FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City College of San Francisco Engineering Club Races to Victory at Statewide Solar Regatta
This is the sixth time the College has produced engineering champions at the annual event.
Media Contact: Alexandra Céspedes Kent, (510) 413-8445, alexandra@volersa.com. For photos from the event, please see this link.
San Francisco, California (June 10, 2025) - The City College of San Francisco (CCSF) Engineering Club has once again shown remarkable ingenuity and team collaboration by winning the 2025 Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) California Solar Regatta, held on May 3, 2025, at the Rancho Seco Recreation Area. The CCSF Engineering Club has now won the SMUD Regatta Cup in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025, making our College one of the most decorated in the event’s history.
This year’s competition brought together top-tier teams from across California, including UC Riverside, Cal Poly Pomona, Sacramento State, Chico State, and several other distinguished colleges. CCSF stood out with first-place finishes in both the Sprint and Slalom events, and a close second in the Endurance race. Their technical skill and multidisciplinary approach also earned them top honors in the Artistic, Sustainability, and Drivetrain categories, securing their overall victory.
“After placing second in 2024, this year’s win is especially meaningful,” said Keith Mueller, Chair of the CCSF Engineering Department and faculty advisor to the club. “Our students worked tirelessly—often late into the night in the basement of the Science Building—and their dedication paid off. I couldn’t be prouder.”
This year’s overcast skies turned this solar-powered event into a battery-only race, but the CCSF team powered through to claim their sixth Solar Regatta championship title and a cash prize of $3,000. Each competing team came prepared not only to race but also to demonstrate their engineering expertise—answering judges’ questions and explaining the intricacies of their boat’s wiring, design, materials, and mechanical systems.
Mitchell Bailey, Interim Chancellor of CCSF, also praised the team: "Congratulations to our incredible Engineering Club–winning against such a competitive field is truly remarkable. Since 2017, the club has amassed an impressive 36 racing awards across various competitions, continually raising the bar for student-led innovation and academic excellence while championing the significance of solar technology.”
About SMUD’s California Solar Regatta:
SMUD California Solar Regatta is an annual hands-on competition that challenges high school and college students from across California to design, build, and race solar-powered boats. Held every year at the Rancho Seco Recreational Area, the event promotes renewable energy education by combining engineering, teamwork, and innovation. Through a series of races and technical presentations, students gain real-world experience in solar technology while showcasing their creativity and problem-solving skills in a fun outdoor environment.
About City College of San Francisco:
Bringing higher education opportunities since 1935, and now celebrating its 90th anniversary, City College of San Francisco is an urban community college serving over 40,000 students annually at six locations throughout San Francisco. The College offers an affordable opportunity to earn associate degrees, prepare for transfer, pursue career and technical education, and personal development and enrichment. Visit: https://www.ccsf.edu
Learn more about Free City: Visit https://www.ccsf.edu/paying-college/free-city
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