Sink or Swim? Solar Boat Team Finds Out Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The solar boat team from the University of Arkansas College of Engineering will put their craft to the test Saturday, April 24, at Lake Sequoyah. The team is preparing to compete in Solar Splash, the world championship of solar and electric boating, June 16 through 20 in Buffalo, N.Y.

More than 30 undergraduate and graduate electrical and mechanical engineering students will put the boat, named the BOSS H₂OG, through the paces of competition, which include a 300-meter sprint, a two-hour endurance race and a slalom event. Weather permitting, the 300-meter sprint will begin at 10:30 a.m., the endurance race will begin at 12:30 p.m. and finish at 2:30 p.m., and the slalom will begin at 3:30 p.m. In case of morning rain, the students will move all events back an hour. (In the event of inclement weather, contact Jared Hornberger, team leader, via cellphone, 790-3421.)

At the competition in June, the team must use the same boat for all competitions, which take place over five days. They will earn points in seven categories, including technical reports, visual displays and workmanship, in addition to on-the-water events. Those events begin with a 70-meter sprint and maneuverability qualifier, followed by the solar slalom, 300-meter sprint and endurance competitions.

The students have been working on the BOSS H₂OG since September of last year, rebuilding systems, improving function and experimenting with batteries and solar cells. This is the farewell tour of the BOSS H₂OG, which made its maiden voyage in 2002, when the University of Arkansas team coasted to a world championship by one of the largest margins of victory in the nine-year history of the Solar Splash.

"We think she’s got a great year left in her," said Hornberger. "This is the year we take back our world championship title."