Click on the above image for more photos of the 2023 MWHS Engineering Regatta.

January 31, 2023 — While regattas are usually reserved for warmer weather, engineering students in the Project Lead the Way program at Mound Westonka High School launched their cardboard crafts into the MWHS pool Jan. 26 in the annual Engineering Regatta. A total of 14 boats created by 48 students competed in this year’s event.

Following instructor Dale Kimball’s strict construction guidelines, teams of student engineers had one week to design, document, and build boats that could carry at least two people from one end of the high school pool to the other. Boats were made prior to the race using only broken-down cardboard boxes and each using a single roll of duct tape. The vessels had to fit within a cube measuring 7 feet on each side in order to qualify for competition.

Propulsion during the race had to be provided only by hands and cardboard. Once a boat reached the far end of the pool, one member had to exit the boat and climb back in. If, at any point, a boat capsized, both members had to return to the boat before they could continue.

A total of five boats were able to complete the objective, while two of those boats were even able to complete the objective a second time. The team of senior Ben Neve and juniors Will Courneya and Jack Hall built the fastest boat, which finished the competition with a time of 59 seconds - just off the record of 54 seconds which was set in last year’s event.

About Project Lead the Way

Mound Westonka High School offers a certified Project Lead the Way engineering program that offers students two- and four-year college credit. For more information about engineering at MWHS, please visit the PLTW engineering web page or contact instructor Dale Kimball at (952) 491-8254.