The Solar Boat was built as a project run by Eko-Energia, a student group, and the Student Yacht Club. Their aim was to create an entirely green boat that would compete in an international race for solar boat designers which is held in the Principality of Monaco every year.

Engineered by Krakow students and christened ‘Baśka’, the boat cost PLN 250,000 to build. The solar boat has hydrofoils which generate a carrying capacity capable of making the hull hover over the water. This allows the vessel to reach speeds of 30 km/h. It is 6 metres long and 1.5 metres wide (with a 80 cm-wide cabin). The boat has a displacement of 150 kg.

Now the Baśka is being tested on the Vistula River in Krakow. It is set to head to the Monaco races together with its construction engineers in late July.

Jerzy Lis, AGH’s Vice-Rector for Cooperation, emphasises that the solar boat displays the Polish students’ great hidden talent. Their heads are brimming with ideas, which they are very keen to implement. This shows that the sky is the limit for these young constructors, who are ready to take on big challenges.

Those who developed the Baśka realise that the Monaco race offers a perfect opportunity to share knowledge about original technological solutions and the broadly understood use of natural energy sources. Each year new, previously unpresented, boats enter the competition, which guarantees there will be no copycat ideas.

The AGH students know that projects such as these offer them something more than regular university courses. They are a chance to improve their skills and create innovative solutions which, at such an early age, are a perfect stepping stone to promising future careers.

Source: “Rzeczpospolita”