Solar boat team finishes third in own race

Solar boat team finishes third in own race

 

The TU Delft Solar Boat Team finished third in the solar boat competition for top Dutch teams that it itself organised on the Ketelmeer in Flevoland on 17 August. The race consisted of three parts: endurance, slalom and sprint. Race Officer Eva Smits explains. “Unfortunately we had many setbacks on the day. The endurance race started well. We went off to a flying start and we were even in the lead for a short time. Unfortunately, we then had problems with the engine and had to go back to the harbour to fix it.” This made way for the eventual winners, Clafis Victron Energy Solar Team (first) and Sunflare Solarteam (second), to overtake the Delft team, while Twente Solar Team was also left behind with technical problems. Smits continues. “After a quick repair in the harbour, we did manage to secure third place. After that was the slalom race. Just before the start, the control system that regulates the position of the hydrofoil failed. We could no longer fly during the slalom race and had to sail on the hull.” These problems put the team in third place in the final classification. Smits concludes that “In the end, the boat worked in fits and starts. We will work hard in the coming weeks to solve the teething problems.”