Red Hook Regatta 2026 Brings DIY, 3D-Printed Boat Racing to Brooklyn

If your boat can't navigate an obstacle course along the Brooklyn waterfront, it doesn't belong at Valentino Pier on May 30. Pioneer Works is staging the Red Hook Regatta 2026 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the foot of Coffey Street and Ferris Street in Red Hook, and this year the event adds a design competition alongside its two established races: a 3D-Printed Boat Race and a General DIY Boat Race featuring homemade hull designs of every description.

The regatta traces its roots to David Sheinkopf, who heads the Tech Department at Pioneer Works and co-developed the concept with the Red Hook Initiative to honor the neighborhood's 19th-century shipping history. The idea was to build something that worked as both an educational tool and a community unifier, and 3D printing gave the program its hook. According to Re3d's historical account of the race's origins, the event drew a crowd that pushed five hundred at its second annual running, making a waterfront destination out of a corner of Brooklyn that sits far from any subway stop.

The 2026 edition splits competition into the two race categories, with remote-controlled, 3D-printed, and fully DIY boats all eligible depending on class. The obstacle course will test each boat's ability to navigate NYC's coastline, and organizers are adding best-design awards this year for builders who want recognition beyond race results. Participants of all skill levels can enter.

Getting a boat to the start line takes some lead time. Pioneer Works is hosting build workshops on the Second Sundays of March, April, and May at its Red Hook space. Design engineer and educator Evan Abel will guide participants through the build process at each session. Limited electronic motor boat kits are also available for $100 each, and Pioneer Works says every kit comes fully stocked with the basic parts needed to build a seaworthy vessel. Individuals and teams both qualify; contact jacqueline@pioneerworks.org with questions about kits and participation.

Partners for the 2026 event include the Red Hook Initiative, Red Hook Community Justice Center, Red Hook Art Project, Brooklyn Boat Works, Reti Center, Brooklyn Book Bodega, and Makelab. Funding comes in part from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

General admission is a free RSVP through Pioneer Works. Race registration requires a separate sign-up form available on the Pioneer Works event page. With workshops already underway on the second Sunday of each month, builders who want a shot at the obstacle course have until May to get their hulls ready.