Ada and the Mount Everest of (robotic) sailing

August 7, 2015

Robert Allan Ltd. is proud to support UBC Engineering and specifically the UBC Engineering Sailbot team. On the heels of early success at the International Robotic Sailing Regatta, the team is preparing for what they call “the Mount Everest of sailing”, the UBC Transatlantic Challenge. Complying with rules for the global Microtransat Challenge, these engineering competitions are excellent vehicles for teams to flex their creative and engineering muscles; and it really does require a multi-disciplined approach to problem solving. As naval architects and marine engineers, we are acutely aware of the level of technical difficulty associated with this undertaking and as sailors we are cognizant of the perils that such a small craft will have to face. We are confident that this team is up to the task and we wish them continued success.

Our own Philip Barron speaking at the event. Phil has been advising the team on various levels for the past few incarnations of the Sailbot.

A recent name unveiling event at Vancouver International Airport gave the public their first chance to see the vessel in person and speak with students about this exciting project. The sailbot Ada is named after Ada Lovelace, often regarded as the first computer programmer.