High school pupils from across the island built and raced cardboard boats at the National Sports Centre on Friday.

During the event, students representing The Berkeley Institute, Bermuda High School, Somersfield Academy, CedarBridge Academy, Bermuda Institute and Warwick Academy had 90 minutes to build a vessel using only cardboard and duct tape.

Their goal was to make it across the Aquatics Centre’s 50-metre pool without capsizing.

The Institute of Bermuda Architects and the Bermuda Association of Professional Engineers organised the annual contest.

Duncan Simons, from the IBA council, said 116 students comprising 28 teams signed up for the event. Fifteen groups made it to the starting line and only three completed it.

Warwick Academy students Alejandro Brown-Rogers, Finbar Lohan, Kylen Richard and Ethan Mello won the race, crossing the finish line with The Titanic that Didn’t Sink 2.0 in one minute and four seconds.

Kiara Dill, Arianna Packwood-Darrell, Dante Hansen, A’Mari DeRosa, Cayli Dowling and Jankeel Smith, from CedarBridge Academy, were the next group to finish in their boat, Mini Mermaid, in one minute and 30 seconds.

Another group from Warwick Academy, Polka Dot Pirates, was the only other team to reach the end of the pool and did so in two minutes and ten seconds.

It was made up of Marlena Goodwin, Gianna Pedro, Avalon Packer and Tyler Rossouw.

Mr Simons, who presided over the event, feared that no one would make it to the start line because of Friday’s weather.

He said the students displayed “real grit, rallied together and I believe they learnt a thing or two”.

Mr Simons added: “It is our hope that through this fun event students and teachers become more aware of the professions of architecture and engineering and don’t hesitate to reach out to us to learn more.”