Nation’s Largest Solar-Powered Boat Competition Concludes Today with High-Speed Sprint Races, Awards Ceremony
--Metropolitan Water District of Southern California:
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WHAT: |
 | Final day of eighth annual Solar Cup, with 700 students from three dozen Southland high school teams from Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties racing solar-powered boats they have built and equipped over the past seven months in a program sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and local water agencies. |
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| Today’s events include sprint races down a 200-meter course, during which solar collection panels are removed from the boats, leaving just stored solar power in batteries to reach speeds of up to 18 miles per hour. Three-day event concludes with final awards ceremony, with each participant receiving Olympic-style medal. | ||
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WHEN: |
8 a.m. to early afternoon today (May 16) |
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WHERE: |
Lake Skinner, Temecula Valley. Take Interstate 15 to Rancho California Road at Temecula, go 10 miles northeast to main gate, following signs to site. (Riverside County Thomas Guide page 930, 4-D) | |
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VISUALS: |
Hundreds of high school students—many in team colors—working on, launching and racing solar-powered boats; several thousand onlookers; awards ceremony in which Olympic-style medals are given to each participant and trophies are awarded for first and second place in veteran and newcomer categories, “Hottest-Looking Boat,�?? teamwork and sportsmanship. | |
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B-roll video footage of today’s events will be available in the afternoon for download at ftp://blizzard.mwdh2o.com/merickson. (Depending on user’s software, may need to log in as GUEST or ANONYMOUS. If a service uses a FTP connection, the address is ftp.blizzard.mwdh2o.com; may have to log in as GUEST or ANONYMOUS.) |
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PARTICIPANTS: |
Teams from high schools in Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino counties. |
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 19Â million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.