The Hybrid-Powered Submarine Racing Design Competition (2P/H – 2025) is calling on bold innovators, brilliant engineers, and creative problem solvers to push the boundaries of underwater racing!

Designing a high-performance submarine isn’t just about speed—it’s about engineering mastery. You’ll need to:

• Optimize hydrodynamics for maximum speed and agility.
• Engineer for near-shore, shallow-water conditions, tackling pressure, corrosion, and safety.
• Innovate with propulsion, balancing human effort with cutting-edge electric power.
• Master materials and weight, creating a streamlined, high-performance craft.
  Outpace the competition—can your design hit dolphin speeds of 13-16 knots

This is the next evolution of submarine racing—where human performance meets technological innovation!

Designing any form of underwater craft is a multi-faceted challenge – you have to evaluate the hydrodynamics of your design, the physics of water pressure changing the forces on your materials as you go deeper, the corrosive effects of salt water on your materials, and of course the physiological factors on the pilots and the team who support them in the water.

Over the past 35 years, teams have developed and raced human-powered submarines, and now we are stepping up the challenge with more complexity, more technology and more opportunities to innovate, as well as more opportunities to entertain.

Can you put together a team who can take on these challenges, and develop a fast, efficient Racing Submarine with two pilots?  How will your team balance straight line speed with agility and manoeuvrability ?

Designing a two-pilot submersible will be a challenge for any competent engineering team, but can you make it go fast?  Current human-powered submarines can achieve around 5 to 7 knots underwater – faster than most diver scooters.  Can you go to the next level and keep up with a school of dolphins (13-16 knots)?  What materials will you use and how will you keep the weight down, so it is as fast as possible?

The winning design will be the one which balances buoyancy and strength, manoeuvrability and power consumption within an envelope of safety and security for both the pilots and anyone else in the water.

Develop a submarine design which could compete and win in a submarine race around a course in the coastal ocean.

It is anticipated that a pilot race will be run September 2027. This event will be by invitation only and the number of SubRacers participating will be limited), but it is hoped that the most successful teams will be invited to participate in these pilot races .
There will be limited time following the competition and the re-issue of the design requirements document, but it is hoped that a number of the submarine designs will transition from design into build and compete in the races in 2027.
Teams may wish to consider the timescales to ensure sufficient time for the manufacture, assembly and test of their submarine.

To emphasise the multi-disciplinary nature of the exercise, the scope will include (in addition to the traditional naval architecture aspects) specific responses on safety, construction methodology, regulation/legal aspects, cost estimates and project management.

The relatively short timescale of competition 2P/H-2025 makes this a “real-life” full sized marine engineering project with the challenges of assimilating complex subjects such as hydro-dynamics, sustainable electric propulsion and flotability to create a feasible design in a few months.   It is anticipated that when they start to translate their designs into reality as the second phase of the project. they will make use of advanced manufacturing and implementation techniques such as 3D Printing, prototyping and CNC machining.

To help generate high-quality submissions and industry support, we are working with some major engineering companies who have agreed to provide access to existing facilities.  We will announce the list closer to the launch of the project but hope to include:

• Technical Guidance – Insights from marine engineering firms, motorsport specialists, and energy technology experts.
• Design & Simulation Tools – Access to software providers specializing in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and finite element analysis.
• Academic Participation – Engineering and naval architecture departments to contribute fresh research and concepts.

• Win the ultimate prize (to be announced soon!) and gain global recognition.
• Kickstart your engineering career with hands-on experience in marine design, propulsion, and hydrodynamics.
• Collaborate with industry leaders and access cutting-edge simulation tools and expert mentorship.
• Be part of history—your design could shape the future of competitive submarine racing!

But the design competition 2P/H-2025 is only the first step on a journey to build, test, and finally race your submarine in the open sea in the Canary Islands in March 2027.   This is the ultimate test of your design skills, your manufacturing expertise, as well as involving logistics, team management, scuba diving training and project team working.

Being part of one of these teams will expose you to many areas of marine engineering that are difficult to cover in large scale build projects, such as advanced electronics, hull design and manufacturing techniques, all in one project.

Competition 2P/H-2025 will be structured to ensure detailed, high-quality submissions are received by the deadline of 31st January 2026, following this timeline:

May 2025 – Official Launch & Call for Entries
• Release detailed competition guidelines, evaluation criteria, and submission
requirements.
• Promotion to universities, research institutions, and industry players.
• Open registration and early-stage proposal submissions.

June – September 2025 – Concept Development & Design Refinement

• Technical webinars and mentorship sessions with experts.
• Access to simulation tools where possible.
• Mid-stage concept reviews for participant feedback.

October – December 2025 – Detailed Design Submission Phase
• Entrants submit refined design blueprints, engineering analyses,
and feasibility studies.
• Judges evaluate preliminary designs and provide technical insights for refinement.

31st January 2026 – Submission Deadline
• All completed designs submitted for final evaluation.

February – March 2026 – Judging & Evaluation
• Expert panel assessment of design feasibility, innovation, and alignment with race
conditions.
• Finalists announced and invited to the prize-giving event.

By focusing this round of competition 2P/H-2025 on design for production rather than physical prototype development, the competition will maximize global participation and encourage bold, innovative ideas without manufacturing constraints. The next round of competition will focus on converting these designs into race-worthy submarines.