Scottish music penetrates the air, invigorating Lluis Penalver-Aguila, who is steering Nessie through greenish water. As the solar-powered boat, which looks like an oversized canoe, scoots along at about 15 miles per hour, Andrew Choate, one of Penalver-Aguila’s Carnegie Mellon teammates, offers his unusual form of cheerleading by playing the bagpipes. The unique hum catches the attention of some neighboring competitors. They begin to cluster closer on the dock of the man-made lake while a heat of solar-powered boats glide through the water in front of them. Everyone seems to enjoy Choate’s “war tunes,” which isn’t surprising.
The atmosphere at Solar Splash 2007 is unlike other races. Tents are set up in rows alongside Lake Fayetteville, nestled in the western corner of Arkansas. The collegiate teams house their handmade boats, unique despite the same list of restrictions, inside these temporary homes. Instead of keeping their blueprints hush-hush at the event, however, Solar Splash teams from all over the world mingle, collaborating throughout the four-day competition, taking home advice and thoughts of new techniques for the next competition. Instead of rivalry and animosity, participants—everywhere from Arkansas to Istanbul—opt for pick-up football games and brainstorming sessions.
To win at Solar Splash requires teamwork and collaboration as well as the ability to make quick mechanical fixes and avoid lengthy repairs. Unlike some entries, Nessie didn’t capsize. She did, however, need some mending. While Penalver-Aguila, a mechanical engineering major, was maneuvering Nessie through the slalom, the boat built up too much torque and a weld broke. After slowing down and finishing the race, team members dove into action. “It was like a beehive,” says Choate, a chemical engineering major. “We had someone drilling while someone else was replacing a part. Everyone knew what to do.” Nessie was back in the water the same day. In the end, the team, competing against 20 others, came in first place for hull design and 10th place overall.
Penalver-Aguila graduated last spring, but Choate, now a senior, remains and has been elected team president. He says Nessie’s award-winning hull will stick around for a while. His collaborative team will instead focus their energy on improving Nessie’s solar and electronic companion parts. Choate and his bagpipe hope to serenade Nessie to victory at this spring’s Solar Splash 2008. —Kate Dunfee
