The Grand Final of the Great Apple Race has been staged at the Essex Cricket Ground in Chelmsford bringing together some of the brightest young inventors from primary and secondary schools around the county.

The top qualifying teams had been working hard to design apple-carrying vehicles powered only by an elastic band in a bid to win some of the hundreds of pounds of prizes up for grabs.

The overall prize, the Stanley Barnett Trophy, was presented to Kelvedon St Mary's School, who also won £500 in the distance awards and £250 for their design.

Their vehicle, named Core it's Kelvedon, was made using two vinyl records as wheels.

"Slow and steady wins the race, and we did. £700 pound vouchers and a trophy in the great apple race," said Hamish Pearson, one of the three inventors of the vehicle.

Headmaster of Kelvedon St Mary's School, John Brace, said he was delighted that the school had won.

The Design Awards were judged by judged by Peter Turrall, former Marconi engineer, Richard Boyd a celebrated "failed inventor" but successful Director of Essex Disabled People's Association, and BBC Radio Essex presenter, Simon Baldock.

Councillor Joe Pike, Chairman of Essex County Council, presented the prizes with an extra £50 for each school to reach the Grand Final.

AtoZ Supplies has held an annual competition for schools for eight years - but a new format for 2001 challenged schools to design and build a rubber band-powered vehicle that would carry an ordinary English apple the greatest possible distance. Vehicles designed by pupils in secondary schools would then eject their apple passenger using rubber band power.

To see a full list of the schools that took part, along with their designs, visit www.beehive.thisisessex.co.uk/gar and www.atozsupplies.co.uk/newApplerace for the full table of results.

Published Thursday March 14, 2002