1999 Photos

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June 16 - 20, 1999
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sponsored by:
ASME Solar Energy Division, Johnson Controls, EATON, IEEE, Miller Brewing Co., Marquette University, State of Wisconsin, Energy Center of Wisconsin, & Andersen Consulting

1 Kanazawa boat on hydrofoils The entry from Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Japan "flies" through the water.
2 Skippers meeting It is all about teamwork and fun, but those things cannot happen if everyone isn't safe. First thing, every morning, we have a skipper's meeting and discuss details for the day.
3 Kanazawa's visual display The Technical Reports are submitted and judged before the teams arrive on site. The next competitive event is the Visual Display. Realizing that the language problem would be a challenge, the Kanazawa Institute of Technology prepared these panels well in advance.
4 Puerto Rico's visual display Using the "building block" approach, the team from Tech-Prep in Puerto Rico puts the finishing touches on their display. The photo panel shows the transformation of the hull, which was given to them, into the very futuristic shape they brought to Milwaukee.
5 Paddock area The Paddock Area includes two large tents. Here, Park School is getting set up with a banner and various displays. Although most teams have gotten in the water and done various testing, there are always endless little details which do not get attention until the last minute.
6 Under the tent The tent space is divided by the black and white flags into pre-assigned spaces of about 400 sq. ft. It is not unusual to see roll-around tool carts and endless fabrication tools and materials. Although lighted, the Paddock closes at 9 p.m. to prevent "all nighters".
7 Grand Valley State students In it's 6th year, Grand Valley entered two boats. Proteus is a somewhat traditional shape but Loki, seen here, is based on a racing hydroplane hull. Unfortunately, so much time was put into the beautiful craftsmanship of the hull that a great deal of final assembly had to be done on-site.
8 New Jersey launching their boat Launching and retrieval are critical to a smooth operation. The College of New Jersey followed suggestions for dolly design. For 2000, there will be steep banks where a similar design will work very well. In either case, relatively large, strong wheels are very important.
9 Coast Guard launching their boat The U.S. Coast Guard chose to set up a full size trailer and then use poles and slings to carry the boat down to the ramps and lower it into the water. They did a lot of rudder development for '99 and an early prototype is displayed as a souvenir of all of their efforts.
10 Sprint qualifier After passing Technical Inspections, the University of South Carolina gets on the water for a run at Qualifying. Here, on the short Sprint course, we can see the unusual shape of the hull. The design has been optimized for the Sprint and for the two hour Endurance Events.
11 The "flying" Kanazawa boat There were a lot of anxious faces when Kanazawa Institute of Technology took to the water for the first time. Once the boat has lifted out of the water on its hydrofoils, balance, especially for making tight turns, is sensitive; even with ailerons on the rear wing.
12 Coast Guard boat In 1999 the Solar Slalom was added. This is a combination of speed and maneuverability around a closed course. Here we see that the Coast Guard hull cuts a clean path through the water with very minimum wake. Steering is very positive.
13 Grand Valley boat The rules require the photovoltaic panels to be mechanically attached to the hull with a lanyard so they cannot fall off and be lost in the water. This team from Grand Valley has worked out a very reliable system. The electrical interconnection of the panels is extremely important.
14 Start of an Endurance Event For the Endurance Event, the field is divided into Heats. A "high line" is used to give each skipper something to hold, to keep their boat in position for the start. Cedarville College, in the near lane, uses a surface-piercing prop which caused the rudder to be offset and some resultant steering problems.
15 Boats in the Endurance Although there is not full sun, quite a bit of solar energy is still available. It is very important that the solar systems are designed to be able to manage changes in incoming solar energy. Since solar cells are relatively insensitive to sun angle, most boats are designed with flat arrays.
16 Boats in the Endurance The Endurance Event is run for 2 hours around a roughly circular course. Overtaking boats stay to the outside. It is very important that the slower boats hold a consistent line to avoid interference. Anticipation is very important for all of the skippers.
17 Radio communication from a boat The rules also require radio communication with the boats when they are on the water. Although this is a safety issue, most communications are used for energy management strategy.
18 Boat #32 - Grand Valley State The atmosphere is very friendly, and everyone pitches in to help get boats launched. Once the Event is underway, everyone gets their "game face" on. Concentration is vital to success.
19 UMass Dartmouth boat We see a number of female skippers. Is it because they are cool heads under pressure? It is not because of weight as all skippers are ballasted to the same weight.
20 Battery charging with solar panels Plan ahead. Here, the Team Leader for the 2000 Splash is busy re-charging batteries. Activities don't slow down much between events as teams are busy using their solar panels to re-charge. The Endurance Event is designed for about half stored energy and half real time energy from the sun.
21 Kanazawa boat up close Even a spiked "do" is forgotten in the heat of competition. Overall points for the Endurance Event are the sum of the distance traveled in the morning and afternoon heats.
22 Park School boat with tow line Are we having fun yet? The team leader from Park School seems to be. All craft must have a tow line on their bow, in case they break down on the course.
23 Awards ceremony At the Awards Ceremony, the Tech Prep team presents Solar Splash with a plaque of thanks for the assistance we provide and for the opportunity to participate in the Event.
24 Kanazawa - World Champions KIT, the World Champions, take a bow. Out of a total of 1000 points, their margin of victory was only 5. Every year we see that only a very few points separate several places. Paying attention to the many details can really pay off.