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Boneyard Yacht Club (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Concrete Canoe Team)
In 1971, professor Clyde Kessler of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign challenged his concrete design class to build a canoe made of concrete, and thus the Boneyard Yacht Club (BYC) was born. BYC, which is part of the Great Lakes Regional Conference, has qualified for six National Competitions and had a best finish of fourth. The team is led by two captains with 30 other team members providing support in various areas of the project. As part of American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Concrete Canoe Competition provides college students and future engineers the opportunity to incorporate classroom knowledge into a major project that includes the use of management skills, construction methods, critical thinking, and team work. Each year brings new, innovative ideas and methods in designing and constructing a floating concrete canoe. Last year’s Canoe, the I of the Illini, was recognized for its sustainable design and distinctive style. It achieved a second place finish at regionals.

Rules
At the start of every school year, the Committee on National Concrete Canoe Competition releases the rules and regulations for that competition year. Strict rules are placed within the entire project to help regulate and promote competition.

Concrete Design
Through extensive research and development, a complex mixture of concrete is produced. The mixture includes materials such as light weight aggregates, cement, crack reducing fibers, liquid admixtures, and some experimental materials. Mix designs change yearly and represent cutting edge technology.

Construction
The team is responsible for the construction of a mold to cast the concrete into. High precision is required to ensure the canoe means the dimensional tolerances set by the competition. The team is also responsible for building display stands to document the construction process.

The Competition
The overall project is judged at the regional and national completion using four categories which include the final product appearance, the technical paper, an oral presentation, and 5 races. The final product includes being judged on the final appearance of the canoe along with the display table. The technical paper outlines all major aspects of the project and details the design of the canoe. The oral presentation is a five minute formal presentation outlining the entire project and the presenters are subject to questions asked by a panel of judges. The races include men’s and women’s sprints and slaloms, and a four person coed sprint race. The team also is responsible for preparing structural and dynamic analysis of the canoe, as well as outlining the work schedule with critical path software.