A boat race is a random name picker run on open water. Every name becomes a speedboat in its own lane on a lake. The start horn sounds, engines roar, and the boats throw up spray and long white wakes as they race 1000 metres to the finish. Places change as boats surge and drop back, and the first one across the line wins. The top three appear on a podium with the full finishing order underneath.
It gives a bit of energy to a team meeting, a stream giveaway or a club draw. Up to 60 boats can start, and full-screen mode makes the lake fill a projector or TV. With many names the lanes get narrow, so for large groups a few heats are easier to follow.
How to run a boat race
- Type or paste the names, one per line. Each line is one boat.
- Pick a race length: Short is about 10 seconds, Normal about 20, Long about 35, Epic about 60.
- Press Start race, or press Space or Enter in full-screen mode. After the horn the camera follows the lead boat.
- When every boat is home, read the podium and the full order. Copy the results or race again.
Is the boat race fair?
Yes. When you start the race, the page shuffles the boats with your browser's crypto.getRandomValues, so every finishing order is equally likely. That shuffle is the result. Each boat then gets its own speed curve, with bursts of throttle and slower stretches, tuned so it reaches the line at its assigned moment.
The spray, the wakes and the overtakes are animation. They cannot change the outcome, and neither can the lane a boat starts in. Your list stays in your browser and is never sent anywhere.
Ideas for boat races
- Pick giveaway winners on a live stream, with second and third place as runner-up prizes.
- Set the order of speakers at a stand-up or a club meeting.
- Decide who picks the next team lunch spot.
- Run a regatta: heats of 8 to 10 boats, then a final for the heat winners on Long or Epic.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use full-screen mode?
Press the Full screen button. Press Space or Enter to start, and Esc to leave full screen. It works well on a projector or a shared screen in a video call.
How many boats can race at once?
Up to 60. Each boat has its own lane, so with a long list the boats and name tags get smaller. Heats of 10 to 15 boats are easier to watch.
Does the boat race make sound?
Yes: a start horn, engine noise during the race and a fanfare for the winner. The sounds are generated in the browser. You can switch off sound, confetti or commentary separately in the race settings.
Can the same boat win twice in a row?
Yes, each race is a fresh draw. Tick Remove winner after race to take the winning name off the list before the next start.