Solar Splash is a freshwater solar power competition open to colleges. The goal is to see which of their faculties can best exploit the sun in small watercraft. The five-day event is strenuous and exciting. It is also an opportunity for like minded young people to network and enjoy outdoor fun together. Here is the entry form to join.
Safety First at the Solar Splash Regatta
The freshwater competition comprises a number of phases spread across five days. Day One is for technical inspections, and as you will see from the attachment, the criteria are strict.
They have to be. The College that wins the 2017 Solar Splash contest is going to pick up some serious academic kudos. Following that, entrants prepare for speed and maneuverability trials on Day Two.
These are important tests. The contestants attempt extreme maneuvers at high speeds, and nobody wants anybody being harmed in any way. Thus the organizers check the boats have visual and auditory warning systems. They must also have paddles, fire extinguishers, and wrist ‘kill cords’.
How Solar Splash Chooses the Winner
The final three days see the Solar Slalom, Solar Endurance, and Three-Hundred-Meter Sprint. This is when everything comes together. All the hard work … all the dreaming … all the late nights.
Participants earn points for these, as well as for technical reports, compliance, quality of workmanship, and the accompanying visual display. If the boats look good too, well that is so much the better!
A Short History of The Solar Freshwater Regatta
The first Solar Splash took place in 1994 at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Since then it featured in New Orleans, New York, Arkansas and Ohio drumming up more interest each year. It costs around $5,000 for each college to prepare. They time the actual event to ensure minimum disturbance to academic schedules. That way, fun and education can go hand in hand.
