A group of students from six schools will be taking to the water on November 11 to test if the boats they have designed and constructed will float or sink.
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The Cardboard Boat Regatta is returning for the first time since 2019, with teams from six schools battling it out to win the overall champion status.
Organised by the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie West, students have spent the past few months designing and constructing their vessels made entirely out of recycled cardboard.
There are around 15 students from Hastings Secondary College involved in the project, with the students working on four boats for the competition.
Year 10 student Caitlin Marotte said she wanted to get involved because it's a community project involving other schools.
"It got cancelled last year, so we thought it would be a good idea to get involved again this year and give it a go," she said.
The boat Caitlin has been working on is named Seapickle and she will be one of two students who will be testing its buoyancy in the regatta.
"We designed the boat on the paper first before starting to look at how we could make it float," she said.
"We're a bit nervous, but I think it will be a heap of fun. We're not going to be too competitive, it's just for fun so we're looking forward to it."
Science and Marine Studies teacher at Hastings Secondary College Rhiannon Beeton said all of the students have been working hard on the construction of their vessels.
"They're really excited, but I think a few of them are a bit nervous as well," she said.
"They really had to focus on the design of the boats to fit two people in it and how they would make it float just by using cardboard."
Student teams from Hastings Secondary College, Newman Senior Technical College, Wauchope High, Camden Haven High, The Nature School and St Columba Anglican School will launch their cardboard boats on the Hastings River on Saturday, November 11.
Representatives from Birdon will judge each of the boats on their design and will present a trophy for the best timed race out on the water.
The boats will be displayed at the Westport Park Foreshore on Saturday, November 11 from around 8am, with the race to get underway at 10am.
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