[PHOTOS/VIDEO] Broadalbin-Perth Students Hold First Ever Cardboard Boat Race

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So, did they float?

Who needs desks when you’ve got duct tape and a dream?

Students from Broadalbin-Perth Central School District traded the classroom for Broadalbin Town Beach on Wednesday, where they raced homemade cardboard boats in the school’s first-ever Cardboard Boat Race. Yes—cardboard. On water. Will it float? Only physics (and some waterproof sealant) could tell.

Beth Tomlinson’s Everyday Engineering class was behind the buoyant chaos. Teams were challenged to build and race their own boats using just cardboard, tape, and brainpower. The goal? Understand real-world engineering concepts like buoyancy, weight distribution, and propulsion—without sinking.

Superintendent Stephen Tomlinson was on-site and impressed by the creativity. Boats were judged on style, structure, and how well they stayed above water (bonus points if nobody had to swim back).

No word yet on whether any students plan to major in naval architecture, but spirits were high—even when a few boats weren’t.

 

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