Students compete in annual yacht race

Thomas Payne from the UK has won this year's model yacht race - an annual event that began more than 40 years ago as a bit of end of term fun - for our yacht engineering students.

The first-year BEng (Hons) Yacht and Powercraft Design student won with a model inspired by previous winning designs. Second place was Mario Trindade from Brazil, with Nicholas Van Ess from Germany coming third.

Marcus Townsend was named as the winner of the Concours d’Elegance’ – for the best model, voted for by the lecturers. Elliot Wells (UK) stormed to victory in the winner takes all downwind race.

This year, 42 first-year students competed for the coveted title on a predominantly light wind regatta held on Monday 20th May at Gosport Boating Lake, under the scrutiny of their lecturers.

Giles Barkley, course leader of the yacht engineering degrees at Solent University, says: " The standard of model build was as high as ever, and it was great to see all of the model yachts sailing upwind very well in what were very demanding, light wind conditions. My congratulations goes to all the competitors."

The annual race  forms part of the first-year unit assessment for students on Solent’s BEng (Hons) Yacht and Powercraft Design and BEng (Hons) Yacht Design and Production degree courses.

Students spent 100 hours designing and building the vessels to conform to the yacht design rules, with 85% of the unit mark awarded on their computer aided design, and the build quality of their models. They then race them upwind and downwind to pass their design unit. The last 15% of their mark is awarded on how their yacht performs on race day.

Previous winners of this annual race are now responsible for designs of Open 60 race yachts and Ben Ainslie Racing’s Americas Cup campaign.

With a reputation for leading the world in maritime education and technology, Solent continues to produce graduates who shape the world of sailing, including: Jason Ker, designer of many famous race yachts including Americas cup yachts; and Guillame Verdier, who designed the yachts that came both first and second at 2012 Vendee Globe.

On the sailing-side, world-class alumni include: Helena Lucas, who won Great Britain’s first ever sailing gold at the 2012 Paralympics; Paul Goodison who took gold at the 2008 Olympics; and Herve Piveteau, who sailed to victory in the Production Boat Class at the Mini Transat 2008.