After 14 years of organizing the #TheGreatBottleRace during the "Ster na Bydgoszcz" event, we came to the conclusion that our Race "deserved" to be shown somewhere else.
It so happens that we visit Ustka quite often and that's where we decided to set sail for the sea. Thanks to cooperation with the City of Ustka, we managed to implement our plan as part of the annual Days of the Sea.
First of all, I would like to thank the Sponsors who made our idea possible.
Thanks are also due to those who funded prizes for the participating teams.
The idea to do it in Ustka is one thing, but we had to decide where to do it. There were 2 options - the first open sea, the second harbor channel. After talks with the City Hall, the Harbor Master's Office and the Port Authority, we came to the conclusion that it would be better and, above all, safer to do it in the port canal. These 14 years of experience in organizing #WielkiWyścigBotelkowy in Bydgoszcz gave us an idea of what we were up against, but we were also aware that the Race on the river and the Race in the port channel are a completely different story. And of course, this means additional challenges, because there is normal traffic of ships and yachts in the port canal, and all this is added to by the fact that it is the middle of the season, so all boats and tourist ships come in. And yet there is also a footbridge which opens and closes every hour, connecting the western and eastern parts of the port. All that remains is to sit down to talks and agree on such conditions that will allow the Race to be conducted efficiently and, above all, safely. To our great satisfaction, we met with understanding and great kindness, so instead of finding more problems, we quickly agreed on all the details.
The uniqueness of our Race is that all starting teams get the same materials and, importantly, the same amount of materials, i.e. 360 empty plastic bottles, adhesive tape and stretch foil. Then they independently design and build "water vehicles" on which they race. Some look like boats, others have unusual shapes, because he was m. shark and dragon. The oars are made of shovel handles and vegetable chopping boards and are driven solely by human muscle power. Importantly, the bottles used for construction come from recycling.
And so we reached the moment of the start, which gathered crowds of fans on the quays. The competition on the water was fierce, although the NURT team "jumped away" from the others quite quickly and eventually won the entire competition. The fight for the next places went on until the very end and the final order was as follows:
1. NURT
2. Stako Team
3. Pomorze Resort
4. W.O.N.S.Z.
5. Jantar team
After the Race, everyone said that the venue wasn't as important as the challenge and fun itself. And of course, analyzes appeared immediately, which can be changed already for the next Race to look even better and more impressive. For us, as the organizers, the greatest reward was to see the tired but smiling faces of the participants of the Race.
Finally, I would like to thank those who made it possible to conduct the Race efficiently and, above all, safely.
THE MASTER'S OFFICE OF THE SEA PORT IN USTKA
We leave Ustka tired, but smiling and happy, so see you at the next Race next year
