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Potomac River Cardboard Boat Races a Favorite

By URIAH KISER

One of the most unique and fun-to-watch events we cover all year is the Stafford Cardboard Boat Regatta.

It’s where families test their cardboard boat-making skills to the test by gluing together sheets of cardboard and tubes to make life-sized boats that hold multiple people. Wooden oars are then used to propel the boats and their crews through the water in a series of races that begin on the river shore beach, out to a buoy, and then back to the beach. 

Winners of these races pick up ribbons, trophies, and coupons to fast food pizza restaurants – a favorite of the young competitors.

Put on each year by North Stafford’s Rock Hill Ruitan Club, proceeds raised during the event go to benefit local schools. Since we started PotomacLocal.com in 2010, we’ve covered the event at Aquia Landing Park on the Potomac River each year.

In addition to races, boats are also judged on their creativity.  This year’s Pride of the Regatta winners built a boat that looked like a jail cell and named it “Juvenile Block.” Its standard flat bottom boat design allowed it to perform well while on the river, but a series of cardboard posts made to look like iron bars gave it distinctive edge. The boat’s eight-year-old old skipper had a plan for his crew to win the race.

“When we’re paddling, I intend to yell at everybody. And if that doesn’t work I intend to throw the roof off into the water make it a normal boat,” said Nicholas, of Stafford.

This year’s Titanic award – the boat voted most likely to sink – went to “The Brick,” a small, sturdy boat that was glued together about four days before the race, painted to look like a red Lego block. It sank as soon as it went into the water.

Oh we went down,” said Shawn Mullen, of Quantico. “Me and 9 year old daughter worked on the boat and we wanted keep it simple. It’s a very simple craft and works except when you have a 200-pound man throwing off the center of gravity.”

He and his daughter plan to come back next year, and, this time, plan to start working on their boat six months in advance.

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

Rock Hill Ruitan Club Stafford Carboard Boat Regatta 2012 at Aquia Landing Park. (Photo: Mary Davidson/PotomacLocal.com)

 

Boat Awards:

Pride of the Regatta

1st Alcatraz Jailhouse Boat – Thomas Gerke

2nd Bad Scuffy – Anthony, John and Luke Strickland

Best Design / Crew Costumes

1st HMS Extra Crispy – Amy Crim

2nd MS Speed racer – Jacob, Sydney & Samantha Ritenour

Best Team Spirit

1st Robert E. Lee – Jacob, Caralyn, Melanie & Tristan Wiedeman

2nd Noah’s Ark – Mount Ararat 3rd Grade Quest Class

Best Creativity

1st Moby Dick the Whale – Matthew Beagle

2nd Speedy – Jason Jennings

Most Sea-worthy

1st PT Boat – Elias Breinenbach

2nd The Flying Tiger – Iain Nicol

Titanic (Most Likely to Sink)

1st The Brick – Nora & Shannen Mullen

2nd Troop 847 – Michael Baldwin

Race winners were:

7-14 Yr Old Race

1st Moby Dick the Whale – Matthew Beagle & Jarrod Bloom

2nd Ms Speed Racer – Jacob, Sydney & Samantha Ritenour

Parent & Child

1st Flying Tigers – Iain Nicol & Family

2nd Ms Speed Racer – Jacob, Sydney & Samantha Ritenour

Clubs & Groups

1st Moby Dick the Whale – Matthew Beagle & Jarrod Bloom

2nd Gopherwood – Tommy & Lizzie Krebs

15-50 Yr Old Race

1st – Flying Tigers – Iain Nicol

2nd – Ms Speed racer – Jacob, Sydney & Samantha Ritenour

51+ Race

1st Alcatraz – Tom Gerke & Family

2nd Great White – BG Fizgerald & Tom Parker

Additional 7-14 Race

1st Flying Tigers – Iain Nicol & Family

2nd Alcatraz – Thomas Gerke Family

Luxury Liner

1st Ms Speed Racer – Jacob, Sydney & Samantha Ritenour

2nd Noah’s Ark – Caleb Bloom, Maria Graham, Elias Brienenbach, Tommy & Lizzie Krebs, Matthew Beagle

Grand Finale

1st Bad Scuffy – Anthony, John and Luke Strickland

2nd Flying Tiger – Iain Nicol & Family

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