Pirate Sailboat Race 2002

Article By Shorty
Bolger created a game called a "Pirate Race", and then created a boat around that concept. His original game used flags and the rules of which I can't remember. For this messabout, I created a new version of the pirate racing game - the object is to be the first one back to the shore with 3 properly colored ping pong balls. There are 3 jug bouys in the water, each has 10 of a single color ball. You can either paddle out to each jug and back, or you can attack another boat by touching their boat with your paddle. After attacking another boat, it is like "go fish", where you can ask for 1 ball of a certain color. If they have that ball, they have to give it to you. The victim boat isn't allowed to attack back until one of the two has made contact with another boat - that is to prevent 2 people from just attacking each other back and forth. Also, if you are going to attack someone, and they touch your boat first with their paddle, you become the victim. Any boat is allowed to participate, as long as they have a paddle or oar.



This is a Summer Breeze sailboat. However it didn't have a set of oar locks, and with oars tied to the gunwale it would be difficult to attack other boats so they tested out paddling together. From the looks of it, the first few strokes drove them in a zig zag course, but then they really started to make a good speed together.

From the starting posistion on the shore, Charles Nichols (who took all these pictures) called "START!" and we were off.

A group of boats headed for each bouy, this is the group that headed for the bouy farthest to the right.

Very quickly manuvering and out speeding us all, was Tim Cowden in his "Body Bag". He was the first to the bouy, and suprisingly everyone waited for him to get his ball and go. Tim later suggested a possible rule that when you have the bouy, you are "on base" and safe.

Here is are a couple of boats that avoided the rush hour and went for the bouy to the left.

Don Cash is a television producer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., and was doing an article about the Skip Johnson, his Bionic Log and small boat building. Isn't that great, we are going to be on TV !!!

The first place winner was Greg Rinaca. If you look at the photo above, you will notice that he was the last one on shore at the start. From what I was told, he casually paddled up to people and attacked them taking their balls, and didn't visit a single bouy.

2nd place went to Tim Cowden, he had a bit of luck while attacking Chuck -- by accident, Chuck threw all of his balls to Tim's boat, so Tim was able then to sprint for the shore. 3rd place went to Skip Johnson shown on the right with his multi-colored paddle.

I had paddled up to attack Chuck and Bonham, and just within reach, Bonham touched my boat first and I had to give them a ball. I then attacked Jerry Scott and another boat. Just as I got all the balls I needed, Bill Paxton put on a devilish smile and started paddling right at me. Lucky for me, I was in my tiny mouse - I rotated in the water and leaned out to touch his boat first so he couldn't attack me. At the same time, the Leiweber boat pirated their last ball and were heading in to the shore. In this photo you can see them steaming towards shore, they sure are fast with their tandem paddling. They pulled in 4th place, and I pulled in 5th right behind them.

Bob Williams came in 6th place, and after that everyone just came back in to the shore.

Tim Webber cooked up the hot dogs and we all fell into a quiet lull. Whew, that was a lot of work.

Another game that I was going to try and organize is called "Dead Fish Water Polo". This is a game where a single sponge is in the water, and people use their paddle to flip the sponge onto someone else's boat. If the sponge hits your boat, you are out - the last survivor wins. You are allowed to use your paddle to deflect the spounge, but not allowed to use your hands. And if you accidentally drop the sponge on your own boat, it doesn't count.

Didn't get a chance to do it, maybe next time.

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