43
Sailing They Go ... Sort Of
South Range students take to the water for annual regatta
By Sean Barron
NORTH LIMA
Collin Razo and Dante Pecchia got off to somewhat of a rocky start, but thanks to a bit of ingenuity, teamwork and quick thinking – and the help of aerodynamics – they managed to stay on the straight and narrow.
“We were trying to get turned around. It was hard to steer,” Razo said, referring to the teens’ attempts to get their cardboard boat across a small pond while maneuvering between two yellow ropes a few feet apart. “I bet with my buddy that I could make it across.”
Their efforts were successful largely because the two South Range sophomores knew when to shift their weight and make other adjustments, which righted their vessel.
They also succeeded in being among the 10th-graders who took part in Monday’s 17th annual Raider Regatta in Memorial Park behind the North Lima Business Complex, 11836 South Ave. Ext. The complex is the former South Range High School.
The sophomores constructed 26 handmade, cardboard crafts and were challenged to sail them about 75 feet each way across the pond while staying within the ropes. The effort also required the participants to combine their knowledge of science, math, art and technical writing, noted Laura Elder, their 10th-grade English teacher and event coordinator.
For example, before taking to the water, the groups conducted their own calculations, wrote manuals on how their boats would be built and constructed smaller prototypes to correct potential problems, she explained.
The students got awards for best costume, boat design, two-to-six-person boat, theme and best of show, Elder said, adding that the project began Sept. 10.
Razo and his group named their boat “The Dukes of Hazzard” after the popular 1970s and ’80s TV show. It took about two weeks to paint and design the craft, Razo said, adding that his team also consisted of Nick Deal and David Pecchia, Dante’s twin brother.
It was a popular movie rather than a TV series that was the inspiration for Kate Yeagley, Gina Derose and Anna Brooks, who named their vessel “Sea Striker.”
“We brainstormed and named a bunch of ideas,” Brooks explained about how the teens had settled on a theme that matched several scenes in the popular Disney movie “The Little Mermaid.”
To enhance the effect, each of the girls wore costumes patterned after a character in the film. Yeagley, Derose and Brooks dressed as Ursula, King Triton and Ariel, respectively.
Another influence on their decision was an upcoming band-related trip next March to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., Yeagley said. Derose and Brooks play in their school’s jazz and marching bands.
A sampling of eye-catching boat names included the Mystery Machine (named after the van in the popular cartoon “Scooby Doo”), Twister, Kittens for Sail, Zombies/Floating Dead, Get a Life, Purple Dragon, SS Candycorn and Dunkin’ Donuts Munchk’n.
Since Gracey White and Kelly Patrick are dog and animal lovers, what did they name their craft? Pugboat, of course.
“We came up with it together,” White said with a chuckle, adding that the group collaborated on several occasions for two to three hours each time to get their project finished.