An exciting day. The solar-powered boat belonging to students of the Roelof van Echten College in Hoogeveen was launched. In a few weeks they will compete against other schools in the country. There was only one problem, sailing a bit turned out to be more difficult than expected. The boat didn’t work.
The kick-off was held on the beach at Paviljoen Nijstad. All guests were festively welcomed with a snack and a drink. After a short speech by the students, it was time to put the boat in the water. That went smoothly, but when mate Indy Timmermans wanted to start the boat, it remained silent. The boat called ‘oxygen gas’ did not accelerate.
The boat drifted further out on the water. “Emergency button, emergency button and then start again”, some students shouted. But the tips didn’t seem to help. With a paddle on board, Timmermans was able to get back to the beach. Once arrived, the solar panels on the boat were lifted up. “A part broke when the boat entered the water,” says the Hoogeveen. “So we have to fix it. We don’t want to sail today. Very unfortunate.”
Watch the video about the solar boat here: