The academic partnership in experimental submarine design promises other benefits to these and other affiliated institutions, from advanced technology development to regionally coordinated educational outreach programs. The prototype event was limited to four invited entries in order to test and refine the format of a new open ocean race. The new submarine event design combined lessons learned in FAU's original open ocean races with experience from the in-basin event started in California, making this the third evolution in submarine racing. Great consideration was given to keeping operational plans simple, reducing logistics costs, and requiring fewer support personnel.
Teams launch and recover their own sub.
A sub is moved to a Starting Buoy, then, when the team indicates it is ready, the timing clock starts as the submarine accelerates out following a bottom guideline. The submarine rounds a Turn Buoy 500-ft offshore and returns to the Starting Buoy, where the timing clock is stopped. Individual times provide a ranking of the subs. A larger event based on this first event, WSI'99, is in the planning stages for the early summer of 1999. At that time, FAU-OE expects to have taken up new quarters in a stunning research facility in Dania, FL, about 40 minutes south of the main FAU campus in Boca Raton.