10 July: Exitement till the end

After a week of sailing, tinkering, disappointments and joy the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge 2010 has ended. We know the winners and the awards are presented. Who was going to win was exciting till the end in the different classes. But there are more prizes to win. The ‘Energietransitie’ Creative idea prize, the bad luck prize, the incentives prize and the Fair play prize.

Big winner of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge is the Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) from Leeuwarden with a time of 11.26’.32”. winner of the Challenge A is Team Sunrise (A03) from Terneuzen in 16.06’.40”. In the Challenge B the polish team Energa Solar II won the first prize with a time of 19.25’08”.

Happy winner of the Fair Play prize is Jappie Baayma, from FSC De Wilgen (A02). He is nominated by several teams because of his disinterestedness and incredible dedication to help other boats with technical problems.

The Bad luck prize goes to the Brazilian delegation, who sailed with their three boats (A13-Catalao, A24-Copocabana, A09-Ipanema). This competition started badly for these teams when all boats were stopped at the customs. After that they got harassed with technical problems.

The Incentive prize goes to the municipality of Leeuwarden with the Swette Switter (A17). Employees of the technical department of the municipality of Leeuwarden helped with the race of 2008. They came in touch with ‘the solar feeling’. On the loft of the building of the technical department they were busy building their boat. This enthusiasm is reason for the competition organization to give them the incentive prize.

The ‘Energietransitie’ Creative Idea prize is presented on Wednesday 8 July by minister Tineke Huizenga to the Andela Solar Team (T89). The Technical Commission decided that this team from the Top class deserves this prize because they achieved a low resistance, combined with a light weighed construction. ‘Andela was also the first team who showed to accomplish a gain of t. with the use of hydrofoils’, said Joris Melkert, Chairman of the Technical Committee.

Top-klasse

1. Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) uit Leeuwarden 11.26’.32”
2. Gowring Energy, Sunseeker(T81) uit Maasdam 11.55’.45”
3. Delta Loyd Solar Boat Team(T82) uit Delft 12.25’.27”

Challenge A

1. Team Sunrise (A03) uit Terneuzen 16.06’.40”
2. Vripack Solar Team (A19) uit Sneek 16.28’.14”
3. Scylla Solarboat Racing Team (A23) uit Leeuwarden 16.45’.11”

Challenge B

1. Energa Solar II (B55) uit Polen 19.25’.08”
2. ROC van Amsterdam (B56) uit Amsterdam 20.26’.49”
3. Fachhochschule Emden (B54) uit Duitsland 21.01’.38”



10 July: Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) winner of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge

Winner of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge is Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) from Leeuwarden. This team sailed 220 kilometer in five days with the marvelous time of 11:26:32 hour. That’s 40 minutes faster than the winner of 2008. Sunrise Team (A03) won the race in the Challenge A. they finished the race in 16:06:40 hour. The Energa Solar II (B55) from Poland finished in 19:25:08  hour and won in the Challene B. From the 44 solar boats from all over the world who started on Monday 5 July. 37 teams reached the finish line in Leeuwarden today.

The Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) participates for the second time. In 2008 this team did not win an award, they finished fourth. In the first edition 2006 and second edition 2008 the Delta Lloys Solar Boat Team from Delft won the first price. This year they finished third. ‘we had a lot of technical problems at the beginning of the race’. This team had a boat with hydrofoils. These are wings that lift the boat out of the water to increase the level of resistance.

10 July: Solar boats as a present for organization given by University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

Disappointed, for sure. Juliette Savin of the Brazilian delegation of the University of Rio de Janeiro states that the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge hasn’t become what the team dreamed of. There was a lot of bad luck, for the A9, A13 and A24. These three boats will stay in Leeuwarden, and are not returning to Brazil. The organization is able to use them for educational purpose or promotion of the event.

Bad luck for the team because there was a huge delay at the customs. Therefore there was too little time left to make technical adjustments. ‘We did have a lot of technical problems, in fact, that was the only thing we had’, tells Juliette. Two stages before the end they decided to withdraw from the race. ‘All three engines were broken, next time we will make them ourselves.’ And there will be a next time. ‘For sure we will be there again, in 2012!’

10 July: First teams arrived at the Grote Wielen

The Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) and the Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team (T82) headed really fast to the Grote Wielen, near by Leeuwarden, after the start. Gowrings Energy (T81) was following on a distance. Meanwhile arrived also the first participants from the Challenge A at the Grote Wielen. At head in the Challenge A was Team Sunrise (A3), followed by the Scylla Solarboat Racing Team (A23) and the Vripack Solar Team (A19). Energa Solar II finished first in the Challenge B at the Grote Wielen.

Today at 15.00 o’clock the restart is going to be at the Grote wielen, just outside Leeuwarden. A few minutes later the first boats are expected to finish in the Prinsentuin in Leeuwarden. After a thrilling week the winners of this third edtion of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge are revealed.

10 July: Start of the last stage

All teams, with an exception of three Brazilian teams who expelled yesterday, appear at the start of the last stage of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge. Today will be decided which teams win the Top class and Challenge A of the Frisian solar boat race, it’s very exciting.

The start was in Dokkum at 11pm. The participants follow their route to recreation area ‘De Grote Wielen’. Here is a restart at 3pm where the participants take off to finish in the Prinsentuin, Leeuwarden. We expect that some teams shall get here very fast.

9 July: Rankings in Top-class are thrilling on the penultimate racing day

The Private Energy solarboatteam (T83) won the third stage of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge. In this relatively easy stage Gowrings Energy (T81) and the Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team (T82) were closely after that. The three leaders in the Top-class are keeping it intensively thrilling. In the Challenge A is also a lot of tension. The Scylla Solarboat Racing Team (A23) finished first with only four minutes advance on Team Sunrise (A3). This means that they decreased the distance with number two in the general rankings till only nine minutes. In the Challenge B the Marnecollege3 (B51) was surprisingly the first one over the finish. Nevertheless Energa Solar II (B55) is standing firmly on top in the rankings.

The fourth stage of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge was starting in Franeker and headed to Dokkum. Through the nice weather this was a relatively easy stage. All solar boats however did not have the expected high speed in the first part of the race. Through a high humidity in combination with the high temperature the batteries were not able to charge sufficient. Also the Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) had a broken screw just before the restart in Birdaard. They fixed it on the spot. Gowrings Energy (T81) had some problems because the boat hit a piece of wood.  It however did not have any serious consequences, because they were still able to finish the race. The delta Lloyd Solar boat Team (T82) made a tactical estimation error. Because they were gaining fewer energy than expected the use of the hydrofoils was not optimal.

9 July: Tension in the top, first boats in Birdaard

It is very thrilling in the top of the Top-class of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge. The Privat Energy Solarboatteam, Gowrings Energy and the Delta Lloyd solar Boat Team arrived as first in Birdaard. The first one named is leading in the Top-class.

The Privat Energy Solarboatteam (T82) now has a broken screw. At this moment they are working hard to replace the screw in order to be ready for the restart. But also Gowrings energy (T81) had some small problems during the first part of this stage. They had a clash with a piece of wood, but were able to go further. Besides that, the Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team (T82) made an estimation error. Because of they were gaining fewer energy from the sun than expected they were not able to use their hydrofoils.

The rest of the teams are on their way to Birdaard led by the Scylla Solarboat Racing Team (A23).

9 July: First boats passed Leeuwarden

The first three boats passed Leeuwarden and are on their way to Birdaard where at 15.00 o’clock the restart will be. The Private Energy Solarboatteam had a small advance in Leeuwarden on the Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team and Gowrings Energy. In the Prinsentuin in Leeuwarden the Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team stopped for a second and was boating backwards. The reason is still unknown.

 In the Challenge A of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge the Team Sunrise (A3) is on the first position, followed by the Scylla Solarboat Racing Team (A23). In the Challenge B the Energa Solar II (B55) from Poland are again the fastest. They are on their way to Deinum and then heading to Leeuwarden.

9 July: Fourth stage through the north of Friesland

During the fourth stage of the DONG Energy Frisian Solar Challenge the solar boats are heading to the north of Friesland. After the start in Franeker at 9.30 o’clock the boats are heading in the direction of Dokkum. Due to motor problems it was not possible for the three Brazilian teams, A9, A13 and A24 to start. They are withdrawing from the race and therefore they are not starting tomorrow too.

Because there is work in progress at the locks and bridges in the northern part of the eleven city route, the fleet is boating through Leeuwarden. That’s the reason why all teams don’t have to kluun today. In earlier editions of the race the boats had to be lifted out of the water by the teams at two places in the route. A few metres after the bridge or lock the boats could be launched in the water again. From leeuwarden it goes to Birdaard. There is at 15.00 o’clock the restart for the last part till Dokkum. The teams have to pass a distance of 45 kilometres today.

In all rankings it is thrilling. In the Top-class as well as in the Challenge A the first three teams are close to each other. A steering error or technical problem can be fatal for the ranking. In the Challenge B the numbers two en three are really close. The stages of today and tomorrow will be defining for the winners of this edition. Also yesterday evening some teams worked hard on their boats.

8 July: Second victory for Private Energy Solarteam

The Private Energy Solarboatteam (T83) won for the second time this week. The solar boat finished in less than one and a half hour. At ten o’clock this morning the fleet started in Bolsward, then they already finished at eleven o’clock in Harlingen, where a restart was at three in the afternoon. In less than 30 minutes the Private Energy Solarteam finished in Franeker. Followed a few minutes later by the Delta Lloyd Solar Boat Team (T82) and the Gowrings Energy Sunseeker (T81). The Private Energy Solar Team keeps the top position in the top class.

The boat of Andela Scheepstenchniek (T89) was more Lucky today. At the beginning of the week they had bad luck. The boat had technical problems. And Monday they chose the wrong direction, they sailed to Drachten instead of Sneek.