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Article part 1,
part 2, part
3,
results,
boats, price
giving, party
XXIIIth
International Waterbike Regatta (IWR),
Genoa
23rd - 26th of May 2002
by: Leo de Vries
Special thanks for many photos goes to: Stefano Venier and Melle Boersma
The International Waterbike Regatta is a yearly event where
shipbuilding students compete with their waterbikes against each other.
This article is about this wonderful happening that took place this year
at the end of May 2002 in Genoa, Italy.
Introduction
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The IWR 2002 was organised by the Asinateam,
from Genoa. 24 Teams from all over Europe travelled to Italy to join this
event! Including the team fans there were about 150 people
joining the competitions and the parties in the evening. And the weather
was great. The people from Genoa prepared everything well. A big tent, parking
places, food, sleeping places, the race field, launching platforms... all
was taken care of.
So this was a very good start for all the teams. The only thing they had
to worry about was their own waterbike..
This year most of the teams were prepared well. It was like a
formula one race. Basic procedures, known by every team member at the pit
stop, were like routine. This resulted into a low level of technical
failures. Especially at the top student teams.
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Azubi Power: Last checking of the gear
DWT team: Connecting side hulls
at their Lancelet |
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But, less experienced teams, like the team from Istambul with their Ata
Nutku, also showed how to do it well! This team from Turkey took very
short preparations before the event. Less than two months it took to build
their waterbike that was working technically well! |
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The Istambul Waterbike team
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Nevertheless, many teams take several
years to build and optimise their boat in order to reach higher
ranking places. So next step for this team is increasing the speed
of the boat and learn how to sail with it. You can imagine what
their motivation for next year will be...
So for the competitors, be prepared. |
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Hey! Look who's arriving! It's Stefano Venier, who was one of the organisers of the Trieste
Waterbike Trophy during the Bavisela Event.
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Trieste Waterbike Team arriving in Genoa |
Before the start of the regatta, the Asinateam from Genoa Italy,
had a special ceremony because they had a beautiful new boat.
For good luck and not drowning, the boat was blessed and baptized
under the name "Berny".
Also Delft Waterbike Technology, from The Netherlands, had a
reason to give their boat a blessing. The Nederwood has been
rebuilt starting from skin level. Also another propulsion system
has been designed. The boat was renamed "Wederwood".
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Blessing of Berny, Asinateam
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Baptising of Wederwood, DWT
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Sailing into battle
After the launching of the waterbikes by the participating
student teams the competitions were started. Student teams from all over
Europe appealed at the starting line with 24 boats. It was an excitement
too watch!
One of the exiting disciplines, 100m sprint (click
to enlarge)
About 150 people, teams and fans, were upon and next to
the water. In order to let everything go organised in and on the water, announcements
were made and a close watch was held to the scene on the water.
Other people took great care of the starting and finishing procedures, including time
measurements as jury members.
The disciplines were:
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100 metre sprint: Shortest distance, gain maximum speed. An
important difference in comparison with European and World
Championships is that one has to start with zero velocity;
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Slalom: One has to slalom around a double line of boys which
requires optimal steering capacity at maximum speed;
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Forward-stop-backward: A sprint full ahead, crossing a line
and then back by turning or sailing backwards, to the finish again;
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Long-distance, 10 kilometres: All competitors start at once
and had to round a 5 kilometres distance twice. Finishing first makes
the winner;
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Bollard-pull: A line is connected to the boat and all
leg-power has to be transferred to the water in order to generate the
largest pulling power possible;
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Secret mission: At the IWR 2002, the mission was to blow
about ten balloons as quick as possible and make a sprint with the
boat while holding the balloons in ones hands. Finishing the fastest
with the largest amount of balloons made the winner.
And then there was the long distance race. All boats
appealed the starting line. This was a wonderful view! And it was a
great battle. Good temperature and low wind conditions. After the
starting signal all gears started with their engine noise and team
members were shouting from the water-side to motivate their
bikers.
Start of the long distance race
The field stretched into a huge line of boats. At the
front of the field some boats stayed close to one another. However, in
the midfield zone there was also some large competition by trying to
maintain position. And differences in speed occurred slowly, giving
just a little more muscle power but also saving some for the finish
final sprint. And when ones competitors increase speed one wants to
respond. This made the long distance a heavy race because until the
finish it's all tactics and a good condition.
Article part 1,
part 2, part
3,
results,
boats, price
giving, party
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