Free cardboard will be available from 4-7 p.m. Thursday (May 7) in The Daily News’ back parking lot for anyone who plans to build a boat for the Great Cardboard Boat Regatta®, which will be held at Longview’s Go 4th Festival.

Longview Fibre is providing free 72-inch-by-120-inch sheets of 200-lb. doublewall corrugated cardboard for participants in the July 4 regatta at Lake Sacajawea. Free cardboard will be available again for pickup June 3. The newspaper office is located at 770 11th Ave. in Longview.

When boat builders pick up their cardboard, they will receive an official copy of the boat-building rules (TDN.com is not allowed to post the rules online because they’re copyrighted). Boat builders also will be asked to pre-register so organizers get a rough idea of how many folks may participate.

Sponsored by The Daily News and Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging Inc., the regatta will be the first sanctioned cardboard regatta on the West Coast.

The point is to build a full-sized boat entirely of cardboard that can travel a 200-yard course. Crews may consist of one to eight people. Special trophies and bragging rights will be awarded to winners of categories including most creative design, most attractive boat, team spirit, best-dressed team and most spectacular sinking. Registration is free.

A boat-building clinic has tentatively been scheduled for Saturday, May 30. A time and location will be announced at a later date.

Related links:

Regatta, anyone?

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