Delft’s Solar Boat second in world championship

The Solar Boat designed and built by TU Delft’s Dream Team has finished second in the general classification of the Solar Sport One, the world championship of solar boat racing.

The team finished second in four out of the five races held between 11 May and 14 July, including the last one in Monaco last weekend. It also achieved first place during the Groningen race. The competition tested the boat’s performance in endurance, sprint and slalom races and considered its top speed record.

Between the races, the team had to deal with two major setbacks: severe damage to the hull and a breakdown of the electrical systems during a test, and a fire in the batteries’ container. After the fire, the team had to build a new battery in only two days for the next race.

The Solar Boat rises out of the water at 20 km/h to reduce the friction

Unfortunately, after the last race, another boat from the competition running at high speed hit TU Delft’s Solar Boat, causing damage to its hull. The team stated that this caused them ‘a huge emotional shock’ although they are ‘happy that no one was injured’. They will now try to repair the boat.

The Solar Boat was designed, built and tested by 24 students and runs exclusively on solar energy. The boat can reach a speed of over 30 km/h during races with the energy a kettle needs to boil water, thanks to its weight of only 115 kilograms and the low underwater resistance when the boat rises out of the water at 20 km/h.

Read more about the Solar Boat: