The EEA Daedalus Society — the Academy's student solar-boat team — has been officially admitted to the 2026 Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge, becoming the first Greek student entry in the competition in five years.
The boat, "Daedalus I," was designed and built between January and April 2026 in the Mechatronics Hall, primarily by 14 first-year students from the Mechanical Engineering and Electrical & Energy Systems programmes. The qualification submission package — a 60-page technical dossier and a five-minute construction-progress video — was accepted by the Yacht Club de Monaco's selection committee on 18 April.
About the boat
- Hull: 4.5 m carbon-fibre catamaran, vacuum-bagged in the Mechatronics Hall composites bay
- Propulsion: 4 kW brushless DC outboard, custom controller built around an STM32 MCU
- Solar array: 1.6 kWp monocrystalline panels donated by a sponsor
- Battery: 5 kWh LiFePO₄ pack, custom BMS designed by the Electrical sub-team
- Weight (empty, ready to launch): 165 kg
- Top speed (test runs at Vouliagmeni): 14 knots
"This is what an engineering school is for," said Prof. Mavrogiannis, Dean of Mechanical Engineering and faculty advisor to the team. "Fourteen first-year students built a functioning, regulation-compliant solar racing catamaran in nine weeks. Nobody told them what was supposed to be hard about it. They just did it."
What's next
The Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge will be held from 1 to 6 July 2026. The Daedalus Society will compete in the Solar Class. The team is currently fundraising for travel and shipping costs (estimated €18,000) — a public call to the EEA community will be issued in mid-May, and a corporate sponsorship round is being co-ordinated with the EEA Career Services Office.