The Smithfield River Rat Regatta on the Neuse is scheduled for Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 4 to 9 p.m.
This is your chance to test your boat-making skills in a race on the Neuse River! Spots are limited, so sign up now.
The race is from the Boat Ramp, at 295 Front Street Smithfield, and ends at the Hwy 70 Bridge.
Check out a huge list of summer festivals in the Triangle!
Awards Categories
- Fastest (youth and adult divisions)
- Overall best decorated
- Overall Titanic award (most memorable sinking)
The only materials allowed for the boat is cardboard, duct tape, and glue. And the boat can’t be entirely wrapped in duct tape. The paddles must be made of cardboard as well.
Following the race will be live music from 7 to 9 p.m.
Rules
- Boats built using only corrugated cardboard (none with waterproofing or wax coating, and not bonded
to any other material, such as vinyl), glue & duct tape. - You may NOT wrap or encase the boat in tape / or any other material that may aid in flotation.
- Oars and Paddles must be made from cardboard also.
- No cardboard tubes or carpet rolls can be used.
- Wood, metal, Styrofoam, or other materials that would aid in floatation or make the hull rigid are
prohibited. This restriction applies to the keel, transom, ribs, hull, etc. - No material such as Styrofoam or rubber floatation devises may be used to provide “buoyancy” or
maintain floatation. No sandbags or similar materials may be used for ballast. - Hulls may be painted with “one-part” paint. No epoxy glues, fiberglass resins or “multi-part” varnishes or
paints may be used. Tar based substances like roof coatings are not permitted. - Joints and seams may be glued and/or duct taped. Duct tape, contact cement, rubber cement or
construction adhesive may be used. No nails or metal or wood fasteners or staples may be used in the
construction of the boat. (Small amounts may be used for REMOVABLE decoration only.) - Where the crew sits CAN NOT be enclosed. Must be able to get in and out of your boat easily. Surfboard
and Raft style designs are NOT ALLOWED. Consider “staying dry” as part of the challenge. - No boat will be allowed to leave the starting gate unless: a) all persons on board are wearing a Personal
- Floatation Device (PFD), i.e. Life Jacket and shoes; and b) have their handmade paddles.
- PARTICIPANTS MUST BRING THEIR OWN LIFE JACKETS—AS THEY ARE REQUIRED.
- Helmets are required for participants 12 & under (we will have some for use) / Recommended for all participants.
- Boats are 2-man vessels.
- All entrants must ensure that their portion of the pit area has been cleaned prior to departure on
Regatta Day. All boats must be removed from the park or cut apart and placed in trash containers. - If your 2 person crew consists of a child and an adult, you will participate in the Adult Division.
- Youth Division is a 2-person crew – Ages 12 and Under.
- If there is any doubt about the construction of your vessel, judges reserve the right to use a probe, such
as an ice pick, to test and verify that the vessel meets the rules as set forth above.
Schedule of River Rat Regatta
- 3 to 4:30 p.m.: Boat registration
- 4:30 p.m.: Boat judging
- 4:45 p.m.: Captains Meeting
- 5 p.m.: Regatta starts
- 4 to 7 p.m.: DJ
- 7 to 9 p.m.: Live music by Ready Set Radio
The rain date is August 26, 2023.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Festivals
Check out a list of spring festivals in the Triangle, or take a look at a few upcoming festivals: