Lackland Cardboard Boat Regatta takes to the water

  • Published
  • By Debbie Aragon
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  With various battle cries, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Argonauts and several other teams took to the water at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Sept. 6 for the 2013 Lackland Cardboard Boat Regatta.

The Argonauts were one of four JBSA Lackland teams that used simple cardboard and duct tape to construct vessels worthy of judging and sailing across the base's Warhawk Pool for trophies and bragging rights.

The race was "something different, something people could really enjoy doing together," said Percy Lewis, organizer and programmer with the Arnold Hall Community Center.

"It's a team sport where everyone can get together and work together ... something we all need every now and then.

"This year's entries were very interesting and very creative," Smith added, "and I loved the team spirit from all the teams."

When the paddling, splashing and near sinkings ended, Team Mayo Monkeys came in first place, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles second and the AFCEC Argonauts third.

The Mayo Monkeys' vessel the S.S. Mayo, captained by 1st Lt. Robert Mayo with wife, Alyssa as first mate, also took home the trophy for most creative boat.

Mayo said he and his three older children brainstormed several different boat designs and looked at videos of other cardboard boat races online before settling on a design.

"After a lot of discussion, we all agreed that we wanted a long, narrow boat as they were the fastest and allowed easy paddling," he said.

The secret to the S.S. Mayo winning the race, the lieutenant added, was a great design and strong paddles.

The Mayo family entered the race because it looked like a fun, family activity and they'd never done anything like it before, the team captain said, and "While the kids wanted us to win, I think secretly they also wanted to see a bunch of boats sink."

In second place, the 59th Training Squadron ninja turtles' vessel, sitting lower in the water than others, was powered by its crew using cardboard pizza slices as paddles.

Julie Pinsinski and James Brown, instructors with the 59th TRS, saw the regatta as a team building opportunity for their students and decided to take advantage of it.

With 11 people on their team, they all took the boat building challenge very seriously, Pinsinski said.

"We considered the weight and height of the boat and calculated how much water would be displaced by the design," she said. "We really wanted to get first place, be creative and be the most spirited team too."

Taking third place were the AFCEC Argonauts.

"I think our design was perfect," said Capt. Graham Auten, team captain. "We may have over engineered it a touch for only a 25-meter race but we're engineers so that kind of thing happens ... and we're still the only ones floating."

"The competition was tough and our paddles could have used a little more work," added Tonda Sallee, AFCEC Argonauts first mate, "but we made it all the way across and back and could have gone for probably half an hour."

Team Lab Rats member Staff Sgt. Nadia Charles, with the 59th Medical Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron, helped design and build their boat, the S.S. Coban.

"It was Airman 1st Class Olivia Channell's idea. She saw it (advertised) and thought it would be a good idea," Charles said. "We signed up last minute and built our boat in two and a half hours."

Building the S.S. Coban and taking part in the regatta was a good experience, Charles said, adding "and our boat didn't sink."

Although the Lab Rats didn't place during the race, they walked away with two trophies - The Titanic Award and The Ugliest Boat Award - which are proudly on display in their work area.

Win or lose, it seems all teams are already making plans for next year.

"We're planning on competing again next year," Pinsinski said, "and with a little more prep time, we want to get first place."

"Should we be here, we definitely plan on racing again," Mayo said.

"We'll probably bring the same boat back," Auten said, "and I don't think anyone else can say that."

This wasn't the first year for the event. Lackland held a regatta in 2011 where more than 20 boats took to the water.

"That event was held in conjunction with something else and that's why I think we had so many competitors," Lewis said. "We're hoping to make the event even better in years to come and it would be great to see 20 boats again."