UVic students race submarine in international competition
Students at the University of Victoria are exploring and testing the perfect shape to break their next record in a unique sport.
Their team consists of more than two dozen active members who design, build and race human-powered submarines.
"My short and sweet [description] is, it’s a flooded coffin with a bike inside," said UVic Submarine Racing Club chief engineer, Josh Fernandez.
The submarine capsule has a propeller on the back with a single pilot inside.
The person has to be a certified scuba diver to compete. They wear an air tank and their submarine gets flooded in a pool of water.
They lay down on their stomach with their face staring out a window on the front, their hands on a yoke for steering, and their legs behind on two pedals that propel them forward.
"You can’t talk under water," said dive captain, Kenna Quirk. "So we have to go over hand signals like 'lift the submarine up. Start the propeller.'"
The submarine then traverses a football-length pool in a competition to see how fast the pilot and the design can go.
The UVic submarine is shown. (Submitted)
"We basically reached a top speed of about seven kilometres per hour," said the club’s president, Graydon Rourke.
It happened at the team’s last competition in the U.K. over the summer – where the members placed fourth overall.
"Our submarine starts on one side [of the pool]. They shoot down the pool, do a U-turn, and then salmon back – and it’s based off of time and agility," said Fernandez.
The trio of engineering students smile talking about the reactions they tend to get trying to explain their hobby to others.
"It’s a very niche club," said Quirke.
"We get a lot of shocked people," said Rourke.
"Mostly blank faces," added Fernandez. "They don’t know what’s going on."
For that reason, they say competitions bring a lot of camaraderie – especially around information sharing.
"No one wants to see someone at competition not be able to pass the finish line," said Fernandez.
The UVic Submarine Racing Club says the submarine alone costs roughly $20,000, so they rely on sponsors to keep them going.
The group formed in 2017. Their next competition is in Washington, D.C., in June 2023 – and they’re currently designing a new hull for the event.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.