National Championships 2003Adelaide

Australian  Model Solar Boat Challenge Results   Competition   Model Solar Boat 2003 Model Solar Boat Challenge Awards.  Best Engineered Boat:           Blitz 2                     Golden Square College, Victoria  Recycled Materials Award           White Spirit            Ruskin Park School, Victoria0  Innovation Award           Backstroker                  Shalom College, Queensland Best Team Uniform and Boat           Slime Team           Golden Square College, Victoria  Speed awards: 1st Primary Team          Nebuchadnessar         North Fitzroy Primary School, Victoria 2nd                        White Spirit            Ruskin Park Primary School, Victoria 3rd                         Woodbridge G3          Woodbridge School, Tasmania 4th                         Sapphire              Elizabeth Downs Primary School, South Australia   1st Secondary Team  Red Rush            Deanna Veale, New South Wales 2nd                        Blitz 2                     Golden Square College, Victoria 3rd                         Swordfish 2             Ruskin Park School, Victoria 4th                         Tugger                St Lukes School, Queensland   Report on the Australian National 2003 Solar Boat Challenge.  The challenge was held in Victoria Square, in the very heart of the city of Adelaide, on the lawns of the central square.  A ten meter transportable pool was used, with three lanes for boats available.  The pool was filled by the Fire Service, and time was available the day before for teams to adjust their guide hooks, which were nylon lines running 300mm above the water line.  Rules for the National event are an amalgamation of State rules, and some teams found the variations to be a surprise.  Eventually scrutineering resulted in several of the primary built boats being accepted in the secondary class where greater design freedoms are permitted.  A meeting of managers from all states represented, during a lull in proceedings, resulted in considerable agreement on directions for the event for future years. The racing began at eleven o’clock on Sunday 26th, with boats randomly allocated to race against others in their class. Points were allocated for places, and over a five series round robin, finalists were selected to move to the knock out series of finals.  It was clear during the series of preliminary races that some boats performed better in the low light circumstances that applied for most of the day.  On the rare opportunities when the sun shone directly, speeds increased to remarkable levels, and some slower boats improved in performance very dramatically.  Races were begun with boats held by team members, releasing them at the order of the starter.  Some races were so close that only a centimeter or two separated them at the end of the pool.  As the finals progressed, and boats were eliminated, the teams who had won consistently during the day remained to contest the finals.  The secondary grand final saw two teams of girls line up their vessels, and resulted in a win to the only New South Wales entrant, Deanna Veale.  A primary student, Deanna was trying for the second time to take out the event, and with the excellent motor in her craft, had been entered in the secondary class.  The primary class saw two Victorian boats fight out the final, with a narrow win to Nebuchadnessar from North Fitzroy from the Ruskin Park School boat, White Spirit.  The construction, development and speed of all of the boats was a credit to the teams and their supporters.  The friendly atmosphere of the National event was also very much appreciated by everyone there, and the organization was smooth enough to ensure more than eighty hard-fought and exciting races occurred in the three-laned pool in one day.  Terry Stead National Solar Boat Co_ordinator