Cardboard boat regatta draws fans

AQUIA — One would think that piloting a cardboard boat in any body of water might seem a hopeless task, but numerous contestants proved that such a feat is possible at the Fifth Annual Cardboard Regatta, held July 19 at Aquia Landing.

Despite blistering heat, the event, sponsored by the North Stafford-Rock Hill Ruritans, came off without a hitch.
Crew 847, a coed group from Spotsylvania, crafted a catamaran.

“It has three coats of paint and three layers of cardboard,” said crew president Alex Rowe, 16, who recently completed his Eagle Scout requirements.

Not only did he and his crew plan to finish the race this year, they plan to use it again next year.

Rowe’s parents also completed a boat and finished in two of the races, though they capsized the first time out.

Boy Scout Troop 847 sported a similar device, but smaller. It was a pontoon boat that looked every bit as seaworthy as the catamaran. Troop parents designed it, starting with a small model. Its excited crew, ages 11-13, was as optimistic as their older counterparts, Crew 847, of their chances of success.

“Bones,” a long, black, sleek vessel put together by members of the Potomac Hospital Radiology Department, won a prize for Creativity in Design. The device, manifesting a striking similarity to a coffin, sported a skeleton on the top of it.

Why bones?

“We work in the radiology department of Potomac Hospital and felt it was appropriate,” said crewmember Tania Brown, a North Stafford resident.

“Doom Duck,” a creation by Hadrian Pollard, 18, and Daniel Pelletier, 18, got off to a shaky start in its first race, but proved seaworthy and completed two races. It was the third such race for Pollard, a North Stafford High School graduate, and the second for Pelletier, a rising senior at the same school. On the bow of their boat was a duck’s head — which is the one part of their craft that has survived the three years of racing. To maintain the tradition, they say they will use it again next year.

Scuffy the Tugboat, a longtime star of Little Golden Books, competed in two races, albeit not as whole the second time. The forepart of the ship proved too heavy and was jettisoned for the second competition. Perhaps the most ambitious of all, the U.S.S. Virginia, was christened just in time for the race.
The ship was a facsimile of a Naval Battleship, with seven total fore and aft guns, complete with a moving radar tower and a gun that shot water balloons. Measuring more than 25 feet, its crew estimated it took over 20 boxes to complete. To round out the project, each crewmember wore a T-shirt bearing the ship’s name. Crewman Bill Scholtter was happy with the creation but remained cautious over their prospects for the race.

“The question is, will it float?” he said.

The ship handily won both the Luxury Class race and the Grand Finale.

At the end of the event, some contestants took their crafts home to race another day, some crushed them up and placed them in haulers for later disposal and a few crammed the remains of their creations into dumpsters on the ground.

Master of Ceremonies Art Hart estimated that there were more contestants this year than last, though heat probably kept away a great abundance of spectators.
Serving as judges for the event were Bobby Crisp, parks and recreation commissioner; Patricia Kurpiel, public utilities commissioner, and Supervisor Paul Milde, R-Aquia.

The following winners were announced:

Winners: Design Category

Pride of the Regatta - USS Virginia
Best Design/Crew Costumes - Cecil the Dragon
Best Team Effort/Spirit - The Minnow
Best Creativity - These Bones
Most Likely to Float - Two Tubes
Titanic (Most Likely to Sink) -18 Wheeler

Winners: Racing Category

Age 7 to 14 Class - Camaflaugh
Parent/Child - SS Mako
Group/Club/Troop - Crew 847 Catamaran
Age 15-50 Class - Catamaran
Age 51 and Older - These Bones
Luxury Liner Class - USS Virginia
Business Entry Class - Pickett Fence Realty
Grande Finale - USS Virginia

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at info@staffordcountysun.com.