SOLAR SPLASH^© '99 Photos

1		SOLAR SPLASH '99 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
2		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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.