YMCA Regatta Boat Races
Elizabeth Dugan talks about YMCA community boat races that took place on May 18, 2025.
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YMCA Regatta Boat races
YMCA Regatta Boat races
By Elizabeth Dugan
By Elizabeth Dugan
The YMCA is an organization spread nationwide over the United States of America and the United Kingdom, whose mission is to provide programs that promote Christian values, spiritual wellness, and physical fitness. The YMCA was established in London in 1844 and came to America in 1851. Since then, they have acted as a family center that provides childcare, aquatics centers with swim lessons, sports programs, and fun events for families to enjoy– like the Regatta boat race.
The Regatta cardboard boat races are hosted yearly and are open to anyone and everyone. This year, it was hosted in Grants Pass on May 18, 2025 with the theme of cartoons. The official YMCA flyer states that those who participate get to “Design and build a person-powered cardboard and duct tape boat capable of racing 25 meters.” There were three sets of challenges for these home boats to face. The first was an obstacle course that would race all over the pool. Participants wove around pool noodles and avoid getting blasted by water guns, while picking up designated items to win. The second challenge was a speed race against the enemy from one side of the pool to the other. The last and final challenge was a survival float where only the fittest would prevail. The rewards were of all sorts, ranging from movie tickets to snack baskets.
The Regatta had six main contestants with different winners for each category. The first entry was the family of the YMCA CEO and they entered with a homemade cardboard jet boat in a gray color. The second contestant was a boat from Allendale Elementary School, with one captain with a crew of four. The third contestant was another boat from Allendale Elementary with a boat inspired by the Titanic, named “Ice Burg”. The fourth was another family from the GP community of a grandma and a grandson who entered with a pirate’s deck, complete with a sail and costumes. The fifth contestant was something more of a raft in the shape of Optimus Prime, the transformer. The sixth and final contestant was an entry of three friends who came in with an open-top submarine and a crew of three to run it. The obstacle course weavers were the submarine boys who had the fastest time of 3 minutes and 12 seconds. The biggest crew of four, with a boat from Allendale, left their opponents in the dust and won the races. The last and prestigious challenge ended in a tie between Optimus Prime and the speedy jet boat. Lastly, the scurvy pirates were dubbed best dressed, and Optimus Prime won the most creative boat design. All of the winners got to choose a prize to their liking from the rewards table. Nobody left empty-handed.
Photo of Regatta Boat Race taken by YMCA staff
Photos of Regatta Boat Race YMCA staff
This event had many moving parts and took a lot of effort from the YMCA staff and volunteers to bring this fun and hip boat contest to the community. Cambrie Quike, the coordinator of Regatta Cardboard Boat Races, sat down to talk about the experience of planning and hosting the Regatta and what it represents to the YMCA. Quicke stated, “ Many hours of planning, organizing, shifting paperwork from party to party, and countless meetings went into making this event possible, but it was so important that we did, because bringing this community together is one of the most important goals the YMCA strives for. We hope to bring many more Regatta to this community and we want you to know it is open to everyone and anyone who wants to come and join us.” The YMCA did a lot to bring this event to people, and their reward was the laughter and excitement from everyone who attended, both contestants and staff alike.
The Regatta Cardboard Boat Races was a fantastic experience to be a part of. The smiles and screams of excitement from the kids brought an air of joy and peace to the whole event that everyone could feel. Remember, anyone can join next year just by signing up on the YMCA Facebook or signing up in person at the YMCA desk.
Sources:
Sources:
Interview with Cambrie
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