Well, the flurry of ‘Entry Open Days’ has come and gone for 2019. These are three days each March where we stagger the online entry opening times for different categories in our event and the Team Managers are clicking furiously to make sure they get their team IN.
On a Waiting List?
Don’t give up hope, we’ve been contacting schools and ensuring as many students and teams as possible can get in. A new batch of emails advising schools of their status are being sent out today.
So, now that we’re at the end of Term 1 … what’s the wash-up?
By The Numbers:
Innovations In Technology: 10 entries.
Pushcarts: 39 entries.
TRYathlon: 77 entries.
Human Powered Vehicles (Primary): 95 entries + 21 on Waiting List.
Human Powered Vehicles (Secondary): 104 entries + 7 on Waiting List.
Energy Efficient Vehicles: 20 entries.
The Event Director’s take:
Energy Breakthrough Event Director, John Stafford, was again impressed by team’s eagerness to enter, and that the committee had been working hard to ensure as many people can participate as possible … here’s the category by category run down:
On HPV Primary:
“Clearly we have a huge interest in our Primary HPV category – more demand than we can safely cater for on our VicRoads / Regional Roads Victoria Track which is 1.1km in length. Our cap for track density, pits and safety for that track is 95 vehicles and we are right on that limit now. Of course, if any teams withdraw, then we will contact the next team on the waiting list to see if they’d like to take a place.”
“We’ve reviewed the Waiting List and have moved as many teams into the event or found a way for them to participate.”
On HPV Secondary:
“The only teams on the Waiting List now are HPV Open teams – which we restrict as we have strong gender participation policies and the Open teams do not fulfill our gender requirements. The message I want to share is that if a school is considering entering a mixed gender secondary school team, then we would accept another five of those teams into next term.”
“Additionally, if there are HPV Secondary teams who are contemplating converting their HPV into an eBike (or more accurately eTrike) then our Technical Leads, Michael McTigue and Tim White are on hand to assist, guide and support through this process. In addition, the Team Managers at Girton Grammar and Holmesglen have expressed their willingness to support new schools wanting to enter an Electric Energy Efficient Vehicle.”
On Energy Efficient Vehicles:
“Numbers are good, with a new entry from Sydney in Holy Cross College in Ryde and Weeroona College Bendigo returning after a few years of absence. Again, we reiterate that this is an emerging opportunity for Human Powered Vehicle teams to participate. The costs are dropping rapidly and the technology is more easily accessed and understood than it was even five years ago. Please contact us if you or your school is interested.”
On TRYathlon:
“This continues to be a really strong and popular category for us and we are glad that this acts as both an event in it’s own right and an opportunity for Primary and Secondary teams who miss out on our other HPV categories.”
On Innovations In Technology and Pushcarts:
“We aren’t too worried about the entry numbers for these at the moment, as schools traditionally enter these later in the year. There is less pressure to get an entry in for these on ‘Day One’. We’d like to encourage any schools who already have an HPV entered to have a look at these categories as they cater really well for additional students who may not be able to be included in the HPV program due to the limited number of spots on a team – but you’d still like to give those students an ‘Energy Breakthrough experience’. Please contact us if you or your school is interested.”
“Furthermore, we will be recruiting for new Innovations In Technology and Pushcart Coordinators during April. Keep an eye out for more detail on that.”
