They glided, they splashed, they capsized, they sunk. One captain even swam back to the dock holding a paddle in one hand and a rudder in the other after his boat broke in two near the buoy.
There were plenty of surprises and lots of excitement as boats made of cardboard and duct tape raced along the Peconic Riverfront today under picture-perfect skies.
The Town of Riverhead reclaimed the Supervisor’s Cup today, the trophy awarded to the winner of the the Supervisor’s Race, which Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman has won the past two years. Deputy Supervisor Devon Higgins padded Riverhead’s boat in place of Supervisor Yvette Aguiar, as she did in 2021 and 2022, due to the supervisor’s ankle injury and surgeries. The races were canceled by the pandemic in 2020, Aguiar’s first year in office. Aguiar credited the victory for “Team Aguiar” to former longtime owner of Peconic Paddler, whose advice she said she sought because “I’m not used to losing and I took that pretty bad.”
Riverhead’s Cardboard Boat Races were first launched in 2010, the brainchild of then-council members George Gabrielsen and Ed Densieski along with Kevin Zaneski, who teamed up with the Riverhead BID to stage the popular race event, which each year draws a large crowd to the riverfront for games and activities, food and races.
The annual event is now presented by the Riverhead BID, the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Riverhead.
Cash prizes were donated by Larry Oxman of East End Commercial Real Estate and a member of the Riverhead BID board of directors.
Mark MK was today’s emcee.
Winners in the 2023 Riverhead Cardboard Boat Races
Grand National Regatta (over age 12)
- Donzi
- Belafonte
- Hai Agn (Nordic for “Shark Bait)
Yacht Club Regatta (mixed ages)
- Hole in One
- Lucky Ducky
- USS New York
Youth Regatta (12 & under)
- Old Farm
- Watermelon
- We Are Sexy & We Know It
Outlaw Race
- Donzi
- Cardboard Cowboys
- Salty Sea
Special Awards
Best Spirit : Bubble Boat
Best Constructed: Black Pearl’s Revenge
Best Captain: Mark Sisson, Belafonte
Pickersgill’s Pick: Tug Finity Boat 1
Most Creative: Sharks
Titanic Sinking: Jonah & the Whale
People’s Choice: You Wreck It, We Fix It
Spirit: 58
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti
Correction: This article originally incorrectly attributed the founders of the Cardboard Boat Races, which were begun in 2010 by George Gabrielsen, Ed Densieski and Kevin Zeneski.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
