren, 25, a senior from Camarillo, Calif. majoring in psychology. 'It''s almost like playing football on Astroturf. Being indoors is not going to allow us to have weather as a factor, and boats that are better-suited for resisting the weather aren''t going to be able to show those attributes.'
Some racers said a major factor in winning is blowing technique.
'I won my second time ''cause he (the opponent) gave up.' Said Shannon Youse, 5, from Hong Kong. 'The first time I lost cause I didn''t use a straw. A straw works better.'
Miscellaneous prizes donated by West Marine and Ear Hugger Incorporated were awarded to the top three finishers in each division.