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Media Relations
Kansas State University
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Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu
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Source: Eduard Plett, 785-532-2926, eplett@k-state.edu
Photos available. Contact media@k-state.edu or 785-532-6415.
Note to editors: Jeff Boswell is a graduate of Seaman High School, Topeka.
News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-826-2642, kmayes@k-state.edu

Friday, June 29, 2007

K-STATE AT SALINA SOLAR BOAT TEAM COMPETES AT SOLAR SPLASH

SALINA -- Students from Kansas State University at Salina made a big splash at the 2007 Solar Splash, the world championship of intercollegiate boating, June 13-17 in Fayetteville, Ark.

K-State at Salina's Solar Boat Team took fourth place in the qualifying races, sixth in the slalom, eighth in endurance and ninth in sprint. Combined, K-State at Salina's overall rank was eighth out of 15 teams.

Points in the competition are earned in several categories, starting with technical reports that are submitted in advance of the competition. Once the competition begins, the workmanship of the boat and visual displays are evaluated. Boats also compete in five "on-the-water" events. The boats run two qualifier courses, followed by a slalom course, which tests speed and maneuverability. The most important events are the sprint, where the boats race under maximum power for 300 meters, and the endurance race, where the goal is to go as many course laps as possible within the allotted time.

"A majority of the boat upgrades this year were done on the electrical systems," said Eduard Plett, assistant professor at K-State at Salina and the club's faculty adviser. "This year we rebuilt the entire electrical system of the boat, replaced the motor and the controller, rebuilt the prop assembly, modified the steering components, purchased monitoring equipment, and then took the boat out to a lake for extensive testing."

As a result, no technical failures occurred during competition and the team finished all qualifying events in a record half day. Other teams typically needed one to one-and-a half days due to long setup times or technical difficulties, Plett said. The data monitoring equipment allowed the team to collect valuable data during the races which should help the team in subsequent competitions.

K-State at Salina students, all seniors and all electronic and computer engineering technology majors, who participated in the 2007 Solar Splash included:

Bryan Hileman, Lansing; Jeff Boswell, Salina; Jordan Holthaus, Seneca, boat pilot; and Todd Smalley, club president, Topeka.