Out and About

Break out the craft supplies: This river race requires you to make your own boat

The second annual Smithfield River Rat Regatta will allow families to construct their own cardboard boats and race them down the Neuse River next month.

Posted Updated
Smithfield River Rat Regatta
By
Robbie Vaglio
, WRAL.com intern

The Smithfield River Rat Regatta will allow families to construct their own cardboard boats and race them down the Neuse River next month.

The second annual river race will take place on July 13 at 4 p.m. Boats are required to be made entirely out of cardboard, glue and duct tape. Competitors will either be placed in the Youth or Adult division, and prizes will be awarded for the top three finishers in each race.

Other awards will be given to the Best Decorated, and the boat that sinks most memorably will earn the Titanic Award.

Teams of two will paddle their cardboard boats from the boat ramp on N. Front Street and the first to cross under the Deputy C. Paul West, Sr. Bridge will be crowned the winner. Last year, 33 teams raced down the Neuse with 26 finishing and seven sinking.

"Immediately after finishing the race last year, many of our boaters started discussing improvements to be made for this year, so we’re excited to see how high the bar is raised in year two,” Sarah Edwards, executive director of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, said in a press release.

Spots in the race are limited. The award ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by live music by the Justin Kyle Band. Food trucks will also be on site starting at 4 p.m.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.