ID sophomores in the Cardboard Regatta, photo by Katlin McNally

On a cloudy but warm Saturday in May, teams raced in cardboard boats through rough pond waters, paddling around obstacles, and trying to remain afloat.  It was the annual Cardboard Regatta held for sophomores in CCAD’s Industrial Design department.

In its eighth year, The Cardboard Regatta pits professor and alumnus Joel Gundlach’s class against a class led by adjunct faculty Greg Thune.

“This is a great tradition that the department has,” Gundlach said. “The students work hard all year, and now it’s time for them to apply their skills in an entertaining and fun way.”

The two teams each have to construct three different water vessels in three hours using only cardboard, plastic sheet, PVC pipe, and duct tape. Students then compete on the water in three timed events featuring one-, two-, and three-person boats.

Congrats go to team Gundlach, which claimed this year’s Cardboard Regatta trophy.

Team Gundlach at the 2010 'cardboard regatta'

The traditional end of Industrial Design’s sophomore studio course is the Dean’s Cup Design Challenge, which pits teams from Tom Williamson’s class against Joel Gundlach’s class to build three boats in three hours out of cardboard, duct tape, PVC pipe and plastic sheeting. Students have one week to develop conceptual ideas utilizing sketching and scale models before competing on the water in three timed events featuring one-, two- and three-person boats. Race day efforts are dedicated to constructing, testing and competing for the Cardboard Regatta trophy, which was claimed by Team Gundlach in the sixth annual event on May 8.