WightFibre may have won the Cowes Cardboard Boat Race last year, claiming the #FastestIW title, but it looks like this year the team will have some tough competition on their hands! The newly branded ‘WightFibre Cowes Cardboard Boat Race’ is seeing increased interest from local businesses wanting to claim the title for the fastest boat, and one team of newcomers plan to dramatically raise the bar:
Official announcement from Cowes Cardboard Boat Race at 9.00am this morning:
With just over 4 months left before Cowes Week, the organisers are proud to announce the latest entrant to take part in the race.
A team of rocket enthusiasts and cardboard lovers have come together to build the first ever ‘Rocket Powered Cardboard Boat’, which can reach speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour. The team are utilising the latest in cardboard technology – including fire proof cardboard – to take part in the race on August 7th.
The boat has been designed to compete against the WightFibre crew, who last year won the award for FastestIW with their entry.
Organiser of the race, Tony Downs, said: “We were contacted by a group of rocket and cardboard enthusiasts, who wanted to enter the race and try to win the award for the fastest boat. We were only too happy to agree to let them take part, and are excited to see what their entry looks like in August, we expect it to be really fast!”
The team have already visited the Isle of Wight and have been testing their craft on Appley Beach, Ryde. The craft has been seen shooting up and down the Solent, reaching speeds of up to 45mph, according to reports.
Commenting on behalf of the team, Avril Foal – head engineer said: “Once we heard about the WightFibre Cowes Cardboard Boat Race, we put our heads together to see if we could come up with something. My team and I decided the best way to go about it, would be to use the latest in fire-proof cardboard technology, alongside our love for all things cardboard. So we put in our application and are looking forward to raising money for UKSA.”
Pilot for ‘Team Rocket’, Javina Larfe, who is also owner of the Foolton Cardboard Museum said: “we heard all about WightFibre being the Fastest internet and fastest cardboard boat on the Isle of Wight, and our only hope of beating them is to with our super powered cardboard boat, we cannot wait till Cowes Week”.
You can keep track of the latest entries and event news on the Wightfibre Cowes Cardboard Boat Race Facebook page or on their website.
If you want to join the #FastestIW network, check out WightFibre’s latest offers by clicking here.
