Henbury School sets sail at Beer Can Regatta 2023

A Top End school’s innovative Beer Can Regatta boat design is set to turn heads at this year’s competition.

Less than a month out from the annual Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta, Henbury School students sit proudly on their boat.

The coffin-shaped vessel features hundreds of soft drink cans collected and bound together over the past 10 weeks.

Student Sophie Laughton said she drew the design and the team “went with it”.

“It’s just coffin design with a sail,” she said.

The boat has been called “The Ironic”, but the team jokes about calling it the USS Coffin.

Peter, Ted and Carol Ayres jump aboard The Ironic to test how it floats. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Henbury School science teacher Carol Ayres said the team voluntarily spent a few hours working on the boat every week.

“Last year’s project took us two terms, so we decided to shorten the time down,” Ms Ayres said.

“Our initial (Regatta) was last year, and all of us didn’t know what to expect last year, but it was successful.

“We floated, we were pretty slow in the water, but we did float.”

Ms Ayres said the competition helped round out students’ science knowledge as well as building teamwork skills.

Ted Chirema, Alison Mclay, Delma Swan and Carol Ayres are looking forward to the 49th annual Beer Can Regatta. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Beer Can Regatta secretary Delma Swan said the competition began in 1974.

“Next year is our 50th anniversary and that’s what we’re building towards,” she said.

“We’ve had crocodiles, we’ve had an ambulance that was out and they were testing the siren in the water, there’s lots of different boats.”

Boats entered in this year’s Beer Can Regatta will hit the water at Mindil Beach on July 16.

Registration for the competition is $50, and covers groups for all can boat events and boat building competitions.