If you are planning to enter in 2010, drop us a note now (hq@solarsplash.com) so we can get the ‘contacts’ between us in place – and to get your team listed/linked on the website as preparing a boat for the 2010 Splash!

 

‘Early’ Entry Forms Due by Monday, January 18th

You will find the Entry Form for the competition at the website. The fee has not changed from last year -- the ‘early fee’ is $400 if you get your entry form in by Monday, January 18th, but the entry fee increases to $500 if you enter after that date. Again, the entry form is critical for meeting the dates, not when your check arrives! However, the entry form is your “promise” that you will pay the fee, even if you withdraw or cannot attend the competition. [Note: The cut-off date for entries is April 26th .]

 

2010 Rules and Rule Booklet

The 2010 Rules are on the website now. We did not make any rule changes of major significance, but we found some areas to increase safety and where we could clean up the wording, to make the meaning as clear as possible.

Although the Rules do appear on the website, the "Official Rules" are in the Rule Booklets we will send you later. Rule Booklets and flag posts will be mailed in February to all the registered schools.

--> Note: There are rules that were implemented for the 2008 competition, used at 2009, and which will continue for the 2010 competition:

1) Rule 2.8. Insurance. Proof of insurance must be supplied with the Technical Report. There will be a 10 point penalty if it’s not included with your Report!

2) Rule 7.13 Radios. A team member must be in the Scorekeeper area with a radio any time their boat is on the water.

3) Rule 7.16.2 Buoyancy of Craft. Sufficient flotation must be provided on board so that the craft cannot sink, even when filled with water.

4) Rule 8.10 Overall Scoring.

Qualifying – 100 points. Your Time will be the sum of your Maneuverability time plus five times your Sprint Qualifying time.

Sprint – 250 points. ………… If a competitor completes no heats, they will receive zero points in the Sprint.

5) Rule 14.9 Teams are expected to be able to change configurations in one hour or less.

 

International Teams - Boat Shipping to USA and “Hosting”

It may be possible for SOLAR SPLASH to arrange for logistical support for qualifying international teams to potentially provide assistance in shipping a team's boat and other hardware to the competition in June 2010. In order to determine if such assistance will be possible, Solar Splash must be notified as soon as possible of all international teams that are seriously considering entry in the 2010 event. Notification of intent to enter must be received from any international team wishing to be considered for shipping support on or before January 31, 2010 to allow adequate time to determine if such arrangements can be secured. Additionally, it may be possible to arrange the “pre-competition hosting” of international teams at/with USA teams at their universities. Please let us know if you are planning to “come early” and would like a site to prepare your boat and team prior to the competition.

 

Boat Ramp Entry in Arkansas

For those of you new to the Arkansas location, the park in Fayetteville where Solar Splash 2010 will be held has a conventional concrete boat launching ramp. Thus, teams will be able to walk their trailers/trolleys directly into the water and float their boats off -- and then on again to get their boats out -- and the water will not numb your feet in the middle of June in Arkansas!

 

Technical Reports are for Free!

We have e-copies of the 2009 Technical Reports available at no cost! Even if you feel you have your plans in place, the reports represent an invaluable source of format and content from past years. When you start outlining and writing your report, which is scored and points given, good examples may be very valuable. Send an email request for which schools’ reports you would like to: hq@solarsplash.com

 

For Your 2011 Planning -- New Site and Hosts for Next Year

For the fifth year in a row, the University of Arkansas and the City of Fayetteville will be serving as our hosts. However, 2010 will be the Splash’s last year locating in Fayetteville. While we will miss our Fayetteville hosts’ beautiful site, experienced competence, and enthusiasm for the Splash, we believe we have found a really nice new site and hosts!

Starting next year, 2011, our hosts will be the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and the Cities of Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa. The lake site is Wyth Lake located in the George Wyth State Park, midway between Cedar Falls and Waterloo. The site is in the northeast part of Iowa and is approximately 200 miles west of Chicago -- go GoogleEarth this new site!

 

Materials and Parts Sponsor Page

You may have noticed the “Materials and Parts Sponsor Page” which is on the menu of the webpage. This is to become an on-going, growing site where companies can list their products with application to solar-electric boats. I am soliciting both team members and companies to send information on companies and products to me which might be useful to any and all the teams. I do expect the company to “discount” their offerings for the teams! So let me know if you have a contact or you are a company which wishes to be listed.