Solar race on national television

With a new edition of the DONG Energy Solar Challenge comes a new television series on the national broadcast station RTL 7. In the series you can follow all the ins and outs of the race led by presenter Allard Kalff every day. During the event week a team of ten journalists, cameramen, compilers and technicians will picture the race on the national sender every day.

The serie starts at Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 July with a review and preview on the competition. From 9 until 13 July you can watch the highlights of the stages at RTL 7 at 17.45 o ‘clock. There are also interviews with different teams, the organisation and sponsors. In the final weekend follows the grand finale and on Sunday 15 July a review of the whole week. The series is made possible by: LOF, Fryslân Marketing, The Sun Factory, Energy Valley and Gemeente Leeuwarden.

A flying start, much more spectacular

This edition not only the route and the restarts are different, but also the starting procedure changes. ‘We will start at a way that is also being used at sailing competitions’, says chair time registration Nita de Jong.

Previous editions the participants had to hold on to ropes which were strained above the water. After the starting shot sounded, the participants could start their engines and the race started. ‘The disadvantage of this was that some of the boats could turn through the wind, what made it harder to start’, explains De Jong. ‘Also it looked awkward and static. Now it becomes much more spectacular and exciting to watch the race. This editions the boats start two by two. An imaginary starting line lies between two shackles. At the moment the starting shot sounds, the time will start for both of the boats. So it will come to steerage and a good timing.’

Participants pay attention, the race instructions are online

Only two months to go, then the DONG Energy Solar Challenge starts. To let the race pass as honest as possible, the race instructions are updated and on our website. In this document you can find all rules of the race itself as well as tinkering on your boat on the camp site.

Every edition the race organisation is looking at the race instructions again, to update it as much as possible. Also this edition a few points are further sharpened. Participants pay attention! Read the instructions carefully so you are acquainted with the things that are allowed and the things that are prohibited. To be as sustainable as possible we publish the race instructions only in a digital version. You can find the document here.

Sinnergy Solar Team sails with Brazilian hull

The Sinnergy Solar Team of ROC Friese Poort in Drachten builds their hull of one of the Brazilian boats which participated in the edition of 2010. When the Brazilian teams wanted to fly back home, they had to leave their boats behind at the customs. Those boats were bought by VHV Energy Systems in Bolsward. ‘And from that series we got the best boat’, according to Arend Hartlief of the Sinnergy Solar Team.

The Drachtster team is extremely happy with the boat. They had troubles with their own boat in 2010. This was due to the heavy hull. Last week they made their first test sail. Without solar panels, but with batteries. ‘We are working hard on it, for the feeling and for the team’, says Arend. ‘And we are really looking forward to the race.’

Restarts closer to the finish

This year’s DONG Energy Solar Challenge becomes more attractive for the audience. On every competition day there will be a restart at about ten kilometers before the finish. This ensures that all solar boats will finish within one hour.

During every stage is a spot where all solar boats come together to start again. This year these restarts are in Sneek, Workum, Harlingen, Birdaard and at the Grote Wielen close to Leeuwarden. ‘The restarts are closer to the finish. This makes the race more exciting and attractive, not only for the participants but also for the audience’, says head of the sailing team Ferny Bakhuizen. ‘We picked out beautiful and fun places, where we can make a party.’
You can find an overview of the start- and restart-times at every stage underneath the submenu route on the website.

VHL-AOC combines sustainability with speed

The VHL-AOC solar boat team combines sustainability with speed in one boat. Early April the team went to their sponsor NPSP in Haarlem, a company that makes amongst other things biocomposites. ‘They deliver the knowledge and we deliver the man power’, says team leader Douwe Leffering. ‘Our team exists of students of the schools Van Hall Larenstein and AOC Friesland.

In that same week the Solarteam HvA was also present at that company to work on their boat. ‘Our universities both want to be as sustainable as possible’, explains Leffering. ‘Our team has sustainability high in esteem. Because of the sustainable materials we use, we don’t have the lightest boat, but we will do anything to make the boat as fast as possible’, says Leffering.

The Sinnetapper has a lot of improvements in the design in comparison to the solar boat that participated in the solar race in Zeeland last year.  They use the newest battery of MG Electronics and another steering system. ‘Our steering system has the same principle as a glider: we steer with our feet’, according to Leffering. ‘We place the motor torpedo shaped under the boat in the water. Advantage of that, is the motor can’t get overheated. Also the powertrain, the shaft from the motor to the propeller, is horizontal. This saves energy. The hull is planar. He comes to lay up on the water at 15 km/h. With this we certainly compete for a top three classification in Challenge A.’

First teams received the solar panels

Thirtheen teams from Challenge A and B made a tour to get the panels today. These teams finished step four and received the solar panels from sponsor The Sun Factory. ‘We have planned our test sail in May, with the solar panels attached’, says team leader Sander Dikkes of ROCVA 3, who missed an exam to get the panels. ‘We exceed the race before school.’

It was a busy day at The Sun Factory. One by one the teams arrived. After filling in a form, they could load the solar panels in their cars. ‘We definitely are confident that we got the solar panels back in one piece. Previous editions a couple of solar panels vanished in the water. Those teams bought a solar panel to continue the race’, says director Piet Gosse Hoekstra of The Sun Factory. ‘It’s a fantastic event to sponsor.’

The teams who hand in step four on time, can received their solar panels on May 21st.

Attention please solar boat teams!

Attention please solar boat teams! There is a new technical note with a number of important points which may influence the design and building of your boat. ‘We received several questions about measuring the solar panels, in particular from the Top class teams. Based on that, we made a number of observations and made a new technical note’, explains head of the Technical Committee Joris Melkert.

All the Top class teams are obliged to come to Delft at Wednesday the 4th of July to measure the solar panels. ‘We prefer that the panels are already installed on the boat with the power leads accessible.’ For teams in the Challenge A and B the technical inspections are on Friday 6th of July in Leeuwarden. Then we will look at the whole boat. The technical note also gives some complementary information about that’, according to Melkert. This testing and measuring is necessary to control if everybody sticks to the allowable maximum.

Most of the teams are done with step three and are working on step four. ‘If teams might want to change things in the design of the boat, they can still do that up until step five’, fills Melkert up. In the note are also rules included about repairing your boat during the race. You can find the technical note here and also under the heading regulations on the website.

Finish tour through Europe for knowledge and experience

Midnigh Sun Finland participates in the DONG Energy Solar Challenge for the first time. Everything is new. To gain as much knowledge as possible, they made an European tour. They started with a visit to the JEC Europe 2012, the biggest European composites exhibition in Paris. Then it was time for a visit to different universities in Belgium. Because they were nearby, they visited Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team and Solartis Antwerp Star.

‘They have the knowledge and experience. Delta Lloyd is professional and advanced. We can learn a lot from them. Solartis Antwerp Star looks more like us as far as resources and project’, says team leader Kari Dufva. During the visits, the Finnish got a lot of usable tips, from choices in material until practical tips during the race. ‘We will use all the information we got. The most convenient tip? Being prepared to dive into the water to clean the propeller.’

During the trip through Europe the team gained some ideas for the propulsion of the boat and a low resistant design. ‘We want to use natural fibers in a light weight construction. I definitely think we have a shot at the prizes’, according to Dufva. ‘It’s going to be a beautiful and exciting race, I’m sure of that.’

Step four done? On to testing with the solar panels

Are you at the point of finishing step four? Do it now! Just like previous editions, all the teams of Challenge A and B can get their solar panels when they finished step four. And that means that you already can test your boat with solar panels.

The teams who finished step four or are going to finish it within five days, can register before 18 April. Then they can get their solar panels on 23 April. The advantage of this is that you can already test your boat on solar energy. All of the team who haven’t finished step four on time, can get the solar panels on 21 May. For the foreign teams who can’t come to the Netherland to get the panels, the panels will be here when they arrive in Friesland.

When you pick up the solar panels, don’t forget to bring a valid copy of your ID or drivers license, a copy of your registration form and something to transport and protect the solar panels in. It is the intention that the solar panels will be handed in after the race on Saturday 14 July. For more information: info@dongenergysolarchallenge.nl.