Cedarville Solar Boat Team

The highly successful Cedarville University Solar Boat Team is teaming up with SeaLandAire Technologies to take the next step in accepting the Dutch Solar Challenge.

Cedarville University is fresh off its 8th Solar Splash World Championship and is eager to return to the Dutch Solar Challenge in the Netherlands where in 2012 Cedarville was the top university team finishing ahead of all other schools while taking a 3rd place overall in the Top Class.

SeaLandAire Technologies , Inc. is a vibrant, innovative company that has created its reputation as a world-leader in hydrophone and sonobuoy research and development. In addition to its expertise in underwater acoustics, SeaLandAire has also developed numerous prototype sensor platforms for both scientific and defense applications, including: unattended ground sensors, unmanned air vehicles, high speed unmanned surface vessels, persistent station keeping buoys, and unmanned underwater vehicles (one of which uses propellers designed and manufactured by the Cedarville boat team). Two important alumni of Cedarville University’s Solar Boat Team are now key members of SeaLandAire’s engineering development team.

The 2016 Dutch Solar Challenge, with over 30 boats participating from 9 different countries, will, for the first time, start in Amsterdam. The race will then proceed through the canals and lakes of Friesland, and will end in Leeuwarden, home of the great Elfstedentocht, a famous ice skating race around the province. The 2012 race, Cedarville’s most recent appearance, was a challenge in perseverance as rain continually hampered the event and forced teams to be especially diligent in the management of energy. The Cedarville team was the only team from the US and, in addition to defeating the university teams from Europe, Cedarville also beat teams from Brazil, Turkey, and China. Only two boats finished ahead of Cedarville. These boats, out of the same mold and sponsored by Clafis/Private Energy, were impressive in their performance and set a standard for other boats to strive to achieve. TU Delft, multiple winner of the World Solar Challenge (Australia) and the Dutch Solar Challenge is always a strong, innovative contender, as is the Midnight Sun boat of KYAMK University in Finland.

Since 2014, Cedarville has had the privilege and responsibility of hosting the Solar Splash in Eastwood MetroPark, Dayton, Ohio. The “City of Inventions” is a fitting venue for this innovative competition; as early as 1900, Dayton had the highest number of patents per capita, and when one searches for “Dayton Inventions,” one finds long lists of famous inventions that are always cited as being a small sample of the many. The Wright Brothers were based here and minutes away from the Eastwood MetroPark are numerous aviation landmarks. Nearby Huffman Prairie is where the Wright Brothers spent years improving their plane, and is home to a replica of their hangar and launch system, which are open to public viewing. The National Museum of the United States Air Force, less than a mile away and free to the public, hosts over a million visitors per year.

Eastwood Lake, formerly known as the Dayton Hydrobowl, was once a major race venue for Thunderboat racing. Some of the fastest boats in the world (e.g. Miss Budweiser, Miss Madison, Oh Boy Oberto, etc.) raced here. Dayton’s history of invention and boat racing make this an ideal site for the Solar Splash.

None of the success of the Cedarville University Solar Boat Team would be possible without the grace of God; we are greatly blessed by a generous team of supporters. Our success is a gift of God – but, when "it’s all been said and done," "you can take this whole world (and all its success), but give me Jesus."