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Jun 17, 2023

Anchors away! Hastily

Yasmeen Ahmed, 11, paddles her boat across the pool as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

Yasmeen Ahmed, 11, paddles her boat across the pool as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. Yasmeen placed first in her heat. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Teams build their cardboard boats as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Maya Chiaro, 5, paddles her boat across the pool as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. Maya placed first in her heat. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kenzie Frey sits in her boat as her dad, Jason Fry, puts the finishing touches on it as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Avalon Velez, 10, realizes that her boat is sinking while she paddles her boat across the pool as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A team applies tape to their cardboard boat as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Emmalyn Figarsky, 8, paddles her boat across the pool as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. Emmalyn placed first in her heat. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Linda Lee, right, puts the finishing touches the boat as her daughter, Violet, 9, left, looks on, as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A member of a team applies tape to their cardboard boat as the city of Mission Viejo hosts the Cardboard Boat Derby at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The teams had one hour to build a boat of cardboard and duct tape and then one person paddled the boat the length of a pool in a race with the fastest time winning. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Oh, buoy. It was sink or float for newly constructed boats making their debut in Mission Viejo for a soggy competition on Saturday.

These vessels were not made with steel or wood or fiberglass. Rather, they were constructed only with pieces of cardboard and duct tape — in just one hour.

Mission Viejo’s Cardboard Boat Derby was fun for all, as teams of four worked to construct their boats quickly with just two materials and a utility knife before the big race at Marguerite Aquatics Complex.

The competition was broken into two groups, one for ages 6-10 and the other for shipwrights 11 and older.

And aside from the race, guests were also able to enjoy swimming, games, music and more at the popular derby.

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