The 605 Unity Jam hosted the cardboard boat regatta on Sunday, June 9th. A regatta is a sporting event consisting of a series of boat races. The regatta is an annual fundraiser for the Wagner Pool Fundraising.

The rules of the regatta are that the boats have to be made before the race with fine tuning on site the day of the race and made out of cardboard and duct tape only. This year the cardboard and duct tape were generously donated by Bouza Construction for all of the registered teams. A single person or team of two aged 10 years or older are allowed to race in the boat with the only stipulation being that they must be able to swim. The team can take as much time as they want in constructing their boat. A “Build A Boat” night was offered at the Wagner Boys and Girls Club with supplies and food provided.

The boat can be big enough for one or two riders with the maximum width being 4 ft and the maximum height of 7 ft. The boat’s design and color scheme are completely up to the builders.

Two important rules for the regatta are that the boat must be built so that it is not enclosed above the occupants’ shoulders should escape from the boat be needed and all boat riders must be able to remain fully on top of the boat. The race must start end finish with both crew members intact. Participants are allowed to make paddles (one per person) but they must also be constructed only out of cardboard and duct tape. Before the race begins the boats were inspected by the judges to make sure that they were eligible for the race.

The race began on the north side of the lake and boats were expected to race one length of the Wagner Lake (north to south). Prior to the race, the boats/teams were auctioned off at the Calcutta Auction. This year’s Calcutta Auction raised $1415 for the Wagner Pool Fundraising. There were also prizes awarded for different categories including Titanic Award, Speed Boat Award, Spirited Team Award, Pride of the Regatta, Surprise Award and Beacon of Hope Award.

2024 winners at the annual cardboard boat regatta were: Titanic Award: Robert Frei and Connor Gable Speed Boat Award: Jackson Woods and Ron Knudsen Spirited Team Award: Jaxton Hill and Radek Kotab Pride of the Regatta: Jackson Woods and Ron Knudsen Surprise Award (Trophy for who Traveled the Most Hours): Chasin Simonsen Beacon of Hope Award (Highest Bidder): Carl Sanders One interesting side note would be that Jackson Woods is a three-time champion of the cardboard boat regatta. His boat has been so well-made that he has been able to reuse it. Congratulations to all the participants and winners for making this such a fun community event.