Special solar boat developed for the DONG Energy Solar Challenge 2014

The competition for the first place in the DONG Energy Solar Challenge is unprecedented thrilling this year. During the press conference on Thursday 5 June the first V20 is being presented. This solar boat is especially developed for the DONG Energy Solar Challenge 2014 and is a doughty opponent of the Top class teams. In the previous four editions of the race, the winner was always from this class. The TU Delft won two times and the Private Energy Solar Team once.

During the press conference in Amsterdam chairman Fedde Pronk of the DSC2014 gave a look into the future of the race. ‘This edition we changed the route. We start in Groningen and for the first time in history we are not sailing along the route of the Frisian eleven cities. In 2016 we want another route, possibly with a start in Amsterdam. In 2018, when Leeuwarden is Cultural Capital of Europe, we want to organise solar challenges in more European countries. With a grand finale in Leeuwarden.’

41 teams are participating to this year’s edition of the DONG Energy Solar Challenge. Of these, at least fifteen teams are from foreign countries, a record. The teams are coming the United states, Brazil, Belgium, Poland, Finland, Germany, Turkey, Bahrain, Indonesia, China and the Netherlands. Also the foreign teams improved their solar boats. Team Midnight Sun MAMK from Finland made their boat 80 kilos lighter and used a special technique to laminate. ‘In 2012 we participated for the first time. Back then we didn’t really race for the prizes, but now in 2014 we do.’

The American team from San Diego had to make a trip of 24 hours to be able to test their boat on a lake in Texas. ‘We are really looking forward to the race. It is fantastic to sail in a race on the other side of the world. We are reaching speeds of 30 kilometres an hour. Of course there are boats which are faster, but it is also about continuity’, according to Nathaniël Krasnoff of the Carnegie Mellon Solar Racing.

Last weekend the Clafis Private Energy Solar Team was showing for the first time this year they are ready. During the Dutch championship solar racing they won without any doubt. The Technical University from Delft another Top class team dropped out with bad luck. Tomas te Velde of this team expects they will appear without any technical problems at the start of the DONG Energy Solar Challenge. ‘We made a complete new boat and used the Dutch championship to discover the small technical problems. At this moment we are still able to fix them.’

The DONG Energy Solar Challenge starts at 28 June in Blauwestad in the province of Groningen. After the start the teams will sail through the city of Groningen to Drachten, Sneek and Harlingen to finish in the centre of Leeuwarden at 5 July