Retiring professor leaves lasting wake with Wooden Shoe Regatta

Shirley Fleischmann, professor of engineering, stood in a shallow towing tank with a bottle of champagne, ready to christen nearly 70 small wooden sailboats designed by students. Those boats would soon be put to the test in a race across a 9-foot course with "wind" from the side powered by six fans.

Fleischmann started the Wooden Shoe Regatta in 1990 as a lab to accompany a fluid mechanics class for juniors majoring in mechanical engineering. During those early years of what would become the Padnos College of Engineering, Fleischmann had a towing tank donated by S-2 (Tiara) Yachts of Holland delivered to the Eberhard Center for her class of seven students.

It's since become a tradition. "Students come into my class, asking, 'Are we going to do the boat race this year?'" Fleischmann said.