Solar 1 Monte Carlo Cup 2014 - Day 1 + Video
by Icarus Sailing on 12 Jul 2014
Solar 1 Monte Carlo Cup 2014 Vadim Veedoff
2014 Solar 1 Monte Carlo Cup - In the first day of competition, the Fleet race saw the three classes in strong competition with each other. The sun was strong and the water was slightly choppy, a regular day for most boats but still challenging for boats raced previously on lakes or along waterways.
In the A Class, limited to a 6m length with four standard solar panels and maximum power output of 1750WP, the Dutch Solar Boat Team managed to win the race by approximately a lap against their closest competitor.
In the Open Class, limited by its 8m length otherwise only by creativity and innovation, the Finnish team Midnight Sun KYAMK won by a substantial margin while Dutch teams Clafis Private Energy Solar Boat Teams I and II battled out for a very close second place.
In the V20 class with all boats designed exactly the same but allowed to modify with innovative extras like foils, propellors or larger or lighter batteries, Team Beluga Powered by Synergy won the race easily. Speaking to team manager Maxim Logutenko afterward, he explained that his team’s success stemmed from their experience in racing same class sailboats and being well versed in making very small but important modifications in order to gain the competitive edge.
Tomorrow, Saturday 12th July, sees the start of the competition at 11.00am with the Slalom race followed by the start of the One-on-One Championship Sprint race at 1.30pm. Entry to the Boat Paddock is free to the public.
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