‘Kubota’ Wins Cardboard Regatta At Canal Days
August 27, 2018 at 4:48 p.m.
‘Kubota’ Wins Cardboard Regatta At Canal Days
By David [email protected]
The Winona Lake Restoration LLC “Kubota” team of Matt Light and Titus Emery invited the Green Earth Multisport team of Paula and Melissa Deming onto their cardboard boat to compete in the final race after sinking the Demings’ boat.
Spectators could purchase water balloons and the use of Super Soakers to help thwart teams, but participating teams weren’t supposed to throw water on each other’s boats. After Light and Emery broke that rule, helping cause the Demings’ boat to sink, they invited the Demings onto their boat for the final race in the spirit of getting along.
The Regatta benefits Fellowship Missions, the homeless shelter at 1520 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw. This was the second year for the event.
Ten teams registered for the midday race on the canal, but after a stormy morning only seven showed up. Three teams competed in the corporate time trials, while four took part in the adult time trials. In 2017, only four teams competed total.
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Boats are only made of corrugated cardboard, duct tape and basic paint. They are limited to 5 feet wide by 7 feet long.
For the final, the two teams with the best times from each category that didn’t sink competed in the head-to-head race. The time trials spanned from the Administration Boulevard bridge to the Auditorium Boulevard bridge in the canal and back, or about 700 feet. The final race was just one way from bridge to bridge.
The corporate teams went first in the time trials. KGP “Whale of a Good Time” team finished with a time of 6 minutes, 3 seconds. Kubota clocked in at 4 minutes, 8 seconds. Green Earth was almost to the finish line when it began to take in water and sank.
The adult category was next. Udderly Ridiculous only went about 18 feet before it sank. Tealanator got back in 6 minutes, while Brother Ducky clocked in at 5 minutes, 40 seconds.
The last team, Silver Strider, made up of Russell Parrott and his 8-year-old son Cole Parrott, took in water and tipped over within the first 9 feet. The Parrotts had just spent several hours making the boat the night before.
For the final race, it was Tealanator, Brother Ducky, KGP and Kubota. The competitors had to paddle their oars against the current and blowing wind.
Kubota pulled ahead early in the race. Down first was Tealanator, with KGP sinking shortly after them. Brother Ducky tried to catch up to Kubota, but no such luck, so the brother team of Alexi and Eli Demopoulos had to settle for second.
Along with the purchase of water balloons and Super Soakers, spectators could purchase tickets for $1 each to vote for their favorite boat for the Best of Show award. T-shirts also were available for purchase, with all the proceeds going to Fellowship Missions.
Brother Ducky won the Best of Show award.
The Fastest Finisher award went to the teams in each category that had the best time without being disqualified. In the corporate division, the award was given to Green Earth, while Brother Ducky won in the adult category.
The Titanic Award went to Silver Strider since it sunk the fastest.
The big award for Overall Winner went to the Kubota team of Winona Lake Restoration and Green Earth Multisport. The Kubota boat was engineered by Jim Zachary, with Winona Lake Restoration owner Ken Nisley financing it.
The other teams received gift certificates from The Village at Winona.
More information on the homeless shelter is available online at fellowshipmissions.net.
The Winona Lake Restoration LLC “Kubota” team of Matt Light and Titus Emery invited the Green Earth Multisport team of Paula and Melissa Deming onto their cardboard boat to compete in the final race after sinking the Demings’ boat.
Spectators could purchase water balloons and the use of Super Soakers to help thwart teams, but participating teams weren’t supposed to throw water on each other’s boats. After Light and Emery broke that rule, helping cause the Demings’ boat to sink, they invited the Demings onto their boat for the final race in the spirit of getting along.
The Regatta benefits Fellowship Missions, the homeless shelter at 1520 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw. This was the second year for the event.
Ten teams registered for the midday race on the canal, but after a stormy morning only seven showed up. Three teams competed in the corporate time trials, while four took part in the adult time trials. In 2017, only four teams competed total.
[[In-content Ad]]
Boats are only made of corrugated cardboard, duct tape and basic paint. They are limited to 5 feet wide by 7 feet long.
For the final, the two teams with the best times from each category that didn’t sink competed in the head-to-head race. The time trials spanned from the Administration Boulevard bridge to the Auditorium Boulevard bridge in the canal and back, or about 700 feet. The final race was just one way from bridge to bridge.
The corporate teams went first in the time trials. KGP “Whale of a Good Time” team finished with a time of 6 minutes, 3 seconds. Kubota clocked in at 4 minutes, 8 seconds. Green Earth was almost to the finish line when it began to take in water and sank.
The adult category was next. Udderly Ridiculous only went about 18 feet before it sank. Tealanator got back in 6 minutes, while Brother Ducky clocked in at 5 minutes, 40 seconds.
The last team, Silver Strider, made up of Russell Parrott and his 8-year-old son Cole Parrott, took in water and tipped over within the first 9 feet. The Parrotts had just spent several hours making the boat the night before.
For the final race, it was Tealanator, Brother Ducky, KGP and Kubota. The competitors had to paddle their oars against the current and blowing wind.
Kubota pulled ahead early in the race. Down first was Tealanator, with KGP sinking shortly after them. Brother Ducky tried to catch up to Kubota, but no such luck, so the brother team of Alexi and Eli Demopoulos had to settle for second.
Along with the purchase of water balloons and Super Soakers, spectators could purchase tickets for $1 each to vote for their favorite boat for the Best of Show award. T-shirts also were available for purchase, with all the proceeds going to Fellowship Missions.
Brother Ducky won the Best of Show award.
The Fastest Finisher award went to the teams in each category that had the best time without being disqualified. In the corporate division, the award was given to Green Earth, while Brother Ducky won in the adult category.
The Titanic Award went to Silver Strider since it sunk the fastest.
The big award for Overall Winner went to the Kubota team of Winona Lake Restoration and Green Earth Multisport. The Kubota boat was engineered by Jim Zachary, with Winona Lake Restoration owner Ken Nisley financing it.
The other teams received gift certificates from The Village at Winona.
More information on the homeless shelter is available online at fellowshipmissions.net.
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