Boats were sinking on Diamond Lake Saturday at cardboard regatta

The trick to keep a boat made entirely out of cardboard, duct tape, paint and spray adhesive afloat is layers.

Mundelein resident Andrew Hutter, along with mom Ruth Hutter, said they used three layers of cardboard as a base when building their cardboard boat resembling a rubber duck during the 2017 Diamond Lake Beach Cardboard Regatta Saturday.

The team traversed the small boat course without sinking to the delight of the crowd. The vessel even looked seaworthy after spending 10 minutes on land warming in the sun.

"Each side has three layers of cardboard glued to each other," said builder Andrew Hutter. "Then, you just fold up the sides and use a lot of tape."

Ruth Hutter, the designer of the three-person watercraft, took great joy in her boat winning the "crowd favorite" trophy Saturday afternoon.

"This year was all about showboating for us," she said. "Last year, we had the fastest boat around."

Eleven boats cast off into the water beginning at 1 p.m. sharp. The boats raced two at a time around a buoy and back, officials said. Each heat was judged on speed, creativity and crowd enthusiasm. Awards were presented to the winners after the race ended.

All proceeds benefitted the Mundelein Parks Foundation, which provides program scholarships for children in the community.

"We did it for the fun of participating," said Mundelein resident Al Rodriguez, who celebrated his 46th birthday Saturday by capturing the award for "most creative." He designed his cardboard boat to look like an old naval warship. "We wanted the kids to participate in it with us."