Great Cardboard Boat Regatta
52nd Great Cardboard Boat Regatta
The Great Cardboard Boat Regatta originated at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1974.
This fun, family-friendly event continues to draw aspiring boat builders and spectators to Southern Illinois each spring to race cardboard creations (and watch them sink).
For general information about the regatta including information about building a boat and rules, please see the additional information
Boat Registration - Class Types
For the full listing of rules and regulations, please review this informational flyer.
Class I, Paddle Powered
Class I - Boats powered by canoe paddles, oars or kayak paddles. Prone, or surfboard type paddling with your arms is not allowed.
Class II, Mechanical Powered
Class II - Boat powered by paddle wheels, propellers, plungers and other novel forms of muscle powered propulsion. No gas or electric power of any kind allowed.
Class III, Instant Boats
Class III (Instant Boats) - Boats powered by paddles and created on-the-spot from supplied materials. Instant boats must be made entirely from materials supplied at the lake and built within a two-hour time period during the afternoon of the race. Kits are available first come, first serve, until they run out.
Class IV, Youth Ages 12 & Under
Class IV (Kid's Class) - Boats built to the standards of the Race Rules. It will be raced on a shortened course. This race is for kids under thirteen years old.
Class V, Teens Ages 13-17
Class V (Teens Ages 13-17 yo) - Boats built to the standards of the Race Rules and will be raced on the full course.
The 52nd Great Cardboard Boat Regatta Information
GENERAL INFORMATION
Date of Boat Regatta
- Saturday, April 18, 2026, Rain or Shine – First race starts at 1:00PM
- Campus Lake at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale – Becker Pavilion & Beach
- Kayak paddles, oars, paddles and life jackets will be furnished
- 10am to Noon – Registration Tent located near boat launch- $20 Registration fee per boat (Make checks payable to SIU)
- Chemistry Department in Neckers Building on SIU Campus
- Call: Mary Kinsel, 618-453-6428
- $4 for a 7’x 8’ flat sheet of corrugated cardboard (Standard boat takes about 4 - 5 sheets to build)
- To be supplied at Campus Lake on first come first serve basis.
- The kits will consist of one sheet of 7’x 8’ cardboard, a box knife, a nail and a small roll of duct tape.
- You will have approximately 2 hours to build your instant boat.
- Plus special awards for most spectacular sinking, best use of cardboard, best team boat
RACE RULES
- All boats must be made of corrugated cardboard, including both the hull and superstructure. Any thickness of corrugated cardboard is permissible.
- Glue, caulk, tape, staples and other secondary building supplies may be used.
- The hull must be waterproofed with any one-part substance. No two-part materials like epoxies resins, tar, fiberglass, liquid rubber, Flex Seal, etc. is allowed.
- All boats must be muscle-powered from within the boat. No prone, surfboard or swimming positions may be used or allowed. Boats cannot be pushed by an outside swimmer.
- Mechanical propulsion systems are allowed in Class II. Human powered only.
- Seats must be made of corrugated cardboard and may not be part of the propulsion system or hardware. No oar-lock systems allowed on any type of boat.
- All boats must be designed so crew members can exit easily in the event the boat sinks.
- No boat may have more than ten (10) people on board at any time.
- No dogs or babies will be allowed in or on a boat.
- Pointy objects, likely entanglements, large canopies or anything else that might become a menace or danger to boat crews or the lake, must be removed before the boat is put into the water.
- All crew members must wear PFD’s (life jackets) – life jackets and paddles will be furnished.
- All crew members must wear suitable foot wear (aqua socks or tennis shoes) before getting into the lake.
- Any crew or racer who intentionally hits another boat or its crew with their paddle or any other foreign object will be disqualified. You can push away from another boat, but no hitting.
- The race course is in a “U” shape and approximately 300 yards long. You must round the buoys on the outside only. Any boat that cuts inside a buoy will be disqualified. To be legal, you can go back and round the buoy again. Facing the buoy head on, the right side of the buoy is the outside.
- Instant boats will race to the first buoy, round it from the right side, and race back to the starting line.
- The goal of the Regatta is to have fun, be with friends, have a good time, stay dry and go home at the end of the day happy and maybe a little sunburned, whether you get wet or not.
BASIC DESIGN AND BUILDING TIPS
- Build a scale model first. File folders work great for this purpose. Folding and overlapping flat surfaces are best.
- Almost any hull shape large enough for the crew to sit in will float the crew. Tall sides make it harder to paddle.
- Wide boats are stable and slow. Narrow & long boats are unstable but fast. Tall boats catch the wind, are hard to maneuver and are also slow. Confused? A width of 24” is a good place to start.
- Common wood glue and reinforced paper packing tape make excellent sealers for the connecting joints.
- Caulk, waterproof & paint the whole boat. Allow enough time for the paint to dry. Oil based paint dries slow.
- Give yourself time to experiment and enjoy the process of building a boat. It will take longer than you think.
