Royal Navy Young Engineers’ 2008 Challenge

 Keswick School Young Engineers take on the
Royal Navy Young Engineers’ 2008 Challenge
 
This year’s scenario called operation wave rider was to retrieve and clear up debris after a hurricane had hit. The challenge was to design and build a radio controlled boat capable of recovering, against the clock, sunken ‘cargo crates’ and safely transport them to the beach. The boat also had to deliver a radio controlled vehicle (which pupils also designed and made) to the beach, where it had to retrieve more cargo crates.
 
Keswick School’s Young Engineers’ club entered three teams, each of four Year 10 pupils. To be selected for the final the team had to submit a design portfolio last December, explaining how they proposed to meet the challenge and all three came up with their own unique ideas. Each of these portfolios impressed the judges and they were all selected to put their ideas into practice and prepare their models for the final, held in Portsmouth at a Royal Navy base, where they competed against 25 other teams from across the whole of Great Britain.
 
Since Christmas, they have worked hard, making, testing and refining their boats and vehicles, as well as preparing a five minute presentation about their work, to give to three Navy officers on the day of the final and designing their own logo and team clothing.
 
After travelling down to Portsmouth the group stayed the night on HMS Bristol, a decommissioned navy destroyer. The next day they travelled to HMS Sultan, to demonstrate their models in two timed runs and give their presentation to the navy judges. They also had a flight over Portsmouth and the Solent in a Navy Sea King Helicopter and a chance to look round a science and engineering fair, which had been assembled for the benefit of the finalists and local schools. The Fair included many ‘hands on’ displays which the pupils enjoyed, when not working to repair and improve their models.
 
 In total about 500 people attended the day including over 100 Royal Navy personnel, acting as organisers, judges and guides, and 200 visiting students from local schools. VIPs included Royal Navy Admirals and Commodores and senior figures from engineering institutions and sponsoring organisations.
 
One team from our club, called Dark Depths, won the prize for the best presentation, winning an impressive trophy and £150 towards club funds.
 
The team comprised Alex Chetwode,  Dan Middleton, Matthew Orrison, and Ross Irving
The other pupils who were selected to compete in the final were: Laura Hind, Amy Messenger, Holly Waller, James Smith calling themselves High Ridge Jeopardy and Simon Grundy, Chris Bull , Ronny Ip and Joe Harrison form the Atlantic Rescue team.