Seven vessels provide boatloads of entertainment 

In July, spectators gathered at Mendon Town Beach to witness the 24th annual Great Cardboard Boat Race. 

Seven boats took to the waters of Lake Nipmuc, and a great time was had by all. Be sure to view the drone footage at bit.ly/MendonGreatCardboardBoatRace2024drone for some spectacular views of the sailing (and sinking) of these clever crafts. 

Here are the winners in the 2024 Taft Public Library Great Cardboard Boat Race:

ONE-PERSON CRAFT

Winner was Greyson Michael in his boat b.b.o.a.t.

Family Craft

1st Place: Mi Amore (Sondra Flannery, Bella Flannery, Olivia Flannery, Julia Flannery, and Gemma Flannery)

2nd Place: The Shiny Mermaid (Guinevere Rebello and Dylan Rebello)

3rd Place: Die Wilden Huhner Sind Wieder Da!!! (Lena Barnett, Maja Barnett, Regina Auth-Jahn, and Christin Barnett)

Group Challenge

1st Place: Sirens of the Sea (Mendon Police Department: Kaelan Farragher and Nick Erskine)

2nd Place: The S.S. Brotherhood (The Mendon Brothers of the Brush: Shawn Clifton and Timothy Reiffarth)

Special Awards

Pride of Mendon Award (Most Creative Design): b.b.o.a.t (Greyson Michael)

Captain's Choice Award (Most Attractive Boat): The Shiny Mermaid (Guinevere Rebello and Dylan Rebello)

Esprit de Corps Award (Most Spirited and Organized Team): Mi Amore (Sondra Flannery, Bella Flannery, Olivia Flannery, Julia Flannery, and Gemma Flannery)

Perseverance Award (Honors the Competitors Who Never Gave Up): Die Wilden Huhner Sind Wieder Da!!! (Lena Barnett, Maja Barnett, Regina Auth-Jahn, and Christin Barnett)

Titanic Award (Most Spectacular Sinking): The S.S. Brotherhood (Mendon Brothers of the Brush: Shawn Clifton and Timothy Reiffarth)

Surprise Award (We're Surprised It Floats): Sirens of the Sea (Mendon Police Department: Kaelan Farragher and Nick Erskine)

Favorite Book Award (Best Reflects a Favorite Book) and the Library Award (Best Reflects a Love of Reading): both were won by The S.S. Cricket (Gavin Histen, Merrick Histen, and Finn Histen)

For more photos of the Great Cardboard Boat Race, visit Mendon Brothers of the Brush on Facebook or bit.ly/MendonGreatCardboardBoatRace2024photos. For drone footage, visit bit.ly/MendonGreatCardboardBoatRace2024drone.

Provided by Taft Public Library