PRESS RELEASE April 4, 2003 FIFTH GRADERS TALK BY SATELLITE WITH GREAT AMERICAN II Duffy Elementary - West Hartford, Connecticut It was an exciting morning for Mrs. Reed's fifth graders. They have been following the Great American II sailboat from Hong Kong to New York, and Friday morning they received a phone call from the captain. Rich Wilson called at 9:10 p.m., or 9:10 a.m. East Coast time, and spent 20 minutes answering the students' questions. "How much voltage do you produce from your solar panels and wind generator?" students on the Maintenance Team asked. The Nature Team asked, "What was the favorite animal you have seen so far?" Rich told the class about flying fish and how he was looking forward to seeing an albatross that has a wingspan of over 10 feet. The boat, a 53-foot trimaran, is trying to beat a record of 74 days 14 hours which was set by the Sea Witch, a 192-foot clipper ship. Mrs. Reed's class has been following the boat since March 16th and is plotting its course. Last week, the boat slipped past the Sea Witch and the students were so excited. The sitesALIVE! program, which is sponsored by the Hartford Courant, comes with a weekly newspaper, latitude and longitude positioning, and a wealth of other website support. “It is an exciting way to teach the students about geography, adventure, math, science and technology," said teacher Mrs. Reed, an avid sailor who herself sails out of Noank on her own 27-foot sloop. Source: Duffy Elementary