Achipencos

If you’re thinking of signing up for the Achipencos regatta, forget about the oil tanker. The 2026 rules ban floats taken from conventional vessels, “especially single-hulled oil tankers,” and in the same sentence they include Zodiacs, flatboats, surfboards, and bodyboards.

The tone isn’t surprising, since the name itself is already a joke. The 2026 Carnival program spells it out: Artilugio Carnavalero Hidrodinámico Impulsado Por Energía No Contaminante, Obviamente, roughly “Hydrodynamic Carnival Contraption Powered by Non-Polluting Energy, Obviously.” The initials spell ACHIPENCO. And it credits the carnival group Así Andamos with the original idea.

What Can’t Come Aboard

Beneath the humor lie real rules. The 2026 regulations rule out any form of propulsion that is harmful to the environment and require life jackets. No live animals are allowed on board, and fireworks are prohibited, as are torches, candles, and gas or wood-burning grills. The fact that someone had to specify the ban on grills says a lot about this regatta.

So what is an “achipenco” made of? According to the Discover Puerto tourism website, they’re usually built by hand using recycled materials. RTVC calls them “homemade contraptions.”

Coming in first is pointless

The rules state that speed prizes have been eliminated. The most original propulsion system is what counts—not who reaches the beach first.

Of course, you have to make it there. To be eligible for a prize, you must reach Los Pozos Beach; sinking along the way disqualifies you, “except for the prize for the best sinking, if such a category were established—which is not the case.” The prize consists of an honorary certificate.

There were four categories in 2026: presentation, propulsion, “Rising Stars” (for an “achipenquil” built and crewed by children under 14), and best spectator costume, either individual or group. So the audience competes, too.

What We Saw in 2024

RTVC counted 35 contraptions and more than 8,000 people that year. The winners’ names give a sense of the atmosphere: Roque de la Mar took home the prize for best presentation, and Medusa won the propulsion category. Among the audience, Las Moulin Rouge de la Antártida won in the group category, and Rouss del Titanic won in the individual category.

If you’d like to see it

The regatta takes place in Puerto del Rosario Bay and ends at Los Pozos Beach. For reference, in 2026 it was held on Sunday, February 15, with boat inspections at 11:30 a.m. and the start scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

If you’d like to participate, in 2026 you had to pre-register at the City Council’s Festivities Office, providing a copy of the ID card for all crew members. Be sure to review the 2027 rules when they are published.