Homecoming’s recycled boat race saw a larger crowd than usual Tuesday at the East Lagoon.

The event was sponsored by the Campus Activities Board. The participants started from the shore in the lagoon, took a lap around the island and headed back to where they started. There were 12 boats racing, each with its own design. Kimberly Manno, CAB seasonal events coordinator, said this was an average year for participant turnout, but crowd turnout increased.

“There’s usually around 12 to 15 participants a year on average,” Manno said. “But crowd participation has been increasing every year for all activities, not just this.”

One member of the crowd was senior math major Andrew Hagberg. He didn’t care who won the race, as he was there for another reason: “I came to watch people fall off,” he said.

And there were several participants who did just that. For most groups, the most challenging part was making the boat; for first-year participant and sophomore nursing major Lexe Williams, it was something else.

“The most challenging part was getting on the boat. We fell off,” Williams said.

The rules state that at least 70 percent of the materials used to create the boats must be recyclable, while the other 30 percent can be tape, nails, etc. Common materials used were plastic pipe, cardboard, buckets, bottles and plastic totes.

“We used plastic barrels, bubble wrap, duct tape and empty pop bottles,” Williams said.

While those items helped keep the boat floating, Williams’ team added something to really make its recycled boat stand out: a pirate flag.

“My favorite part was definitely the pirate flag,” she said.