The Delta Lloyd Solar Boat won the Frisian Solar Challenge convincingly on Saturday. The TU Delft students' boat covered the 200 kilometres of the Frisian Eleven Towns in the new record time of 12 hours five minutes and 47 seconds, almost five hours faster than two years ago.
The Delta Lloyd Solar Boat won the Frisian Solar Challenge convincingly on Saturday. The TU Delft students' boat covered the 200 kilometres of the Frisian Eleven Towns in the new record time of 12 hours five minutes and 47 seconds, almost five hours faster than two years ago. The Delta Lloyd Solar Boat team won all the daily races.
Going off-course
The TU Delft team convincingly won the world's longest solar boat race. "The pressure was really on this time," according to the cox Mark Meijerman. "The competition got really close. If the tiniest thing happens to your boat, you're out."
The team, principally made up of Marine Technical students, won each stage. And this was despite their having sailed off-course on two occasions. "Through lack of sleep you're not always thinking straight. When you're also travelling at high speed, sometimes something just comes over you," said Meijermann.
Solar boats better than two years ago
The solar boats were of a much better quality than those used in the first running of the event two years ago. Professor Wubbo Ockels of TU Delft reaches this conclusion. Ockels closely followed the participants in the race, as ambassador of the Frisian Solar Challenge. "They're going much quicker than in 2006. Great strides have therefore been taken in the conversion of solar energy into navigational power."
Controlling the solar panels
The Frisian Solar Challenge is a race over a distance of 200 kilometres starting from Elfstedentocht. After six rounds in the sun, rain and wind, 32 of the 49 registered teams finally reached the finishing line in Prinsentuin in Leeuwarden. The Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team took part in the C (open) category. In this category, the teams have to control their own solar panels, the most important component of the boat. The seven students have been engaged in the design and construction of the new boat non-stop since September 2007.
The Frisian Solar Challenge is being held again in 2010.
Further information can be found on the websites www.deltalloydsolarboatteam.nl/ and www.frisiansolarchallenge.nl/.
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