The Marines: Dallas Percy, Ty Smith, Paul Bordlemay, and Gonzalo Gauna-Scattolini
St Petersburg - Clearwater's Frontier Elementary Students walked away with the top prize after winning the race in their grade category during the Pinellas County Recycle Regatta at North Shore Beach Saturday, April 14. The Recycle Regatta is held each April during the Regatta y Fiesta del Sol al Sol. Crews participating in the Regatta are divided by age and race boats made from recycled goods against their peers over a 50-yard course.
Frontier Elementary teacher Moonyoung Yang says of the winning fourth graders who called themselves the Marines, "These boys possess a keen competitive sense, but characteristics of sportsmanship which allow each to work so well together, listening to each member's opinions and working based on each person's strengths. They are also exceptional academic students; all are Honor Roll, if not straight A bound."
The Marine's vessel was made with seven main pieces, consisting of a piece of plywood resting atop two cardboard tubes used by home constructors to make molds for porch pillars. The tubes were capped off at each end with plastic piling tops. The materials were held together with plastic strapping and then painted with waterproof roofing paint in a camouflage pattern to match the boys' faces.
They were all but hidden while on the water and won the first race for their grade level and then again came in first place in a second race against all those that placed second and third behind them in the first race.
In the first race, they beat cadets from Admiral Farragut Academy's Lower Division aboard their recycled boat named, "We 'C.A.N.' Do It!" combining local fitness celebrity Tony Little's battle cry and their names Connor, Adam, and Nicky.
The C.A.N. boat was made from six plastic pellets supported by plastic jugs with 13 five-gallon pickle buckets from Pickles Plus Deli used as pontoons. Clothes line and a lot of duct tape held the recycled plastic together.
The Regatta's rules require that 70 percent of the watercraft must be built from recycled goods and can be propelled only by human or sail power. According to the rules, "This may include oars or pedals, but no motors and no trained dolphins."
The mission of the Regatta each year is to demonstrate with a fun hands-on experience how disposable objects can be beneficial for reuse. aturday,
The C.A.N. crew rowed their boat to second place (bow to stern): Connor Lane, Nicky Marks (left), and Adam Burrell
