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n a cardboard boat race, competitors race not only other paddlers. As was seen at Saturday’s event at Paradise Cove Marina in Florence, they also race the clock – aiming to reach the finish line before their paper boats reach total saturation and collapse under them.

“Air Norse” took first place in the 2015 Cardboard Boat Regatta at Paradise Cove Marina. Paddlers were Bo, Nate, Charlie and Liam from DC. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

On Saturday, 18 crews competed in the waters off of Paradise Cove Marina. In terms of the sheer sport of paddling fast so the boat was still floating at the finish line, the winners were: 1st place, “Air Norse,” piloted by Bo, Nate, Charlie and Liam from DC, 2nd place, Jamie Mason from the Handle Bar II in Beaufort, and 3rd place, Bob Miller and Ed Braun of Oriental and Merritt in “Le Bateau Noir.”

Staging area for the Cardboard Boat Race was near the boat ramp. There, one could see Norsemen surveying what turned out to be the boat that took them to victory, as well as the Titanic (in background) and at right, a paddler outfitted as a 1976 Bruce Jenner. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

There were other awards as well. The Titanic prize this year went to the UHOO Ukulele group of Oriental and their tableau of the HMS Titanic and two lifeboats. (It was the lifeboats that competed.) Snaring the Pride of Pamlico award was the Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner vessel, dubbed Bait and Switch, rowed by Trish Leininger Blomquist and Tamra Leininger Finn.

The judges gave the Pride of Pamlico award to this entry, whose paddlers depicted Bruce and Caitlyn Jenner. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

Le Bateau Noir with Bob Miller and Ed Braun. They took third place. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

There were 2 Titanic entries this year and one of them, the HMS Titanic, featured two lifeboats. Ellyn Speciale of the UHOO’s paddled one. For a while. It wasn’t icebergs that were the problem, but rather cardboard’s inability to withstand ice in its more liquid state. The HMS Titanic won the Titanic prize. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

Some five member teams competed this year, but were DNFS, owing perhaps to not enough positive flotation to counter the weight of five adults. They did, however, provide some rather dramatic capsizes. Photos of those and other scenes of the day follow:

One spectacular capsize by the crew of the “Titanic 2” which competed in a heat with another five-person vessel. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

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One of the home teams (the crew was from Florence & Whortonsville) returned for a second year of competition on board the compartmentalized Titanic 2. This year, they did not make it to the finish line but instead, capsized partway through the course. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

Titanic 2 goes over and gives a good view of its compartments. Faulty riveting was not to blame for the lack of watertighness. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

As this five-man team’s boat began to sink, all hands on deck were needed – including those of the non-paddler on board who’d been holding two beer bottles aloft. That meant putting the beer bottles in to a holder on one crew member’s hat. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

The boat may have disintegrated, but the beer was undiluted. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

Many competitors walked their craft back to the finish line. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

Keep paddling…. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

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A Cyndi Lauper tribute, the paddler wearing a “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” shirt. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

Girls may wanna have fun, but a watertight boat helps too. The beverage coozies proved to be more ornamental than functional…. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

The starboard side of the Jenner boat. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio).

Winner of this year’s Titanic prize, the HMS Titanic, crewed by the ukulele group, UHOOS. The big ship didn’t sail – but competitors in two cardboard lifeboats did. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

To the lifeboats…. A cardboard life boat seems a contradiction, but it’s what Ellyn Speciale of the UHOOs paddled as part of the HMS Titanic entry. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

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Deployment of what turned out to be a surfboard-style craft. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

Same vessel, a bit waterlogged, later in the course. (Photo: Gary Hughes)

Boats did look trim on departure. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

Components of a winning vessel – an intimidating bow and precise loinclothing. “Air Norse” team members gather at their boat. (Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

When it was all over, a stack of (rather waterlogged) cardboard was piled up.(Photo: Jenn Del Rio)

Duct tape, and lots of it, a key component in cardboard naval architecture. Jennifer Smart and Rita Vorleiter, of the capsized “Titanic2.” (Photo: Gary Hughes)

Posted Wednesday July 1, 2015 by Melinda Penkava