Smurfit Westrock Atlas Sponsors the Bideford Water Festival Cardboard Boat Regatta

Thousands of spectators packed the historic quay on Sunday 6th September as the legendary Cardboard Boat Regatta made its annual return to North Devon. Smurfit Westrock Atlas once again sponsored the Bideford Water Festival providing bespoke cardboard trophies to the winners and supplying sheets of cardboard to those taking part to make their crafts.

 

Organised by the Rotary Club of Bideford, the festival combines community spirit, riverside entertainment, and engineering creativity to raise vital funds for local initiatives.

“All the money we raise goes to local good causes and charities,” said Euan Eddie, Rotary member and event organiser. “It will probably make about £10,000, perhaps a bit more which is fabulous for those that will benefit.”

 

Eddie added that the regatta has become an essential tradition for the town: “It's a feature of the calendar, it's part of Bideford's calendar. We pick a date and we advertise it as widely as we can and they turn up with fabulous creations. We can't thank Smurfit Westrock Atlas enough for the help they give us with this event.”

Engineering Ingenuity on the River Torridge

Each year boat builders embrace a new creative theme, which was Steampunk for 2026. Competitors hit the water in elaborate Victorian-industrial corrugated creations with names like The Cogfather, Rotapunk, Mascot Mayhem, and the ill-fated Steampunk Shark.

 

The racing kicked off at 12:30pm with the solo division, testing whether the handcrafted vessels would sink or swim in front of the cheering crowds. Following the duo’s race, the afternoon culminated in the chaotic survivor’s race, a last-boat-standing battle that pushed corrugated cardboard to its absolute structural limits.

Simone Mace, General Manager of Smurfit Westrock Atlas said, "We have been a long-standing supporter of this community event and are proud to do so. Our sponsorship of the Cardboard Boat Regatta gives those taking part access to the materials they need to build their boats and our design team create trophies you'll never see anywhere else. Bespoke handmade cardboard creations that look really impressive."

Championing Community & Sustainable Materials

For Smurfit Westrock Atlas, supporting the Cardboard Boat Regatta has been a natural fit. While our daily work involves engineering high-performance corrugated boxes for businesses and organisations, seeing local teams turn sheets of cardboard into seaworthy (and occasionally semi-seaworthy) vessels is always an inspiring display of community imagination.

 

We want to congratulate all the participants, volunteers, and the Bideford Rotary Club for putting on an unforgettable event that raised thousands for charitable causes across the district. We are already looking forward to seeing what the fleet brings to the water next year.