Heather Fisher tries out an early version of her team's entry in the "Recyclable Regatta," a project of Spencerport High School's Principles of Engineering Class. Teams were challenged to build life-size boats using 2-liter pop bottles, chicken wire and other reclaimed materials. Heather's team used a sawed-off metal lawn chair and bike pedals from a child's bike for its boat. With Heather are teammates Keith Brisbane, Steve Reiss and Rich Blair.

Students prepare for recyclable regatta

The first Recyclable Regatta, a project of Spencerport High School's Principles of Engineering class, is a capstone project in which students design and race life-size boats made of recyclable materials.

Working in teams, students were challenged to apply classroom lessons to the boat project by researching materials and considering the effects of weight, buoyancy and propulsion methods. One team's design, featuring PVC pipes and steamboat-style paddles that are hand-operated by the passenger, was challenged when the boat hit the water and the paddles didn't even touch the water's surface. The team was relieved to find that a heavy passenger solved the problem.

"This is a great lesson for students to actually apply principles of engineering on a real-life, competitive problem," said teacher Joseph Gallina. "They have to work in a team and be creative when faced with practical limitations, just like they will on the job. They also find that designs that work on paper don't always work in reality - they have to just keep going back to the drawing board and try again."

The race will take place in the high school pool on Monday, June 21, at 8:30 a.m.