After a month spent designing and creating boats made of cardboard and duct tape, teams gathered together on the lakefront on Aug. 16 to race their vessels against their shipmates.
    “Overall, the event went really well. It was awesome to experience the teamwork and energy brought forth by the students at Great Lakes,” said Elizabeth Leonard, MWR intern and coordinator of the event.
    The ultimate cardboard boat regatta was open to enlisted student sailors through MWR’s Liberty Program. One cardboard entry was allowed per Training Support Center Great Lakes’ barracks.
    Barracks were allowed to build a boat using approved materials such as corrugated cardboard, duct tape, water-based paint and cloth.
    Points were awarded to teams for displays of esprit de corps, creativity in design, and speed. Judges from TSC and MWR were on hand to determine the winning ships and announce the results at the completion of the regatta.
    Over 450 spectators and participants were present to cheer their favorite cardboard boats to victory, which included the TSC chief community, who got in on the fun and created and raced their own cardboard craft, named the “USS Chief.”