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• Wooden Boat Challenge • The Bateau • Rules • Scoring • Judges • Materials • Competitors • Hall of Fame email us (click here) 1-877-285-3888 PO Box 2228 Georgetown SC 29442 |
The Georgetown Bateau
In the first six years of the Wooden Boat Challenge, the 12' Bolger designed Teal was used as the competition boat. Several boatbuilding teams had competed year after year and could almost build the boat blindfolded. Practice had made some of the boatbuilders almost perfect. In the final Teal year, the winning building time had plummeted to 1 hour and 11 minutes and the quality of construction was excellent. It was time to raise the bar.
So the Wooden Boat Show committee asked "B" Coleman of Seaco Yacht Design in Lexington, KY, to design a new competition boat that presented more challenge. "B" has been a long time friend of the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show and he promptly fashioned a superb design that not only offered more challenge but one that also had a pulchritudinous profile. She was named the Georgetown Bateau. 2001 was the first year for the Georgetown Bateau. The winning time was 2:26:31, slower than the winning time for the last Teal competition, but an eye-opening speed achievement nonetheless. Some teams struggled to finish within the four hour time limit but all exhibited due diligence and a smile.
If, as you view the competition, you wish you had signed up for a slot in the contest then there are several ways you can satisfy your boatbuilding needs. You can enter next year's competition or you can buy a set of plans at the t-shirt tent for $35.00 (instructions included). Or you can do both - for maximum enjoyment.
