Anything That Floats Race to Star Do-it-Yourself Boat Builders
KEY LARGO, Florida Keys — Visitors to Key Largo can decide what team best builds a race boat out of household materials during the wacky Anything That Floats regatta set for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 17-18.
A captains party is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Señor Frijoles, mile marker 103.9 bayside. Saturday is race day, with team check-in beginning at 2 p.m. and race events starting at 3 p.m.
Resourceful crews of two, four or more people are expected to reuse, recycle and regenerate floatable items found around the house to construct their boats. Materials can include wood, PVC, jugs, buckets, pool noodles, plastic wrap, lawn furniture or cardboard, with a roll of all-purpose duct tape to hold it all together.
Teams can hoist old T-shirts as sails to propel their vessels, as long as all participants are contained within. Oars and paddles are allowed but motors, foam, floats, rafts or pool toys are not.
Boats and team members are to navigate a half-mile buoyed course along Blackwater Sound from Key Largo’s Caribbean Club to Sundowners and back. Both waterfront locations offer excellent race-watching areas for spectators.
Prizes are to be awarded in categories such as best-costumed crew, most creative vessel, fastest vessel, best hard-luck story and vessel containing the most participants that still floats.
The race is free to enter and the minimum age to participate is 13.
Event information: www.keylargoanythingthatfloatsrace.com
