Students competing to design, build and race model Formula 1 cars are set for the national finals tomorrow.

TEAM WEST COAST Cruisers are revving up as we prepare for the national finals of the Honda-powered F1 in Schools Technology Challenge. The international competition, run in Ireland by the Irish Computer Society (ICS), challenges secondary school students to design, build and race model Formula 1 cars powered by CO2.

West Coast Cruisers will go head-to-head with teams from across Ireland, testing the speed and engineering quality of the F1 model car they have been working on since September. Using computer-aided design (CAD) software to model the car's specification, the team collaborated with Cork Institute of Technology's (CIT) F1 in Schools Make Centre on its construction. The college used specialised milling equipment to convert our 3D designs into a real model car.

The team consists of six transition-year students from Beara Community School, west Cork, which already has a proud tradition in the competition. Team manager Brian O'Sullivan says: "Two years ago our school performed strongly in the competition, coming second overall, and last year the two teams from the school came first and second respectively in the western heats, so this year the pressure is really on us."

We qualified from the south regional competition held on March 7th and picked up two awards: for best website and best use of ICT. Manufacturing engineer Kevin Harrington said: "We were delighted to qualify for the national finals and pick up two awards in doing so. We have all put a lot of work into this project and we would like to thank our teacher Noel O'Sullivan for helping us throughout the year."

Each team member has a specific task. This competition is not just about creating a Formula 1 car: the team must also create a website, portfolio and Poweroint presentation that they will have to present to judges on the day of the national finals. In order to prepare for the heats we created our own website (www.wwcf1.com), designed our own personally made T-shirts and created a stand that resembled the west coast. "We decided that a stand that represented our team name would be very appropriate for the competition," resources manager Ruth Power explains.

We have been doing really well, but this project would not be successful without the help of our sponsors. Communications and marketing manager Kerrie O'Neill said: "We would like to thank Shellfish De La Mer, Harrington Glass, AIB Castletownbere and Vince Power Painting Services for sponsoring the team. Without them our project would not be a success."

We have come a long way since September and have progressed to the national finals in Dublin tomorrow. The winning team will get a chance to represent Ireland at the World Championships next year.

Colm Manning is a student at Beara Community School