It was (mostly) smooth sailing at the 2007 Recycle Regatta. With a record 215 entrants and 85 boats from around Pinellas County, this year’s regatta was a great success.

Held April 14, at North Shore Beach in St. Petersburg, elementary through high school-aged students launched and raced boats made of 2-liter bottles, PVC pipe and other reused or recycled materials. With an environmental thrust and the ever-popular duct tape, the event has grown every year and brought more attention to the three R’s of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Over the 50-yard course, the crews struggled mightily to propel their crafts across the finish line before Davy Jones’ locker claimed them. Each boat was unique, with creative names like Argh, Groovy Lobsters, and Aqua-Sumo, to go with inventive, if not sound, engineering. Sportsmanship and safety helped ensure that the day’s sailors, parents, and teachers maintained a sunny disposition.

Good music, healthy snacks, and a complementary lunch bag made of 100 % recycled material helped fuel the students throughout the long day. With so many crews, the races had to be run in several heats; with the top three from each heat racing again in their age group’s final. Despite the large crowd, litter was kept to a minimum and the strategically placed recycling containers provided a convenient way to practice the event’s recycling message.

The annual event even grabbed a few headlines with reporters from the Tampa Tribune and the Clearwater Gazette on scene. With the twin messages of scientific learning and recycling – firmly anchored in fun – this exciting event will be shivering the timbers of Pinellas County students for years to come, Matey!