Mundelein regatta tests constuction, rowing skills

Courtney Brunkow, 12, of Mundelein was a little nervous before her solo voyage in a 30-inch-wide by 4-foot-long boat made of cardboard and duct tape Saturday during the inaugural Cardboard Regatta at Diamond Lake Beach in Mundelein.

Her greatest concern was whether the boat, designed as a pencil, was going to remain water tight. But that proved to be the least of worries as she paddled into a steady wind in an effort to get around a buoy 75 yards from shore and return.

Despite an early struggle, she never thought of quitting and found success after paddling hard in side-to-side motions.

"The wind was against me on the way there, so it was kind of hard," Brunkow said. "Once I got my rhythm going side-to-side, it got easier."

There were eight entries in the event, organized by the Mundelein Park and Recreation District. The boats varied in size and included from one to four crew members.

Casey Wood, 13, of Vernon Hills and friend Kurt Lawrence, 15, of Mundelein had the fastest boat. They paddled their craft around the buoy and back to shore in a swift two minutes, eight seconds.

Prizes for participants included a T-shirt and a gift card for Bill's Pizza in Mundelein.