Cardboard Boat Races

Physics students gathered in the Upper St. Clair High School swimming pool for the annual cardboard boat race on Friday, May 30, 2025. The students are all enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) Physics C and International Baccalaureate (IB) Physics, taught by Mr. Clayton Yonker. Teams of students were tasked with designing, constructing and testing life-sized cardboard boats. The annual boat races represent the culmination of the students’ efforts.

In total, 11 boats competed in this year’s competition. Themes included Shark Tank, Frogs, Pickles, Wicked, Super Mario Bros., Soccer, Clash Royale, Hillbilly, Hip-Hop, Smurfs and Secret Agents.

In the initial round, boats raced to complete four laps (the entire length of the pool and back). The winner of each heat advanced to the finals, where the four boats raced to complete one lap. This year’s winner was the Frogs.