Solar Cup - May 18-20, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012 - Qualifying Day
All Solar Cup teams begin to arrive at Lake Skinner and set up camp. They then haul their boats to the water's edge to pass technical inspections and prove that their boats can safely maneuver a test course to qualify and compete in this weekend's racing events.
· California Math & Science Academy
· Environmental Charter High School
· Palos Verdes High School
· Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Saturday, May 19, 2012 - Endurance Race
Solar panels are secured onto each boat and skippers maneuver around a 2-kilometer closed loop course and try to complete as many laps as they can in 1 ½ hour timeframe. Sunlight, electrical power use and wind all factor into the success of a skipper's effort. Two heats will be run, and the team covering the farthest total distance will garner 345 points!
· California Math & Science Academy
· Environmental Charter High School
· Palos Verdes High School
· Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Sunday, May 20, 2012 - Sprint Race and Closing Ceremony
Solar panels are removed and boats dash to a 200-meter finish line using stored solar energy in batteries. The best time from 2 heats will determine who garners 250 points! Everyone, however, is a winner from participating in this challenging 7-month program. All teams are awarded participation medals, and winning teams for technical report writing, best looking boat, good sportsmanship, best times for each race and overall event winners are recognized during the afternoon closing ceremony.
· California Math & Science Academy
· Environmental Charter High School
· Palos Verdes High School
· Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
See their progress from the beginning:
Solar Cup 2012 Boat Building and Racing Competition
West Basin is proud to sponsor four high school teams in Solar Cup 2012, the world's largest solar boat building and racing competition in the world!
Three veteran teams:
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School from Rolling Hills Estates,
California Academy of Math and Science from Carson, and
Environmental Charter High School from Lawndale.
One new team joins the event:
Palos Verdes High School from Palos Verdes Estates.
Click on the links below to view photo albums of their efforts and track each team's progress!
Saturday, November 5, 2011 - Boat Building Workshop in Claremont
Students from 19 high schools converged under a tent to assemble pre-cut wooden pieces into a 16-foot hollow canoe hull. Students sawed, screwed, nailed and glued into the afternoon, became familiar with terms such as "bow," "stern," "chines," and "bulkhead," then hauled their masterpieces back to school. Over the next 7 months, teams will install motors, propellers, drive shafts and solar panels to operate their boats.
Saturday, November 12, 2011 - Boat Building Workshop in Claremont
Saturday, January 21, 2012 - Solar Cup Technical Workshop at Harvey Mudd College, Claremont
Representatives from each Solar Cup team attend sessions on electricity, mechanics, report writing, Google sketch and more! Catch them in action by viewing these photo albums:
Solar Cup School Site Visit
Program staff stop by each campus to review the upcoming event details (such as race guidelines and Lake Skinner camping details) and to inspect the technical progress of each team's boat.
May 5, 2012 - Final Technical Inspection & Skipper Swim Tests, Claremont
Only two more weeks before the racing competition! Schools haul their boats out to have inspectors review their engineering progress to date, ensuring teams are meeting technical and safety requirements. Skippers are certified for their swimming abilities too.