Teens either sank or sailed for the Santa Maria Teen Cardboard Boat Regatta.
During the competition Saturday, teams of four designed and constructed boats made entirely out of cardboard and duct tape.
Teams were also given one pool noodle to help their boats stay afloat.
After construction, the students raced their handmade boats 50 meters across the pool at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center.
Award categories included teams with the Most Spirit, Most Spectacular Sink and the Regatta Champion.
"We give (the teams) a simple instruction about the law of buoyancy. After that, we talk about the actual construction part of it, which I think is the hardest part. Not only are they building, but they're also building their soft skills with their team-building, their brainstorming, their collaboration," said Jeanette Blanco, Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Program Specialist.
The competition was first held in 2010 and is hosted by the city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department.
