What to Know
- Cardboard Yacht Regatta at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica
- Saturday, June 17 at 9 a.m.
- $20 per yacht (two people per yacht; human power only, no motors)
We're entering the "Optimistically Gather Your Materials for a Big Summer Project" zone, that upbeat span of time that involves collecting cool and crafty things together in one potential-filled pile.
It's the sort of pile that kids can jump into, again and again, all to fashion something amazing and creative over the long days of summertime.
But there's one project that's going to require a bit more speed and get-up-and-go, if you and your kids want to participate. There is a silver lining, however, and it is this: When it comes to gathering materials for this particular goal, you'll only need to look for two items that you likely already have.
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These are the two items: a) corrugated cardboard and B) duct tape.
That's it. There's no more to that list. It concluded quickly, yes, but some things in life do.
Those are the only two materials you'll need to build a floatable boat should you want to sail in the Cardboard Yacht Regatta, an offbeat event that's become one of Santa Monica's quirkiest and cutest splash-taculars.
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And is it ever splashy, in both meanings of the word: Teams of two people attempt to sail a cardboard vessel across the Annenberg Community Beach House's celebrated swimming pool.
The first splashy part? No mystery here: The pool is wet.
The second splashy part? How sturdy and sensational these little yachts truly are, which is no small feat.
True, you can decorate your sail-ready sculpture for the June 17 competition — so think about design as you break out the duct tape — but before getting into the build process, you'll want to check out the rules.
As you might have expected while poring over the two materials that are allowed, motors are not permitted and boats should be fully "human-powered." And there must be two people in each vessel during the soggy showdown.
As for the awards? There are a few, including "Most Likely to Sink."
The Cardboard Yacht Regatta is a spunky show of ingenuity, humor, and summer-style nostalgia, a creativity-fueled tradition that lacks fuel but does possess human power.
And, of course, cardboard, duct tape, and an all-important can-do attitude. Good luck, seafarers of Santa Monica, though "poolfarers" may be more accurate in this case.
