"University of California - Berkeley (UCB)"
(9th place overall)

Design Paper (1st):

Presentation (10th):

UCB went with an Alcatraz Island theme.  Three members, two women and one man, dressed in florescent orange convict uniforms began a highly technically power point presentation.  They explained that the most significant feature of their boat was its flared tail section.  Fabricated using two mixes; one very strong, the other light, the canoe was reinforced using carbon fiber and fiberglass scrim.

Questions were asked regarding the composite design and the implications of making modifications to the materials as provided by the manufacturer.  When questioned on the organizational structure, the team explained how tasks were distributed to facilitate the orchestration of the project.  They were asked if they recorded minutes of their meetings or whether other records were kept.  A question was raised regarding their torque tests and the team explained that they tested older canoes and that work was still in progress.

In general, this was a very sound and well organized presentation.

Product (23rd):

Name: Calcatraz
Length: 21'
Weight: 130 lb
Color: black and gray

Vital Stats:

The University of California - Berkeley, located in Berkeley, California, was the representative from the Mid-Pacific Region.  This was their twelfth appearance at nationals, two as a second place qualifier.  They have ten top five finishes to their credit including four national titles (1988, 1989, 1991, and 1992).

Display (12th):

Canoe/Materials/Facts:

The hull design included a flared stern section.  The canoe was designed to be strong yet lightweight using two mixes.  Fiberglass scrim and carbon fiber strands were added for reinforcement.