"University of Illinois"
(13th place overall; 7th in paper; 15th in presentation; 12th in product)

Presentation:

The University of Illinois - Champaign represented the Great Lakes Conference and made their sixth national appearance.

Illinois relied on 2 people to make their presentation; 1 man and 1 woman.  The presenters were dressed in suits and the presentation was business oriented.  The team used 1 screen and did not include any video.

The team gave some background on their team and then elaborated on the method used to produce their inlay.  Then they explained how they made some changes to improve the hydrodynamic design and avoid spillage.

The team described their structural analysis along with the loading conditions considered.  They mentioned that the maximum load occurred during the co-ed sprint.  Then it was on to mix design.

The team elaborated on the constituents used to withstand the service load and the attributes that they needed to achieve to produce their inlays.  Then the team described their construction techniques and casting methods.

Finally, the team mentioned that they developed a much more efficient construction scenario and concluded their presentation by elaborating on how they scheduled practice sessions.

Questions and Comments:  

• Do you consider your decision to reduce the amount of Kevlar fiber a good one?
• Did you perform any tests on the stitching methods employed to join your segmented reinforcement?
• How did you secure the funds required to compete?
• How did you handle the decision making considering the relatively large size of your team?
• How did you incorporate non-destructive testing methods into your test program?

Product:

The "Boneyard Yacht Club" from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign fielded "Mis-Led II."
Length: 19' 2"
Weight: 136.5 lb
Color: orange

The team paid tribute to their first canoe.  This year the team constructed their first inlay and used pigmented concrete instead of stain. 

Vital Statistics