By David Fleet
Editor
Brandon Twp. — Last week nine boats set out on a two lap tour of the Brandon swimming pool.
Only three returned.
Duct tape, cardboard and a swimming pool were part of the 16th annual cardboard race boat physics project that was all about staying dry and staying afloat.
Brandon High School students from Lesley Hildebrand’s AP physics class raced boats in a lesson on buoyancy, teamwork and speed. Classmates created their watercraft in about two days, grabbed a paddle and ventured across the swimming pool.
The “Truck Town Boat” piloted by BHS Juniors Daniel Geiser, and Sophomore Lawson Glonski returned safely out of the water. They completed the 100 meter race in .5027 seconds.
“This year we had more than 100 students attend the race,” said Hildebrand. “It was like a football game, a lot of fun and cheering.”
Each boat was required to carry two students and be no longer than 7-feet long. Duct tape could be used to cover only the seams of the boat, but the rest had to be made of cardboard.