The marine competition is aimed at pupils in year nine and above. The teams of two to four students develop their own research ideas and apply for a one-week marine research expedition, which takes place during the summer holidays. The most innovative teams are then selected by a jury and subsequently realised. The final award ceremony for the realised projects then takes place at boot Düsseldorf. Every year since 2005, the competition has been getting schoolchildren interested in the sea as the largest ecosystem on our planet.
The "Aldebaran" - a research and media ship
Frank Schweikert has been travelling regularly with the "Aldebaran" since 1991. This is a Sonate Ovni 43, which was built by Alubat. The aluminium ship has its home port in Hamburg, where it was originally launched in 1986 and underwent a major refit in 2011. The "Aldebaran" has berths for seven people, is 13.80 metres long and 4.50 metres wide. The draught of the ship is variable due to the swivel keel and is between 0.80 and 2.50 metres. The rudder blade can also be raised hydraulically.
Equipment on board for the sea competition
The equipment on the "Aldebaran" is exceptional. While the owners of other sailing yachts prioritise comfort or sailing performance, this special boat is different. What counts here are the possibilities that arise on board for the scientists. For example, there are two tanks in the foredeck with no less than 800 litres of fresh water. All that water is needed to clean the sensitive measuring equipment.
In addition to the research and measurement technology, the "Aldebaran" is also equipped with a workstation that allows the events on the boat to be comprehensively processed by the media.
