Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland

Eleven teams from high schools across the Avalon and Burin Peninsulas designed and raced miniature vessels across the Marine Institute’s (MI) flume tank last Saturday as part of the fifth annual Model Boat Race.

“The competition gets better every year,” said Ken Baker, chair of the Naval Architecture program within the School of Maritime Studies. “This year’s vessel designs were fantastic and it was great to see the enthusiasm from the students and their mentors. Thank you to everyone who took part and came out to support the teams.”

As part of the Model Boat Race, teams work together to build an operational ship model, applying physics and mathematical principles, and competitively race the vessel in the Institute's flume tank.

This year, the morning was dedicated to the traditional buoy arrangement with teams navigating their boats through a slalom course, while the afternoon saw teams racing their boats head-to-head for the title of fastest boat.

In addition to making new friends and the fun and excitement of the competition, a number of teams walked away with awards for their efforts, including:

• Super Skipper – Ty Matthews, Leary’s Brook Junior High
• Most Innovative Design – Baltimore School Complex
• Best Poster & Design Booklet – O’Donel High
• Most Aesthetically Pleasing Boat – Marystown Central High
• Best Team Spirit – Ascension Collegiate
• Fastest Boat – Crescent Collegiate
• Most Maneuverable – Crescent Collegiate

“The Model Boat Race really is a team effort and I want to thank everyone at the Institute for their commitment to organizing another successful event,” said Jennifer Howell, Enrolment Management Coordinator at MI. “It was a great day that allowed students an opportunity to not only explore their technical skills, but learn about lucrative career opportunities in the field of ship and boat design.”

This year’s participating schools included Ascension Collegiate, Baltimore School Complex, Carbonear Collegiate, Clarenville High School, Crescent Collegiate, Holy Heart of Mary High School, Holy Trinity High School, Leary’s Brook Junior High, Marystown Central High School, O’Donel High School and Queen Elizabeth Regional High School.

The fifth annual Model Boat Race was organized by MI’s School of Maritime Studies and the Office of Student Recruitment. It was supported by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Fleetway Inc. and Genoa Design International Ltd.

To check out some of the action, view this video of the final race.