Who Floated to Victory? Highlights from the Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta

For some Engineering students, it was all hands on deck Sept. 27 for the second annual Engineering Student Council (ESC) cardboard boat contest. Composed of 35 teams, students were put to the test: Build a boat designed to carry a person across Uris Pool using only cardboard, duct tape, and waterproofing spray.

The contest has officially become an ESC tradition. The event was inspired by a campus legend that Engineering students don’t have to take the swim test—a graduation requirement for Columbia College students—because, as the joke goes, the engineering students could build a boat or a bridge or some other way to ‘engineer’ themselves across the water. After crafting their creations, student teams raced their boats against one another to win the coveted boat contest trophy. 

Hundreds of students filled the stands to cheer on their favorite teams, donning posters with supporting statements and witty puns. Columbia Engineering Dean Shih-Fu Chang, Vice Dean of Academic Programs Barclay Morrison, and Columbia Acting President Claire Shipman joined students in the fun, encouraging teams on the sidelines.

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“Once again, our students have outdone themselves with their creativity and ingenuity,” said Dean Chang. “It was thrilling to see so many students compete and so many members of our community here to cheer them on. This event truly shows the hands-on and inventive nature of engineering and the enthusiasm of our engineers.”

The competition lasted two hours, with a qualifying round consisting of nine heats. Participants were required to win their heat within the qualifying time of 30 seconds. Winners advanced to the final round, where they competed against each other for first place.

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Team “The Hopeful Puffin” (Kaylin Yagura BS’28, Georgia Chen Kaufmann BS’28, Lily Kowal BS’28, Ananya Sanivarapu BS’28, and Alex Shore BS’28) floated to victory with a finish time of 37.56 seconds. Team “Boatox” followed close behind at 38 seconds, with “H20 Will Add Water pt.2” and “Man-Made Horrors” landing in third and fourth place. 

Last year’s winners, team “Jordany”, had the honor of passing down the boat trophy to the winning team. “The Hopeful Puffin” will have their team name etched onto the trophy, receive $250 in dining dollars, and free SEAS Cruise tickets for each team member.

Lead Photo Caption: Setting Sail: Students test out their cardboard creations in Uris Pool.

Lead Photo Credit: Brandon Vallejo / Columbia Engineering