Every year the charity organises The Royal Naval Challenge, which is generously supported by Seavision UK.

All the teams taking part in the final of the Royal Navy's 'Operation Intercept' drug busting challenge at HMS Sultan in Gosport last month had to pitch their skills against each other in intercepting make believe Caribbean drug runners in collaboration with HMS Westminster. They also had to recover any booty abandoned by the criminals during the chase.

In the two senior age groups, ages 14 to 16 and 16 to 18, the model vessels used had to be radio controlled, whilst for the 11 to 14 junior age group both umbilical cord and radio controlled models were allowed.

The challenge was mounted against the clock in three specially adapted open tanks at HMS Sultan.

Prizes were given in each of the age categories for the best performances, the best vessel construction and design, the best presentation, the best turned out vessel, and the most titanic effort.

Winning best performance in the top age group were four Young Engineers from Bishops Castle Community College in the West Midlands, who used their own specially constructed model vessel Gotcha. Team members Rebecca McLintock (18), Ruth Watson (17), Rhys Jenkins (18), and Jose Tweedie (17) scooped £600 in prize money, £250 in equipment vouchers, a day at sea with the Royal Navy, and a Lynx helicopter ride.

Commenting on their success, team leader Rebecca McLintock said, 'We are all thrilled to win the challenge but for me personally it's amazing because it is my last competition before I leave school to go to Strathclyde University to study naval architecture.'

Young Engineers has just launched a re-designed website at www. youngeng. org which will create a virtual community for the Young Engineers Club network, guide club leaders, and inform the public at large of engineering initiatives currently available to UK students.

MJInformation No: 21822