Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Sikaflex® Challenge Cup - The Ultimate Build-a-Boat Contest



I’ll never forget my first encounter with the super sealant/adhesive that is Sikaflex.  I was taking a tour of the Regal factory here in town just before I finished college.  As I leaned against a railing, to get a better look at the interior build of one of their sport yachts, I bumped into a caulking gun loaded with Sikaflex.  My tour guide noticed my mistake first and with a smirk said, “That’s not coming out.”  Sure enough, the little white spot on my barley worn, navy blue polo never came out.

Sika Corp is dedicated to the marine community; and to show their commitment, they have sponsored a “build and race” boat competition for the last twenty years.  Contestants get a limited supply of plywood and lumber and can only use fast curing Sikaflex®-291 as the adhesive and sealant to make their hand built vessels watertight.  There are prizes for first, second, and third places as well as awards for best design and fastest build.

Check out the video slide show after the jump for build and race of some truly watertight boats and a schedule of this year’s events.

2012 Sikaflex® Challenge Cup Schedule
-Beaufort Boatbuilding Challenge - May 5 Beaufort, NC
-Canal Fest of the Tonawanda’s - July 15-21 Tonawanda, NY
-Door County Maritime Museum - August 4-5 Sturgeon Bay, WI
-Port Jefferson Old Home Week (nothing on the event calander yet) - August 18-19 Long Island, NY
-Windjammer Festival - Sept. 1 -4 Camden, ME



Source: Sika Corp,  TradeOnly, and YouTube

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