Designers put their cardboard boats to test
Amateur boatbuilders thought outside the box to create ships made of cardboard.
Six teams competed in the Cardboard Boat Race at the Mayflower Sailing Club, on Plymouth's Barbican.
Budding engineers had under four hours to design and build a vessel that could take two brave teammates along a 250m course in the fastest time.
The somewhat soggy regatta aimed to promote careers in engineering.
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Adam Stables, with co-organisers the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Devon and Cornwall Young Members Panel, said: "It was great fun and all the teams enjoyed it, even the ones who sank.
"Three stayed afloat and could have been used again. So we proved you can make a boat out of cardboard.
"The race aims to encourage young people to pursue careers in engineering. The UK is facing an engineering skills shortage as young people turn away from the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)."
The teams of up to four people included university students, families and employees of Devonport Dockyard owners Babcock.
They were provided with materials and tools including cardboard sheets, tubes, duct tape and quick-dry varnish.
Winners of the under-18s race were Sam and Becky Walker from their team The Next Generation. The over-18s trophy went to Orin Wilson and Thomas Ankrom of "By Jove Glug Glug" in their canoe-style boat.
Quinn and Reid Jones, of team Jones' Junk, scooped the prize for best design with their sailing ship complete with prow and cannon.
Mr Stables said organisers planned to make it an annual event and attract more teams to take part. Hosted by the Plymouth and Devon Schools Sailing Association (PDSSA), the event on Saturday was sponsored by Babcock.
It was run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (RINA) and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST).
Comments
by josdave
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 4:04PM
“The shortage of engineers and scientists will continue as long as students take meaningless courses in university just to say they've got a degree. A degree in surfing is the prime example. The universities need to concentrate more on courses with a practical use in the real world.”