A team from Warwick Academy beat 24 other teams from seven high schools to win a race for cardboard boats at the weekend.

Lisamarie Masters, the president of the Institute of Bermuda Architects, which organised the event with the Bermuda Association of Professional Engineers, said the competition was not only fun, but designed to encourage an interest in design and construction among the young.

Ms Masters added: “We were thrilled to have 100 students from seven schools participate at this year’s event.

“The students used a range of skills, including creative problem-solving, time-management, communication, and teamwork.

“From ten cardboard boxes and two rolls of duct tape they had to envision, execute and test a structure that could carry two of their team across 50 metres.

“It’s an afternoon filled with math and science packaged in a really enjoyable way.”

Stephanie Simons the BAPE president, said: “BAPE is proud to offer continued support to the Cardboard Boat Challenge event.

“The number of participating teams is a positive sign that a growing number of young people are interested in and will now have experience with hands-on problem-solving skills.

“Congratulations to the winners and thank you to the teaching staff who support the students who come out to participate.”

Team Nat 1, Stage Hazard from Warwick Academy, came first in the competition on Friday at the Bermuda National Sports Centre Aquatics Centre.

The Warwick team of Noah da Silva, Liam Flannery, Sam Pettit and Rowdy Crockwell-Laurent was the fastest to complete a 50-metre lap of the pool with a time of 45.75 seconds.

They held off Swim or Sink from the Berkeley Institute, made up of Makai Furbert, Mathew Warren, Quazuri Mathews-Wong, Brazil Furbert and Chakylah Mello by more than 20 seconds.

George Kerr, Nik Froud, Cassie Mello and Clark Jeffrey of Saltus Grammar School took third place with a time of 1 minute, 7 seconds.

The teams of two to five pupils had two hours to build a boat, which could transport two people, out of only the supplied materials, including cardboard boxes donated by Butterfield & Vallis, duct tape donated by Gorham’s, and a box cutter.