Regulation Reels In Rubber-Ducky Races

Rubber ducky, you're the one. You make charity events lots of fun. But Connecticut state regulators aren't awfully fond of you.

Nine paragraphs of new state regulations aim to ensure that charity rubber-duck races are fair and environmentally sound.

In these races, players pay a fee for rubber ducks that are dumped en masse into a river. Players win prizes if their duck is the first to cross the finish line.

Groups that want to put on a duck race must now obtain a permit, with an application that diagrams the natural stream of the body of water where the race will be held. They must also ensure the finishing point of the race will allow the passage of only one artificial duck at a time, and that all ducks are identical. Inspectors must also ensure no counterfeit ducks enter the race.

Ducks bought at stores for private bathtub use are not addressed in the regulations.