Today, 20 fabulous Y5 pupils attended a STEM and sailing event at the 1851 Trust in Portsmouth. They had an amazing day which saw them complete an array of activities including:

1. Hull Shapes – The children learnt about how the hull and keel keep the boat from tipping over. Using wire and cutters they created their own hull and using weights and ballast made it float. A competition was had to see whose boat could take the most weight on one side of the mast before capsizing.
2. On the water – We were taken across to Haslar marina where we met the ailing school who took us out in small groups on small sailing boats. We learnt about steering and booms. The children will all be awarded a certificate to mark their achievements. Emily C said, “I really enjoyed the day. My favourite part was learning about renewable energy and sailing. My team managed to generate 2:2 volts of energy! I was glad it was sunny as it was calm on the sea when we were sailing. I learnt that the keel is the bottom of the boat.’
3. Coding – The group were given a mission to crack the code using the enigma machine along with morse code. Working together they decoded messages and avoided mines and U-boats to sail to victory.
4. Materials – Looking at old plans from previous America cup boats they looked at the materials used and how they had changed. They were asked to conduct an experiment to measure the strength of different types of materials. Weights and rulers at the ready they conducted science test to see what substance was the most robust.

With thanks to the 1851 Trust for making this opportunity available to us. The children had a great time , loved being on the water and learnt lots. We hope to organise repeat visits for other children too.