Sailors will show off their silly sides as they sink, swim or sail in the 33rd Silly Boat Regatta.
From a rubber duck to a giant coffee cup, anything can cast off from Nanaimo’s Maffeo Sutton Park tomorrow (July 16) in the annual event that’s all about being silly and having fun.
The regatta, the largest fundraiser for the Nanaimo Child Development Centre, gives teams four hours to create a boat before the craft takes its maiden voyage in a race around a buoy in Nanaimo’s inner harbour. There are no kits or motors allowed for these hand-made boats, which are built with recyclable materials.
Michelle Kocourek, resource development coordinator for the CDC, said there have been so many entertaining boats and anything goes.
“One of my most favourite boats was Serious Coffee one year, they did a coffee cup with cotton balls in it that looked like a foamy latté,” she said, adding the boat’s only problem was that it only went in circles.“They didn’t go very far but it was very, very cute.”
Boaters can win titles, like grand champion, first to sink and silliest boat. So far, 43 teams have registered, and between 8,000 to 10,000 people can be drawn to the event, which also features entertainers, vendors and activities for children.
Tracy Berg, fundraising officer with the CDC, has gone to the event for the past seven years and loves watching the teams try to get around the buoy.
“It’s comedy,” she said. “They are pushing and shoving; they’re slashing each other … they are doing it in fun but they are quite competitive and just watching that action, that’s probably the funniest stuff.”
Shari Sorensen, fundraising organizer for Superette Foods, said what she loves most about the event is having so much fun raising money for a good cause. Team Superette has a goal of raising $3,000 and will be back this year to defend their grand champion title.
“We’re probably going to stick fairly close to the same design, just tweak it a little bit and try to go for even a better time,” Sorensen said.
Women in Construction will test their sea legs, participating in the event for the first time.
Selena MacKay, team captain, said she and her teammates want to let the community know Women in Construction, a part of the Vancouver Island Construction Association, are out there and supporting women in construction but also want to have fun and not be the first to sink.
“Especially being women in construction,” she said, laughing.
She’s not sure if they have an advantage, because anything can happen, she said, adding that they did a pre-build on the weekend and the boat is a ‘monster’ at three and a half metres long.
“Looking at other previous events, I don’t think there’s been very many huge ones like this so this could be good or bad for us, I’m not sure,” MacKay said.
Money raised goes to programs and services at the CDC, which serves anywhere from 700-800 children annually. The money is undesignated, meaning the centre can use it where it’s needed.
The Silly Boat Regatta is free for the public.
Boat building begins at 8 a.m. with the race at 1 p.m. The family area opens at 10 a.m. and entertainment starts at 11 a.m. People can donate to the CDC through a new mobile giving program by texting the word Silly to 20222 this July. To volunteer, call 250-753-0251, Ext. 227.
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