Some of our esteemed regulars have recently expressed dismay at the
amoung of fuel that boats consume.

Here's a possible solution; and if the sun goes behind a cloud I'll
bet the solar panel can be positioned to catch some breeze and semi-
sail.

Wonder if they can retrofit a Parker? :-)

Of course, solar powered boats would be a big time flop up in my
corner of the country,,,,,for obvious reasons.


Board for Metropolitan Water District's Solar Boat Program
BUSINESS WIRE
Posted: 2007-11-08 17:04:32
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)----Teams from 46 Southern California high
schools have launched Metropolitan Water District's 2008 Solar Cup(TM)
program in which students build, equip and race solar-powered boats,
learning hands-on lessons in engineering and natural resources
management on the way to the May 18 finish line.

Now in its sixth year and the world's largest solar boat competition,
Solar Cup involves nearly 900 students from schools in Los Angeles,
Riverside, Ventura, Orange and San Bernardino counties. Teams are
sponsored by Metropolitan's member water agencies; Metropolitan
sponsors the seven-month education program and the three-day Solar Cup
competition.

Solar Cup has been widely hailed as a creative, innovative way to
impart practical application of textbook lessons. Over the years,
students have credited Solar Cup with helping them determine their
career path and their decision to go to college. In addition to
teaching future leaders about California's water supplies and
protecting natural resources, Metropolitan hopes the program will lead
Solar Cup alumni to the possibility of working in Southern
California's water industry.

"This year, our state's and region's serious water-supply shortage has
been incorporated into Solar Cup by requiring that each team produce a
public service water-conservation message," said Metropolitan's
General Manager Jeff Kightlinger.

Solar Cup culminates with a three-day competition, featuring endurance
and sprint races, at Metropolitan's Lake Skinner reservoir near
Temecula May 16-18. The event is open to the public at no cost.

The 2008 program is five teams larger than last year's. The lineup
includes 15 teams that are new to the program, as well as returning
champions Diamond Bar High School, which won the 2007 veteran class,
and Pamela Park (Duarte High), which won the newcomer class. Also
returning is the three-time champion Canyon High School of Anaheim.

"This is just a great lineup, and promises to be the best year yet,"
said Solar Cup coordinator Julie Miller, a certified teacher in
Metropolitan's Education Programs section. "We've started a month
earlier, which will give the teams more time to equip and test their
boats before they race in May. In fact, one of the new rules is that
boats must actually be water-tested before the event, the lack of
which had caused some disappointments in the past."

Boat-building events will be held on two Saturdays, Nov. 10 and 17 at
Three Valleys Municipal Water District in Claremont. Teams are given a
kit of pre-cut marine-grade wood and a chest of power- and hand tools
with which to assemble their boats. Once the boat shell is
constructed, the teams return to their schools--or occasionally to a
parent's or teacher's garage--to equip the hulls with motors, solar
panels, batteries and steering systems using their sponsoring water
agency's grant money.

New this year, sponsoring agencies provide newcomer teams with grants
of $3,500 and veteran teams with $2,500. Previously, all teams
received $3,000. Veteran teams are required to build a new hull, but
are allowed to remove equipment from last year's entry and re-install
it in their new hull.

During the seven-month program, teams also are required to attend two
Saturday morning technical workshops at Metropolitan headquarters in
downtown Los Angeles, and to submit three technical reports on such
subjects as nautical drivetrains and electrical systems.