The Great Cardboard Boat Regatta The Great Cardboard Boat Regatta is sponsored by Carolina Container of Greensboro, Entry fees for the event will benefit local boys scout troops. The Regatta will be held during the first annual HRLPaddlefest Celebration on High Rock Lake, Camp Walter Johnson.. The objective is to construct a human-powered boat made of cardboard boxes and cardboard tubes that will hold a maximum of two people and float long enough to travel the race course for one lap.
Cardboard Boat Requirements
1. Only Cardboard supplied by HRLPaddlefest will be allowed
2. GLUE – any one-part glue is allowed. Two part or epoxies are not permitted.
3,PAINT - any one-part paint is allowed. Two part or epoxies are not permitted.
4.TAPE – Duct tape may be used over the seams ONLY. Please do not cover your boat with tape. It adds to much weight and slows you down, beside it is not allowed.
All boats with crew must pass through the staging area prior to racing This will allow us to verify items such as PFDs, foot protection, floats on the boats, etc.
Children under 14 who aren’t scouts, will be required to pay $5 insurance fee, which covers all on water events.
No loose items, especially items which may sink may be carried during competition.
After a boat has been ‘STAGED’, a ‘TIMER’ will be assigned to the boat. The ‘TIMER’ will control when the boat will be placed in the water and when to start the race.
When the boats are placed in the water, please walk them out to the STARTER. The STARTER will offer assistance in boarding the boat. The STARTER will ask you to climb into the boat, the clock will start once the last crew member enters the boat. We will try to launch boats from dock to avoid putting unnecessary strain on the sides of the boat prior to racing.
The STARTER will verify start and finish times for boats.
A boat will have completed the race when all the crew and at least 80% of the boat cross the finish line. NOTE: The Captain and crew must still be in the boat when it crosses the finish line.
A course map will be provided to each crew captain :
A. . If you are sinking faster than plan, wave your paddles in the air and a water marshal will assist you in your swim back to shore. Try to swim the sinking boat back to shore if possible or ask the water marshals to assist you.
B. Two buoys, 75 yards apart will mark the course. These will identify the length of the course for all races. One lap around will give the participants a total race of 150 yards.
Please use caution as you leave the racecourse, others may still be racing and they may not have as much control over their vessel as you did.
The Captain is responsible for removing the vessel from the water and the park at the end of the day.
All decisions and interpretation of the rules by the judges are final.
B. Two Person Team- ages 9-14
C. Two-person team 15 and older
D. Two-person team Parent/Child 8 and under
1. The Card Board Boat Races is Open to ages 5 and up. Anyone under the age of 18 must have a legal guardian’s consent and they must sign the Waiver of Liability and Release of Claims Form. Any child under 9 must be accompanied by parent.. This limits those 8 years and younger to our parent/child race or four person team race as a family
2. Registration will be from 8 am. until 11:00am. Materials will be issued at 11:00 am. Teams should have there boats built and be prepared to launch by event time.
3. Only regular cardboard and other materials supplied by HRLPaddlefest will allowed to be used. Glue, clear packing or duct tape, and latex paint are allowed for the entire boat construction. The cardboard should be standard cardboard typically used to package appliances, computers, etc. Any other type of “treated cardboard” that has been processed in such a way as to make the cardboard waterproof MAY NOT BE USED. Duct tape or clear packing tape is only allowed to reinforce seams and cannot exceed 3 inches beyond the seam on either side. Only white glue or wood glue may be used. No two part epoxy type glue is allowed. No waxed, oiled or peeled surfaces, foam, metal, rubber, plastic, caulk or staples are allowed.
4. If there is any doubt about the construction, the judges reserve the right to use a probe, such as an ice pick, to test and verify that only cardboard has been used.
5. Failure to abide by a race/construction rule or the direction of a race official shall be cause for disqualification. The decision of the Regatta officials and judges is final.
6. A Personal Flotation Device (PFD) must be worn by each team member at all times while on the water. You have the option of using your own Coast Guard Approved PFDs.
7. The complete size of the boat hull or structure must not be wider than 8 feet and no longer than 16 feet. This rule will be strictly enforced.
8. Each participant must sign a Waiver of Liability and Release of Claims. Participants will not be allowed to race without the proper signatures on the form.
9. There is an entry fee of $20 for two man boats and $30 for four person boat.
10. Each team will race their boat only once. Finishing times will be compared to other boats to determine placement. If a boat disintegrates, falls apart, or sinks to the point that the crew members are swimming instead of paddling, the team is then declared as a Did Not Finish (DNF) entrant and no time will be entered for that boat and the team is officially out of the competition. The judges will make a decision on this if necessary.
11. Clean Up: All cardboard, decorations, and boat related materials must be removed from the water and the grounds by the boat crew and either taken home or disposed of in the on-site “cardboard boat graveyard.”
12. The propulsion system, including oars and paddles, must be made from cardboard. They may be covered entirely with duct tape or clear plastic tape.
13. Decorations and props that are not part of the boat’s hull or structure are allowed as long as they, in no way, effect the strength or buoyancy of the boat.
* All boats are to be removed from water after the race. All participates are required to wear PFD's any participant not wearing one while on the water. Entry fee for the race is separate from "the daily on water participation fee".
