Laguna Beach High School students who built a solar-powered boat finished 22nd in a race against their peers in the Metropolitan Water District’s 12th annual Solar Cup.
About 40 schools sent teams for the three-day event at Lake Skinner in Temecula.
This is the LBHS team’s third entry in the event. Students of physics teachers Jennifer Merritt and Parta Perkins spent seven months building a single-seat 16-foot boat from MWD-supplied kits. The students used an aluminum motor mount and equipped the boat with solar panels that produced up to 320 watts. Refinements included better alignment of the drive shaft and water-resistant seals.
Laguna Beach County Water District staff, customer service technician Bob Bobst and Assistant General Manager Christopher Regan assisted.
Others in the community also pitched in: Greg Morrell’s AgencyAgile created an online communication tool; Fred Caron of Gina’s Pizza provided fuel; Jim Busby, Keith Hickson and Steve Bounds fabricated parts; and Tex Haines provided coaching on resin application to seal the boat’s hull.
[…] Students Compete in Solar Cup Students of physics teachers Jennifer Merritt and Parta Perkins spent seven months building a single-seat 16-foot boat from MWD-supplied kits. The students used an aluminum motor mount and equipped the boat with solar panels that produced up to 320 … Read more on Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper […]