Cardboard boat race to launch Ocean City Festival

On Sunday 11 September, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers will officially launch the Ocean City Festival in Plymouth with a cardboard boat race, held in partnership with the Plymouth and Devon Schools Sailing Association (PDSSA).

The purpose of the event is to inspire young people to choose a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) by presenting these subjects in a fun and interactive way.

The challenge begins at 10am and teams will have just 30 minutes to design their boat (with a little help from some professional engineers and naval architects), then two and a half hours to build it, before they attempt to sail across Plymouth harbour from Commercial Slipway to the Mayflower Steps. It costs £20 to enter a team of up to six people and teams MUST register in advance.

Institution STEM Ambassadors have been working with local schools in advance of the competition to help teams of children design and build their boats. STEM Ambassador Bruce Robinson said:

“By phenomenal demand, we have created an additional ‘schools’ category this year to support the national curriculum for science and technology. We have had some great fun in the classroom as we taught the children about Archimedes and buoyancy. Everyone is very excited and they can’t wait to put their boats to the test while the other contestants are building theirs on the day.”

After the fantastic success of last year’s event, the Institution was approached by Plymouth City Council to launch the Ocean City Festival this year. Committee Chairman, Henry Stephens said:

“STEM is one of the four pillars of the council’s vision for the Ocean City, which is one of the reasons we are launching the festival this year.

“It’s great to see the crowds of people supporting this event and the enthusiasm of everyone who takes part. It’s really inspiring to see all of the different ways that people tackle the problem of sailing a cardboard boat – and problem solving is what Engineering is all about.

“Plymouth and the Southwest have a lot to offer in terms of engineering, especially marine engineering with the redevelopment of Devonport’s South Yard.”

The event is proudly supported by DS Smith Packaging and Babcock.