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| Manufacturer | Vekoma | ||||||||||||||||||
| Product | Regatta | ||||||||||||||||||
| Designer / calculations | Ton van de Ven | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 700 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cabins | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Track length | 56 metres | ||||||||||||||||||
Polka Marina was a Sea Storm ride built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma previously located at Efteling in Kaatsheuvel, North Brabant, Netherlands.
History
Development of the ride started after the park decided that this area needed a child-friendly attraction. They saw Galeien at Tivoli Gardens in Kopenhagen, and wanted something similar. But, Efteling wanted the wave effect to go outwards as well, and asked a student of HTS Tilburg if something like that could be constructed with steel pipes. After this research, the park headed to Vekoma, as they had a good relationship after constructing Python three years prior. Vekoma constructed the ride using the exact same track that was used on Python, as a result some people consider the ride a roller coaster. The ride ended up in Vekoma's catalog, and they would produce many more versions of the ride in parks across europe and North-America.[1]
Removal
On October 13, 2020, Efteling revealed that Polka Marina would close on November 30 2020 after 36 years of operation, and would be replaced by a playground named "Nest!".[2] The ride stood SBNO after its closure, before being dismanteled on December 22, 2020. The removal should've actually started early January, but the Efteling had to close due to the coronavirus pandmeic, prompting them to remove it earlier.[3] The ride was fully removed on January 24, 2021.[4]
Design
The ride utilised the Regatta system build by Vekoma. It used the same rail as the Vekoma roller coasters, such as Python, used at the time.
Location
The ride was located in the "Ruigrijk" area of the park, roughly translating to "Thrill Realm".
Etymology
Polka Marina is pseudo-latin. It translates to Dance of the Sea.
Theme
The ride had a nautical theme, with ride vehicles themed as boats. It featured a big whale fountain in the middle, with a pirate holding a umbrella balancing on the fountain.