The Solar Cup is an eco-boating competition in Temecula, California. Paid for by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and taking place on Lake Skinner, the competition revolves around high school teams constructing solar powered electric boats. Boats are built from identical kits of marine-caliber wood provided by the water district, and are generally 16 feet long, and weigh about 250 pounds. This competition is inspired by the Solar Splash competition at the university level.
Solar Cup begins with sign up in December, and includes a boat-building event and several workshops focusing on technical aspects such as drive trains, electrical systems, solar power collection and steering systems. Teams are also required to meet deadlines for submitting illustrated reports on these systems. In 2007 the competition was split between "veteran" (returning) and "rookie" (new) teams. The competition is a scored event, divided up into several categories: Technical Reports, Workshops, Visual Displays, Qualifying Times, Endurance Distance, and Sprint Times. Combined, all of these categories add up for a 1000 maximum possible points. Overall, 41 teams competed in 2007, and 36 teams competed in 2010.
Competition results Year Solar Cup Veteran Winner Solar Cup Rookie Winner 2003 Canyon High School 2004 Canyon High School 2005 Canyon High School 2006 Diamond Bar High School 2007 Diamond Bar High School Duarte High School 2008 Nogales High School Palos Verdes Peninsula High School 2009 Canyon High School Savanna High School 2010 Canyon High School Scripps Ranch High School 2011 Savanna High School Oak Park High School 2012 Canyon High School South El Monte High School 2013 Savanna High School Glendora High School 2015 Canyon Springs High School Oxford Academy 2016 Riverside Poly High School Kaiser High School2017 Riverside Poly High School Mira Costa High School2018 Riverside Poly High School Costa Mesa High School2019Oxford Academy (California)Oaks Christian School
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