Swaythling Scouts Spend Weekend Racing at Woodmill
This weekend the Swaythling Scouts stayed at Woodmill Outdoor Centre for the fourth instalment of their biannual science and technology camp, Tech Camp IV: Fast and Fourier. During the course of the weekend the Scouts worked in patrols to build, design and race their own go-karts at the inaugural Woodmill Grand Prix.
Ready! Steady! Go!
Scouts go kart time trial…
After opening camp, the Scouts explored the site before having a movie night in the main hall. Saturday began with the build phase, with each team working together to construct their SW26-S (Formula Scout approved) chassis using the resources, tools and instructions provided to them. The morning also saw the launch of the camp 'social media' wall where Scouts could add hand written 'posts' in order to enhance their media image, start preposterous rumours about other teams and most importantly attract sponsors.
The afternoon was focused on scientifically developing the performance of the vehicles. To do this, the Scouts had access to a variety of resources including: a wind tunnel to improve airflow around scale models, a driving simulator letting the Scouts race around the Woodmill circuit in the virtual world, a dynamometer to assess which Scout could output the most power and pit stop practice sessions. However, development resources cost money requiring the Scouts to negotiate with a range of sponsors. These included the benevolent King Knot, on his mission to make knot tying cool but also the ACOC (Antarctic Circle Oil Company), challenging the Scouts morals against the need to raise capital (the answer... money seemed to win for one patrol with #BackingBlackGold #FakeBirds trending on the 'social media' wall). The abnormally sunny weather on Saturday also provided the opportunity for plenty of practice around the large grassy areas at Woodmill along with time to decorate the karts with distinctive paint jobs. The day was concluded with a campfire in Woodmill's wooded area where significant volumes of marshmallows were consumed.
Sunday, race day, and the weather had turned. A very wet field caused the FSA (Formula Scout Association) to make the executive decision to move the circuit to the gravel courtyard behind the main hall. Nevertheless, the competitor's spirits were not dampened and after a morning of practice on the new track, the three karts lined up in the pitlane for what would now be a time trial. First up, the ACOC backed Tiger patrol. After a spirited start and rapid pit stop, their decision not to pit to change power unit (pusher) appeared to backfire as the lap times dropped off towards the end of their attempt. Next up, Stag patrol. A much more conservative start but consistent engine changes and the fastest pit stop of the event saw them pip Tiger patrol. Finally, Fox patrol came to the start line. A fast start saw Fox level with the other patrols as they approached their pit stop. Having the fastest pit stop times in practice, the team principal was confident they could arrest the lead thanks to their revolutionary box used to jack up the kart. However, disaster occurred as a nut jammed, causing them to lose 40 seconds compared to their personal best. After an engine change, Fox sped off completing the fastest laps of the competition, enabling them to just beat Stag and win the race. Who did they dedicate the win to... the bananas they had for lunch form providing potassium power to their kart. After a prize giving ceremony and post-race press conference camp was struck.
At the end of camp, the Scouts reflected how much they had enjoyed the activities but also what they liked about the site. The large open field to play games on, the mysterious woods and freedom explore without the risk of getting extremely lost were all highlighted. After the success of the first camp at Woodmill the group looks forward more exciting camps at the site in the future.
Written by Swaything Scouts
