Sheridan Hills Students Prepare to Race 'Babe The Blue Ox'

fourth- and fifth-grade students will return to Minneapolis this weekend and will attempt to win another title in the annual Minneapolis Aquatennial Boat Races.

Last year, the crew of the , which was for kids under 12 years old. This year, kids have built two boats, one for the Lieutenant's Race and another for the Skippers Race.

The S.S. Yum Yum's successor for this year's Lieutenant's Race, of course, is properly named S.S. Yum Yum II. Sheila Johnston, a gifted education teacher who helped students build the boats, said Yum Yum is a 24-foot, v-hull design built for speed and some improvements have been made to this year's model.

"The Cheesecake Factory donated hundreds of cream cartons for our project," Johnston said in an e-mail. "Hence the name Yum Yum."

As far as Babe the Blue Ox, the Skipper's Race is for creative, bovine boat designs.

"The kids will be dressed like Paul Bunyan," Johnston said. "And we have added ax blades to the ends of our paddles."

The races will be held at Calhoun Beach Sunday, July 15. The Skipper's Race begins at 11 a.m. and the Lieutenant's Race at noon.