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The Frisian Solar Boat Race.

The Race is based on the Eleven Cities Ice skating race, which only happens when the canals freeze enough. Essentially it is a loop through many of the historic cities of North Holland. Part of the challenge is that in two of the legs the boats must be lifted out by four crew over dams. So the boats must be light and easy to lift. Also, canals in Holland are dumping grounds for stolen bicycles, which are not kind to propellers...

There are 3 divisions, the first two have solar panels supplies by the organisers. Division A is single handed, B is two handed, and C is the open class. There are many safety rules regarding stability, manoeuvrability, and electrical systems. The boats have the equivalent of one large car battery as a back up for shady areas, under bridges etc. In practise you started with a full charge, and tried to finish with nothing in the battery. Not uncommon for boats to stop at the finish area for half an hour charging up enough to carry on to the camp ground for the night.

The fleet was fine display of imagination! Boats seemed to be of all sorts of configurations and styles. Monohulls, catamarans and trimarans were featured. Propellers were often hand made by the teams, and a big part of the secret to success.

Designing and building an entrant for the Frisian Solar Race is certainly a challenge. We committed to a trimaran with a number of interesting features. It was an all carbon boat, hard chine epoxy carbon foam sandwich. The main hull was designed to plane, ideally to assist on getting the boat to get on its foils. The solar wing area was designed to give lift, which it did well; the boat went faster upwind than down! Around € 100 000 went in to the boat, a significant chunk into the Solar panels.

We had our engine supplier let us down with two weeks to go, so we never got the performance we were expecting having had to re design that whole system at short notice. We just needed more time and budget to get it right. But we were happy with our 4th place, and our sponsors were very happy with the coverage we got them; the race was well covered in newspapers and local TV there.

Our 'pilot' was very good steering a relatively big boat though the narrow waterways, and passing whenever possible. But the race was a long week for us. Rebuilding systems and hand making propellors over night to stay in the fleet.

A third of the boats dropped out, due to damage or gear failure. On day one about 30 knots of breeze swept through the fleet, and four boats capsized.

The TU Delft team had NASA quality solar panels, €300 000 worth, and a great R & D Team. They usually win the Australian Solar Car race, so have huge amounts of experience. The next two teams were also good.

We had lithium batteries, but in the end didn't use them. They take very careful looking after, and they got a time penalty in the race to discourage their use. We abused and killed our lead acid battery as it was. Our boat and others were so electrically fine tuned, the skipper often had to cover parts of panels at the start to reduce input, as the system overloaded with excess power until the motor was running! Very funny to watch towels and race notes covering the panels with seconds to go!


During the race I took the EloTri 620 around the course following the race. This is an electric trimaran designed to look like one of the traditional Dutch launches, a back decker. I guess did in the region of 300 km in a week. We are using a wind generator, and have no top on this boat yet, although a bimini type top is planned.

It was a windy, cold week for the race. At times up to 25 knots of breeze, so it has been a good test for the boat. But the boat went well, and 'finished' every leg under her own power. I was using shore power most nights, as we were doing long legs, up to 45 km long, and the wind generator power wasn't registering in the battery management system. One evening I got stuck between two bridges for the night. Bridges are a patience testing hurdle in Holland! I did do two days on one charge, about 12 hours running, and got to the destination on 2% power! All a bit exciting.

I had to go upwind on some of the legs, the boat slowed from a cruise speed of 8 km/hr (kilometres/hour, which is what they use in Europe on the canals) down to 6, but we got there. Windage from the wind generator was noticeable, and I turned it off if I didn't need the charge. My point here was that I was out in conditions beyond what I thought people would enjoy boating in here, and everything was fine. The boat speed peaked at 10 km/hr, I think limited by the prop, not the hull.

We are using the Bellmann electric engine system. It wasn't cheap, but was a complete plug and play system that worked well, with a simple and effective readout. Our race boat used a similar system. It had kW in use, hours to run at that output, and percentage left. In calm waters the boat would cruise on 0.6-0.8 kW, but the reality in the canals with the wind was you needed 1-1.2 kW, and up to 1.5 kW at times to get to the destination. But the 8 100 A/hr batteries did their job well.

I am looking forward to trying a two bladed propeller on the boat. We had a large, three bladed prop, 15 X 8" from memory. All the race boats had fine, two bladed props, and our testing led us that way too. So I think on the Elotri range that could well be what works best. I think the theory is the large blade area simply loads the engine, while at higher revs it limits the speed. So I hope to do some prop development in the future.

Considering the hurry we built the Elotri in here, 8 weeks from a hull shell to the water, I think her maiden voyage around Friesland was very successful. We had lots of positive comments, people taking photos, and looking over the boat at the stops.

The race is a great challenge. A mix of boat building and design, electrical engineering, sponsorship raising, and communication. As a team (www.FuriaOne.nl) we are looking forward to the next race in 2010.

Kind Regards

Tim Clissold

The 2008 FuriaOne Solar Race Boat Team, Tim Clissold, Wiettze-Eric de Boer(Pilot & Boat Builder), Mark Scholten (Programming), Klaas-Jan van der Krieske (Electrics), Gerard van der Schaar (Engineering).
See www.FuriaOne.nl for further developments.

Pulse and the Dolphins

I had a friend over from America recently, and decided to head to the Barrier for a few days. Left Sandspit harbour at 3.00 pm in a nice South westerly, expecting the breeze to die for the night half way across. We hit 17 knots before Kawau, so put a reef in. By little Barrier the breeze was showing no sign of abating, and the wave were getting big enough to surf on. High score of the day was 19.3 knots, and we were at Port Abercrombie in 3 1/2 hours. I looked forward to telling the old salts at Sandspit that time!

Next day we had a gentle motor around Karaka Bay, then to Fitzroy store for ice for the cosmopolitans (a certain american TV show made this drink popular it seems, they are Rocket fuel even by my standards!!) We enjoyed a swim then nice dinner with a lovely sunset at Kiwiriki Bay. And a cheeky Sauvignon Blanc. Surprising how many boats were at Barrier on a work day!!

Next morning we had a very gentle sail through the Broken Islands; the islands are so rugged and dramatic through there. Then with the stereo blazing 'War of the Worlds' we sailed down to Blind bay for lunch. Great little bay there, and still nice in the water, despite the sting rays under the boat. I haven't seen dolphins all summer, but right on cue there they were on our sail back to Whangaparapara. They were obviously more interested in fish than us, but still a special hour with them around the boat. Another nice Barbecue with a pleasant accompanying Pinot Gris.

Heading home we had a farewell from the dolphins off Pidgeon rocks. One was scratching his back on the rudder so vigorously the rudder kept popping up! Once the breeze settled down we unrolled the Scrennaker (Roller furling gennaker, obviously, doesn't every one have one??) and sailed back to Mansion House for a swim, before another nice sail back to Sandspit, cosmopolitan in hand!

(PS Eat your heart out you guys with stripped out race boats, this cruising is fun!!)

Pulse and the Awfully big waves

Headed down to the BBYC (having coughed up my $100) on Friday night. Fun night sail to Motutapu, again with dolphins like torpedos around the boat in the darkness. Ben and his German border Freddie really enjoyed it

We got an awful start, realising too late that the start order had been changed but made some recovery as the wind went left, and we were that side for once. But at the wing mark the mainsheet track pulled out of the rear beam, one of the screws had sheered, setting off a chain reaction. So off to Bucklands beach marina to fix the problem. We headed out to the course to take a few photos of the boats finishing.

By the way, where were the rest of the boats? I know I haven't the fastest boat but at least I turn up! If more cruiser racer type boats, as well as the racing fleet, turned up we would have good racing throughout the fleet. And show the leeners how fast and versatile the boats we have are.

After the racing I listened to the forecast, but decided it wouldn't be too bad next morning, and went to Motuihe for a walk. Interesting display about Von Luckner who escaped from the WW1 prison there. Then a nice raft up and BBQ next to Crowded House and HardDrive,and a noisy launch (who's friends are those!!!!)

Next day it was loading the storm jib and deep reef (7m hoist, out of 14m). We headed around the East side of Motuihe, well disoriented until the Chart plotter showed the way in very low visibility. With a main track still drying we were nursing the main, so once above Rakino we dropped it. But progress was so slow we put it up again. We couldn't see Tiri till half way across, with the odd swell, perhaps 2m, hitting the boat hard.Tiri channel was a hoon, hit 20 knopts, in relatively flat water, and wanting to make time we left the main up. Again we had to set a course to the Kawau area, just no visibility in misty rain.

Half way to Kawau the fun really started. A crew man got sick, and the waves really built; easily 3m and shorter than before. Closing onto Mahurangi harbour would have been a big call, and the approach to Kawau is littered with rocks and Islands. Also the wind built, and went more Noreast. Now we were getting waves sweeping the boat, with the lazy jacks straining against green water in the folds of the deep reef. One big one smacked the boat hard, and the painful crack of fibreglass followed. It took a minute to find the windward dodger foot had broken, nothing too serious.

In these conditions the approach to Kawau, and the shallowing water, was a real concern. In the end we bravely sheeted on harder and went between Beehive and Kawau, as it was the easiest reefs to see. What a relief to be in sheltered flat water. I'd guess we easily had 40 knots across the boat; it was 45 gusting 55 at both Tiri and Channel Island when we got to Kawau on the Nowcasting if you are doubting!

The reach to Sandpsit seemed easy after that. But our docking at the wharf was a a disaster for one of the crew, who went for a swim when we nudged the wharf. Glad to be home though! 3 1/2 hours back from Motuihe, which considering the conditions wasn't bad.

Lessons learnt for me:

#1 If it's a windy forecast, don't go. Cell phones are for telling friends and employers why you won't be there.

#2 Or go the night before if that is an option. Night sailing in easy conditions is better than gale conditions any day.

#3 You absolutely need a really small storm jib on an inner forestay, and a really deep reef in the main, to be able to get home in windy conditions. You are kidding yourself if you don't have this ability to deep reef and hold the mast in place, and have a small jib to tack and balance the helm. Pulse did really well in the conditions.

#4 Setting off in conditions with the destination a lee shore in these conditions was keen. It commits you to getting the approach right!

#5 Also, I should have showed new crew how to inflate the life jackets. Some are less obvious than others. Many people assume they are automatic inflating, when they aren't always.

Tim Clissold
Pulse xTC
TC Design Phone: 64 (0)274 858275 email: tcdesign@xtra.co.nz