Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race
2018 Race Report: Messie Nessie

From Oakland Mills High School in Columbia came Messie Nessie, a kinetic interpretation of the Loch Ness Monster. As you scroll down, remember how she looked at the beginning of the race.

They had attached additional outrigger pontoons to provide support, but the poles for attachment were far too weak. (It’s easy to inadvertently imagine pontoon supports needing to be strong enough to bear the weight of the pontoons, as they do on land. But once you enter the water, these same supports need to bear the weight of the entire sculpture and pilots.)

First the outriggers bent upward. Then since all remaining floatation was in the center, the sculpture rolled easily, backward in this case, until it completely inverted like a re-enactment of The Poseidon Adventure.

With less sculpture, the rest of the race went faster. They pushed so fast through the sand that pit crew were running once they exited.

This is the fourth year of OMHS Kinetic entries:

• 2017: OMHS Goes Bananas (Original Judges’ Choice award)
• 2016: OMHS Scorpion (Worst Honorable Mention)
• 2015: Scorpio in Space

For cleaning the messie debris of the shrinking sculpture, the team won the Best Pit Crew trophy, shown here.