From the Jamestown Press 21 August 2025

“Spaceballs” sails to a third-place finish Satuday during the Class IV race of the Fools’ Rules Regatta. The boat also was given the award for “Most Ingenious Design” by the judges. PHOTOS BY VERONICA BRUNO

ANNUAL RACE FILLED WITH FLOATING FUN

The beach at East Ferry for the 47th time was transformed into a madcap scene of tools, parts and decorations as crews of “sailors” worked to make seaworthy contraptions from items not designed to meet that goal.

The allotted two-hour boatbuilding period for the Fools’ Rules Regatta began at 9 a.m. Saturday with 26 frantic crews working on designs that ranged from Vikings and bananas to “The Flintstones” and “Jaws.”

The choices were both mind-boggling and hilarious with “The Party Sharks” choosing to stick a tub on top of their floating foundation, tethering it with components from a bike rack. Bystanders gawked at that “vessel” to see if it would float, which it ultimately did.

Another ambitious project tasked a team with building a colorful craft around a beach chair. Perhaps the biggest surprise was witnessing the transformation of “Spaceballs,” the movie, into a ridiculous pirate ship, which shockingly finished in third place in the unlimited class with skipper Jonathan Jenney at the helm.

“The Party Sharks,” skippered by Jerry Pezzullo, also managed to make it to the finish line in second place ahead of “Spaceballs.” First place in that class belonged to “Wings & Tails on the Water,” a whimsical model with mermaid details designed by a group of childhood friends from Providence with a Minnesotan onboard.

“We’re best friends,” said Caroline Silver, 10, about the foursome that worked on “Wings & Tails.” Her crewmates were Amelia Archibald, 9, who was in town from the Gopher State, and the Savage sisters, Zoe, 9, and Olympia, 7. They worked on the design through video chats.

The girls also incorporated costumes into their setup with Amelia and Olympia opting for fairy wings as Caroline donned mermaid pants. Their parents set a budget of $100 for the design, which the girls were able to fit everything into, including two purple floats that made up the foundation of the vessel. “We tested the floats in a pool,” Amelia said. Their hard work paid off as they won the race.

The “Meet the Flintstones” boat managed to create the likeness of the prehistoric car from the animated series, complemented with their spot-on costumes. They even got the contraption to float, at least for a while. Not everyone could fit into the car — famously pedaled in the series by Fred’s feet — with the other two floating behind in attached dinosaur-themed pool donuts.

“We should enter” was what Jill and John Nosach were told by their sailing friends when they talked about the 2024 Fools’ Rules Regatta. They even wrangled their daughter, Courtney Saari, a marine biologist, to join them. So, did they create something that floated?

“No guarantees,” Jill quipped during the boatbuilding period.

The Fools’ Rules Regatta has been an iconic summer tradition in Jamestown since it was founded by Karl Smith in 1978 to celebrate sailing skills in a goofy format. Vessels are not allowed to be assembled until that morning, and after two boatbuilding hours, they set sail on the 500-yard race overlooking the Pell Bridge.

There are five classes. The first four classes depend on the number of sailors in the crews. Class 1, for example, is for single sailors and Class 2 is for crews of two. Class 5 allows an unlimited number of crew.

Throughout the years, all kinds of tools have been employed to construct the vessels that often resemble cardboard barges stuck together with duct tape. Themes are left open for interpretation, which leads to silly creativity that has made the regatta one of the most memorable traditions in Jamestown.

Winners and Awards.
Class 1
1st – “Downwind Dining”
2nd – “Lotus”
3rd – “Ship Right”

Class 2
1st – “Beachball Bash”
2nd – “Hot Tub Machine”
3rd – “Los Pirates”

Class 3
1st – “Zack & Jack Attack”
2nd – “We are Bananas”
3rd – “Channel 16”

Class 4
1st – “Wings & Tails on the Water”
2nd – “The Party Sharks”
3rd – “Spaceballs”

Unlimited
1st – “Haun Cloud 9”
2nd – “Team Ferrari”
3rd – “Meet the Flintstones”

Most Ingenious Design – “Spaceballs”
Judge’s Award – “Meet the Flintstones”
Worst Example of Naval Architecture – “We are Bananas”

"The Party Sharks,” skippered by Jerry Pezzullo, standing, coasts to a runner-up finish in the same class, which was won by “Wings & Tails on the Water.”	Team Ferrari sails to a second-place finish in the unlimited class Saturday during the Fools’ Rules Regatta.
Greg Hunter fires the cannon to signal the start of the boatbuilding phase. Hunter, as chief fool, serves as emcee for the event.	The “Meet the Flintstones” boat won the judges’ award.
“We are Bananas” was dubbed the worst example of naval architecture yet still finished second in the Class III race.	Wings & Tails on Water” sails to victory in the Class IV race.