The 2011 UIM Environmental Award Winner - Azimut motor yacht Magellano 50

The UIM Environmental Award is open to UIM National Authorities, partners, racing teams, boat builders, engine manufacturers, universities, research centres, scientists, Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), companies in order to recognizes outstanding environmental leaders, whether individuals or organizations, that have exemplified inspiration, vision, innovation, leadership and applications for the Environment.

Among the main selection criteria are: Innovation, Significance, Practicality, Usability, Economic Feasibility and Environmental Benefit. For the 2011 edition there is a Winner and three Special Mentions. The prestigious trophies will be given at the annual UIM Awards Giving Gala which will take place on Saturday, February 11th 2012 at the magnificent Salle des Etoiles in Monaco where the UIM will host and entertain a truly international crowd of 300 VIP guests from 25 different nations to honour over 70 World Champions of Powerboat racing.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD WINNER

AZIMUT MAGELLANO 50 – AZIMUT YACHTS – Azimut-Benetti Group

The Magellano 50 yacht is a vessel that can cruise continuously, everywhere, and with the greatest respect for the environment, thanks to its Class CE A (NMMA Certification) and Rina Green Plus Class notation. For many years now,
Azimut Yachts has considered the quest for optimum eco-compatibility as one of its top priorities.

Magellano 50 Yacht

For this reason, being the world’s first shipyard to achieve RINA “Green Plus” notation in the mid-sized vessel segment (under 50’) is an exceptional triumph for the company’s design team. The Magellano 50 yacht meets all the requisites demanded from her low-emission engines (the Magellano 50 yacht is powered by two brand-new latestgeneration 425 hp Cummins common rail engines, with electronic fuel-consumption management) to her highperformance hull and propellers; from the anti-UV film applied to reduce heat exchange through the glass surfaces to the tracking of consumption and tank levels, with a charging and discharging log; and from the LED lighting to the infusion lamination of the principal fiberglass components, a procedure carried out in the Azimut shipyard in Avigliana, Italy, which has the ISO 14001 Environment standard certificate and the BS OHSAS 18001.

Magellano 50 Yacht Flybridge

Quote from Mr. Paolo Casani, CEO of Azimut Yachts, “Creating luxury products while paying maximum respect to the environment and workers has always been part of Azimut’s DNA. The ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certificates demonstrate it and this award is additional confirmation that we are steering in the right direction!”

Magellano 50 Yacht Salon

Special Mention for “ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY” to:

“MERCURY RACING” – BRUNSWICK Corporation- Mercury 60 EFI and Mercury Optimax 200 XS

Emissions Fall – Big & Small – Mercury Marine leads the marine industry in the development of low emissions marine propulsion systems. Mercury Racing has introduced Mercury’s industry leading emissions compliant technology to outboard powerboat racing throughout the world.

Low Emissions 4-Strokes – Mercury’s efforts in sustaining the environment extend to entry level racing as well. Mercury Racing’s 60 EFI Formula Race outboard is featured in the UIM F-4S outboard racing series. Brunswick Marine Sweden and their performance dealer started the series over six years ago under the name Mercury Formula Four.

Mercury OptiMax 200XS SST

Safety and environment sustainability are the main criteria for the series featuring strong, composite boats with reinforced cockpits and environmentally friendly engines. It has grown into a successful UIM International series which includes lowemissions four stroke competition in Sweden, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Norway, Hungary, France, the Netherlands, China and other UIM nations, with approximately 60 boats registered world-wide.

Low-Emissions 2-Strokes – Global demand for low emissions race engines continues to grow as event promoters realize the need for creating affordable classes featuring clean, environmentally responsible engines. The OptiMax
200XS SST is the official power of the UIM F1H2O Nations Cup Series.

The series features drivers competing in identical boats using identical engines and props. Mercury Racing has made an impact in the greening of UIM Class 3C offshore racing as well. The low-emissions OptiMax 200XS ROS (Race offshore) has replaced the carbureted 2.0 Liter Mercury XR2 race outboard as the power of choice for this exciting outboard offshore racing class.

“Mercury customers, myself included, want to boat on clean water and in a healthy environment. Mercury Racing showcases our environmentally responsible technologies through powerboat racing and performance boating worldwide,” said Mercury Racing President Fred Kiekhaefer.

Special Mention for “ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT” to:

PLANET SOLAR PROJECT

PlanetSolar is the largest solar boat in the world. The 537 m2 of solar panels supply 6 blocks of lithium-ion batteries; a technology that provides power and energy density for an autonomy never achieved before. Indeed, each sunrise supplies the catamaran with the needed energy to continue its route.

The Largest Solar Boat in the World - PLANET SOLAR

The designer of PlanetSolar, Craig Loomes from New Zealand, has already developed many innovative ships throughout the world. Several months of research have determined the dimensions and the design of this great ship according to the chosen route. The engineers had to find andoptimize solutions for converting and storing energy as well as for the aerodynamics, the propulsion of the boat and the choice of materials.

The incredibly lightweight carbon structure of this futuristic vessel is extremely durable. The clean and quiet boat is called Tûranor PlanetSolar which means « power of the sun » in the mythology of the novelist JRR Tolkien.  It was launched in March 2010 in Kiel, Germany, in the shipyards of Knierim Yachtbau, after 18 months and more than 65,000 hours of construction. Having accomplished almost already of the World Tour, the crew is proud of
the work and the options chosen.

PlanetSolar has proven that solar energy works and that its history is just beginning… Singapore, Mumbai, Abu Dhabi… These stop-overs are more than mere moments for the crew to stretch their legs. They are unique opportunities to meet local people and to promote both solar energy and clean mobility!

Solar powered boat PlanetSolar

The « SolarVillage » (powered as it should be by solar panels) is deployed near the boat to educate visitors and to host cultural events, games, lectures, interactive exhibitions and film screenings. Wherever it stops, PlanetSolar creates enthusiasm and admiration, touching the hearts and minds of the people by sharing with them a different vision of the future that is already available today.

“PlanetSolar is very proud and honored to receive that Special Mention for “Environmental Benefit” from the UIM. By completing the first around the world tour only propelled by solar energy, PlanetSolar aims to demonstrate that we have the technologies available today to reduce our dependency on fossil energy. This Special Mention is a great help to convey our message,” stated Raphael Domjan, Planet Solar’s founder.

Special Mention for “INNOVATION ” to:

FRAUSCHER Shipyard

In the last couple of years, Frauscher has proved that even a smaller company can take a leading position through continuous innovation and the use of new technologies. Frauscher changes the perception of a whole industry regarding “green” eco-friendly propulsion technology for pleasure crafts.

Frauscher 600 Riviera Yacht - side view

Frauscher shipyard has taken action in several fields in the last 40 years: As production of electric boats they started in 1969. Today, Frauscher shipyard is the most successful electric boat manufacturer in Europe, maybe in the whole world. In 2008 they introduced the world’s first serial hybrid propulsion system for pleasure crafts in cooperation with Steyer Motors.

In San Francisco they built the first serial electric boat, in cooperation with two Austrian companies, powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell in 2009. In 2010 they have started a cooperation with Mastervolt, in order to have the latest
technologies internationally available, with the aim to increase the range of electric boats which is possible through the usage of lithium-ion phosphate batteries.

600 Riviera Yacht by Frauscher

They wrote in their application that the 2011 UIM Environmental Award would validate their hard work towards a lower environmental footprint and acknowledge their constant efforts to innovate in their industry and UIM is honoured to award their several efforts.

Stefan Frauscher, Managing Director Sales & Marketing, stated, “Frauscher shipyard is not just well known as a manufacturer of motor and electric yachts of outstanding quality, award winning design and exceptional driving characteristic but also for our continuous efforts to innovate in boat building: For more than 40 years Frauscher is building boats with electric propulsion – like our newest green boat, the Frauscher 650 Alassio – and with numerous other innovations like the first hybrid boat propulsion and the first boat with a fuel cell drive, Frauscher continues to be at the forefront of the industry.”

Frauscher 600 Riviera Yacht

“To create eco-friendly propulsion systems for pleasure crafts plays an important role in all our considerations. The UIM Environmental Award Special Mention for Innovation confirms that we are on the right track to achieve that objective. The team at Frauscher shipyard will not stop their effort to develop eco-friendly innovations for the future.”

After One Year of Sailing - PlanetSolar in Singapore

September 27 2010, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, the largest solar boat ever built, left the port of Monaco for the first trip around the world, powered only by solar energy. After a year of navigation and over 40,000 kilometres, during which the boat had made stops in Miami, Cancun, Panama, Galapagos Islands, Bora Bora, Tonga, Brisbane, Manila and Hong Kong, three quarters of the PlanetSolar world tour have already been completed.

Ms Turanor - PlanetSolar departs Monaco 27 September 2010 - Photo courtesy of PlanetSolar

The ship is sailing under the Swiss flag and has stopped for fifteen days in Singapore to conduct important technical maintenance works. Singapore was chosen as the place to have this maintenance done due to the excellent quality of its shipyards.

The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar and its interactive exhibition “SolarVillage” will be held in VivoCity from the 12th to 16th of October 2011, from 10:00 to 22:00. This is an opportunity for the public to meet and to get to know the crew as well as to understand their reasons for and commitment towards sustainable development.

Program:

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

17h00 – 17h30                   Arrival of PlanetSolar at VivoCity and welcoming ceremony

17h30 – 18h30                   Press conference on board with a project presentation held by the

PlanetSolar crew

Various activities related to solar energy will take place near the boat with the support of the Swiss Embassy. Children can participate in small solar boat races and also discover in a fun way the enormous potential of renewable energy.

In parallel to these activities, lectures and discussions will be done thanks to the collaboration of several universities in Singapore: « Nanyang Technological University », « Singapore Polytechnic » and « National Youth Achievement Award Council of Singapore ». Discussions will focus on the issue of technological challenge associated with solar energy. These conferences are organized in collaboration with “Swissnex Singapore”, one of our scientific partners and the School of Engineering of the Canton of Vaud (Switzerland).

About PlanetSolar

PlanetSolar was initiated by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan and has its headquarters in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, built in Kiel, Germany, is a catamaran powered exclusively by solar energy. It is covered with 537 m2 of photovoltaic panels. After two years of design and construction, PlanetSolar is behind many technological advances, especially in the field of composite manufacturing and storage of solar energy. PlanetSolar is primarily funded by private partners, the Swiss watchmaker Candino and German specialist in energy management Immosolar, but also by public institutions, including the Swiss Confederation, with « Presence Suisse ». Moreover, PlanetSolar uses weather forecasts offered by MeteoFrance. An innovative software has been developed specifically for this expedition.

Features of MS Tûranor PlanetSolar

•             Length: 35 m / Width: 23 m

•             Height: 6.10 m / Weight: 95 t

•             Solar Panels: 38’000 with 22,6% yield

•             Maximum engine power: 120 kW

•             Average Engine: 20 kW (26.8 HP)

•             Crew: min 4 people

PlanetSolar MS Turanor in Hong Kong

The PlanetSolar Village, constructed in Harbour City in the middle of Hong Kong, received thousands of fans in the week that is was there. Hundreds of children have used drawings to preserve their visions of what a solar world would look like, as well as participated in different activities at the PlanetSolar Village.

MS Turanor PlanetSolar in Hong Kong

For Raphael Domjan, initiator of the Eco- Adventure and Co-Skipper of PlanetSolar, “the stop in Hong Kong exceeded all our expectations. Thousands of people came to the Harbor to see, film, and photograph PlanetSolar. The media transported our vision and our message allover China and even beyond. It was important to show the people of Hong Kong and China that we already have the technology and energy needed to change our lifestyles and live sustainably.

MS Turanor - Hong Kong

The navigation to Singapore (about 1,600 miles or 2,500 kilometers respectively), through the Chinese Sea will be complex, as Pascal Goulpié, the operative and scientific leader of PlanetSolar has stressed. “The monsoon rain in this region is strongly present, thus the danger for tropical storms in not yet averted.”

On Board of MS Turanor PlanetSolar in Hong Kong

We are also pleased to say that the PlanetSolar Medical Team gave Raphael Domjan permission to come back onboard PlanetSolar at the beginning of September. The surgery from June went smoothly; therefore Co- Skipper Domjan will again be able to take over navigation. He is planning to join the Crew under Captain Erwann Le Rouzic during a short stay in Vietnam so he can tackle the rest of the over 10,000 mile world tour to Monaco with the rest of the Team.

MS TURANOR PlanetSolar

The stop in Manila was inspired by the official partner SunPower. The Californian company is the producer of the solar cells that are used on PlanetSolar. These cells are produced in one of their largest factories located close to Manila. Appropriately, a majority of the 4,500 SunPower employees in Manila will welcome “their” solar cells.

The solar powered yacht PlanetSolar MS TURANOR in Brisbain

Since the departure from Cairns, Australia, PlanetSolar  has crossed the equator for the second time and mastered the change from the winter in the Southern hemisphere to the summer in the Northern hemisphere. This was accomplished despite some strong winds, waves and uncertain weather.  They also had to be careful with rebel situations in the South of the Philippines. Due to several warnings from the authorities, the PlanetSolar crew had to take some detours and also had to hide their position on the daily blog and the virtual world map on the website. The crew used distraction messages in order to lead potential invaders astray.

Stunning image of PlanetSolar MS TURANOR in French Polynesia

The founder and co-skipper of PlanetSolar, Raphaël Domjan said, “We are very pleased that the PlanetSolar crew passed the first pirate test successfully, with this they demonstrated that their journey is safe, not only technically but also tactically. We have successfully covered more than 35,000 km, and we are looking forward to also reach the Asian countries with our important message. Today we can proudly say that we have a project which mastered the longest distance ever with only the help of the sun, and that alone is worth a lot.”

MS TURANOR PlanetSolar Yacht in one of the most beautiful yacht charter destinations - French Polynesia

The PlanetSolar project was founded by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan. The project team is located in Yverdon, canton of Vaud, in western Switzerland. The world’s largest solar boat was given the name “TURANOR” which means “Power of the Sun,” inspired by the film saga “The Lord of the Rings.” The MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar began her journey on the 27^th of September 2010 in Monaco. She wants to prove with her world tour that alternative energy systems are already effective and reliable today. The boat is made up of more than 540 square meters of solar cells from SunPower. For the first circumnavigation of the world they are using a “sun route software and forecast system” for the first time. This system gives the crew information on the expected weather, wave height,  clouds, and sun intensity. Several companies and institutions worked on both the boat development and its respective systems, mostly from Switzerland, Germany, and France. The biggest partners of the expedition are; the watch producer Candino, the energy management company Immosolar, the solar cell producer SunPower, and the Swiss Confederation, who is especially responsible for the organization of activites at the stopovers, for example, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Planet Solar in Brisbane

In an official ceremony students from Brisbane schools will join the captain and crew to hand out their banners. The Solar Relay for Hope will continue on from Brisbane around the world, with the TÛRANOR’s global expedition providing the chance for collecting children’s thoughts on solar at each stopover as a symbolic act to capture the vision of the next generation. Young people all over the world can join the project via internet.

Brisbane has been selected to officially launch the Solar Relay for Hope because of the massive natural disasters at the beginning of 2011. On the conclusion of the voyage, all works that were created and provided to the Solar Relay for Hope will be given to politicians and representatives from the United Nations to signify the children of the world’s vision for a solar planet.

“With our expedition around the world, we want to demonstrate that the change for renewable energies is already taking place,” Cordula Ströher, initiator of the PlanetSolar Relay for Hope, explains. “We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and passion the youth of Brisbane has displayed in sharing our vision for a solar world.”

“It is initiatives like the PlanetSolar Relay for Hope that ensure the next generation grow up environmentally conscious and understand the importance of striving for a solar world”, says Raphaël Domjan, project founder of PlanetSolar.
Despite the most challenging of weather conditions up to now, the MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar continues on its round-the-world expedition and, with Brisbane, has now reached the Austrian continent.

The last part of the Pacific crossing was marked by high sea swell, squalls and extremely difficult conditions, which the biggest boat in the world passed with flying colours, however.

The TÛRANOR PlanetSolar has made its goal the circumnavigation of the world while meeting the most stringent criteria – the so-called English conditions. To this end, the following criteria need to be met: starting point and destination of the expedition are identical, all lines of longitude will be crossed, the equator will be crossed twice and the antipodal line will be negotiated. The antipodal line circumscribes the exact point on the opposite half of the earth and is determined by continuing the line starting at the starting point through the geocentre to the other side of the globe. On its journey from New Caledonia to Australia the MS TÛRANOR has already twice met the required criteria, by passing the antipodal point
and crossing the equator.

In addition, the solar boat has already achieved two records: the fastest Atlantic crossing in a solar boat and the longest stretch ever travelled in a solar-driven vehicle.

On 27 September 2010, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar set out from Monaca to circumnavigate the world using the power of the sun alone. The mission of the biggest solar boat in the world, which also sails under the Swiss flag, is to show that technologies in the renewable energy sector are already very reliable today and can be used very effectively for solar mobility at sea. The PlanetSolar Project was founded by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan and is based in Yverdon-les-Bains (Canton of Waadt). Today, it has already rendered technological progress possible, in the manufacture of composite materials and the storage of solar energy, for instance.

Planet Solar Brisbane Australia

PlanetSolar falls back on technical data from Metéo France for circumnavigating the world. In addition, a special routing technology has been developed for the project. For its 31-metre length and 15-metre width, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar has a 537m2 solar generator. The latter uses photovoltaic cells manufactured the Californian company SunPower, which – in contrast to conventional photovoltaic cells – are approx. 50 percent more efficient. Within the scope of sponsoring agreements, the Swiss watch company Candino as well as the energy management company Immosolar are the main partners of PlanetSolar. The project is also supported by many other companies and institutions.

MS TÛRANOR PLANETSOLAR continues World Tour

After successfully passing through the Panama Channel from East to West, MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar will continue her world tour on the Pacific Ocean. TÛRANOR PlanetSolar and the boat’s crew have received an overwhelming welcome at their last stopovers in Miami, Cancun, Cartagena and Panama, and the team is now looking forward to the next legs of the journey. A stopover on the Galápagos Islands is another opportunity for the project to connect people and initiatives supporting the progress of solar energy. For the months to come, MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar will follow an updated itinerary. The following major stopovers are currently being planned:

- Ecuador / Galapagos Islands (end of January 2011)

- French Polynesia / Bora Bora (mid March 2011)

- Tonga (April 2011)

- Australia / Brisbane, depending on the local weather situation (May 2011)

- China / Hong Kong (July 2011)

- China / Shanghai (August 2011)

- Singapore (October 2011)

- India / Mumbai (November 2011)

- Emirates / Abu Dhabi (December 2011)

- Transit Suez (February 2012)

- Monaco / return (April 2012)

This schedule is preliminary and might change due to weather conditions and other tour aspects. The itinerary only indicates major stopovers, there will be further “small” stops. In general, the tour aims to involve as many people as possible, with TÛRANOR PlanetSolar being an ambassador for the possibilities of renewable energies. The new itinerary does not foresee stopovers in San Francisco and Sydney. According to latest meteorological reports, the weather conditions for approaching both destinations are not appropriate (with regards to currents and stability of sunshine). Especially Australia currently is in a very difficult weather situation. “We hope that till spring the situation has improved again”, says project founder Raphaël Domjan. “Whatever will be the reasons behind the life threatening situation for many Australian people, this shows that we need more awareness for the issues behind our climate situation. We feel with the Australians and with all people currently suffering from rain and water floods.”

Based on the experience gained during the first legs of the journey, the boat now will be navigated with a crew of four people (instead of six): Raphaël Domjan, eco-explorer and founder of the PlanetSolar project, Captain Patrick Marchesseau, Jens Langwasser and Christian Ochsenbein. Mikaela von Koskull and Daniel Stahl will leave the boat for the legs to come. Patrick Marchesseau: “Thanks to Mikaela and Daniel who gave great support during the “Maiden voyage” of the boat. Without Mikaela as skipper and Daniel as technician we would not have managed the first proves offshore so smooth. We now know much more about the behaviour of TÛRANOR so that the boat needs less crew.” Boat owner Immo Stroeher adds: “Thanks to Mikaela and Daniel for being with us. They have an important share in our good progress and success for the tour.”

During its circumnavigation of the world entirely without fossil fuels, using only the power of the sun, MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar is currently visiting the Galápagos Islands. The world’s largest solar boat anchored in the harbour of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal, today, Tuesday, 25 January 2011, around 9.00 hrs a.m. local time (15.00 hrs UTC).

Galapagos Islands

The islands, which belong to Ecuador, are a unique natural paradise unlike anywhere else in the world. They have been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1978. Sustainable development plays a special role for this region. During its stopover the PlanetSolar team will meet a number of politicians and officials who are active in the field of nature conservancy.

The visit has been made possible through a co-operation with the WWF, which has been supporting and implementing conservation activities in the Galápagos for more than 40 years in close   partnership with local and national authorities, the private and public sectors, and the local community. WWF’s work in the islands is focused towards achieving a sustainable Galápagos in the future, and envisions a maximum use of renewable energy, especially as an important component in sustainable tourism. In this context the visit of MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar offers the Galápagos Islands a concrete picture of the technological possibilities already available today in the field of renewable energy.

Raphaël Domjan, founder of the PlanetSolar project, comments: “It is an unusual experience for us to be here on the Galápagos and to be able to co-operate with the WWF and the government of Ecuador.”

After spending a few days off San Cristóbal the solar catamaran will also visit Santa Cruz, the most densely populated island in the Galápagos archipelago. MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar expects to leave the islands again at the beginning of February.

MS TÛRANOR PLANETSOLAR arrives in the Galapagos Islands

The TÛRANOR PlanetSolar began her journey around the world in Monaco on 27th September 2010. The mission of the world’s largest solar boat is to demonstrate that existing renewable energy technologies are reliable and effective. The project also aims to advance scientific research. The PlanetSolar project, founded by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan and based in Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland/ Canton Vaud), has made technological developments possible in different fields such as the production of composite materials and structures as well as the storage of solar energy. For the tour, PlanetSolar can rely on technical data provided by Metéo France. A solar routing technology was specifically developed for the project. Sailing under Swiss flag and measuring close to 102 feet in length and 50 feet in width, TÛRANOR PlanetSolar is covered by a 5,700 square feet solar generator, using solar cells made by the California-based SunPower Corporation. SunPower offers solar cells which are 50% more efficient than conventional solar cells. Within a sponsoring scheme, PlanetSolar main partners are the Swiss watchmaker Candino (www.candino.com) and the energy management company Immosolar (www.immosolar.com). The project is supported by many further companies and institutions, amongst those the Swiss Confederation as Official Partner.

TÛRANOR PLANETSOLAR

After its Christmas break the world’s largest solar boat left Carthagena in Colombia last Saturday and set course for the town of Colon, the “gateway” to the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side.
“At this point we were travelling in convoy with a lot of other ships and had to maintain quite a fast speed,” is how Captain Patrick Marchesseau describes the journey through the busy waterway. “But with batteries fully charged, the TÛRANOR was able to fulfill this task easily.”

The arrival in Panama City marks the beginning of the next major stage on the round-the-world voyage by the world’s first solar boat: the crossing of the Pacific Ocean. A next stopover is planned on the Galapagos Islands, famous for their unique natural fauna. The environmentally-friendly solar boat is expected to arrive there on Monday, 24th January 2011. The founder of the project, Raphaël Domjan, explains: “We are looking forward to our visit because the animals are particularly trusting when they encounter our solar-powered boat.”

The high-technology experiment completed first stage of its voyage across the Atlantic, with stopovers in Las Palmas, St. Martin, Miami, Cancún and Carthagena, to the complete satisfaction of the project team. An update about the revised route will be made available by the end of next week.

A technological feat of German-Swiss cooperation, the catamaran, measuring close to 102 feet in length and 50 feet in width, is on a pioneering circumnavigation around the globe entirely without the use of traditional fuels. It is powered exclusively by solar energy. The project PlanetSolar, based on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland and initiated by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan, seeks to test the boundaries of solar technologies and inspire people across the world with its ambitious voyage, attempting the first circumnavigation of the seas exclusively with solar power. Sailing under Swiss flag, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar is literally carrying the message of the potential of solar energy around the world.

MS Tûranor PlanetSolar anchored in the Bay of Marigot - Photo credit Planet Solar

The crew, comprised of Raphaël Domjan, eco-explorer and founder of the PlanetSolar project, Captain Patrick Marchesseau, Mikaela von Koskull, Jens Langwasser, Christian Ochsenbein and Daniel Stahl began their journey in Monaco on September 27. Their mission is to demonstrate that current technologies aimed at improving energy efficiency are reliable and effective. They also aim to advance scientific research in the field of renewable energy.

“Our journey is going exceptionally well,” says Domjan. “Just before getting to Miami, we briefly stopped in St Martin to register the fasted transatlantic crossing of a solar boat yet (26 days, 19 hours 10 minutes to cover 2.690 miles / 4.982 kilometres, the distance between Las Palmas and St. Martin). We arrived in Miami November 27 and made it to Cancun on the 7th of December, just in time for the high-level talks of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.”

Home of the PlanetSolar project is the Canton of Vaud (Lake Geneva Region) and the City of Yverdon-les-Bains in Switzerland. They all share the values of sustainable development, innovation and international openness. With the strongest concentration of educational institutions in Switzerland, the Canton of Vaud (Lake Geneva Region) is ideally positioned to host research and development activities in high technology, particularly in the fast growing sector of cleantech. PlanetSolar headquarter is located in the Science and Technology Park of Yverdon (Y-Parc), the largest Technology Park in Switzerland.

TÛRANOR PlanetSolar is sailing under the Swiss flag. Measuring close to 102 feet in length and 50 feet in width, the solar boat was designed by New Zealander Craig Loomes of LOMOcean Design according to the so-called “wave-piercing” concept, where it “slices” through the waves. This uses less energy than is required for conventional concepts, where a boat “rides” the waves.

The surface of the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar, measuring more than 5,700 square feet, is designed to act as a solar generator. Solar energy is collected on the catamaran by PV panels made by SOLON AG (Berlin). For this project, SOLON used high-efficiency solar cells made by the California-based SunPower Corporation. As the most efficient solar cell manufacture in the market today, SunPower offers solar cells which are 50% more efficient than conventional solar and 2-4 times more efficient than thin-film solar. By locating the electrical contacts on the back surface, SunPower achieves conversion efficiencies of up to 23%.

The solar energy yielded by the generator is stored in a lithium-ion battery (this technology offers the maximum output and energy density).This ensures that the catamaran can keep going for long periods (up to three full days), even without direct insolation.

TÛRANOR PlanetSolar will be a flagship carrying the message about the efficient application of renewable energies around the world. In addition, the solar catamaran should realize a “worldwide economic return” through further development amongst boat builders and component manufacturers and generate new business opportunities in the renewable energies sector.

The vessel was built by Knierim Yachtbau, a Kiel-based (Germany) yacht builder, specializing in the construction of individual yachts using carbon sandwich technology. The Swiss engineering firm drivetek AG (Ipsach/ Biel) was responsible for the specially developed, highly efficient propulsion technology.

MS TÛRANOR PLANETSOLAR in Miami

Today, the world’s largest solar-powered boat, MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar, has reached the shores of Cancun, Mexico. The first landing stage will be at the Marina La Amada, north of Cancún. On Wednesday, December 8, in the morning hours, the solar catamaran will sail from La Amada into the conference area of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). With its presence at the conference, the boat will provide visible proof of efficient and forward-looking use of solar technology to improve the climate of the planet. Doris Leuthard, President of Switzerland and Environment Minister, is a supporter of the PlanetSolar project, which will gain further emphasis through the presence of Switzerland and the Swiss Confederation.

To date, MS TÛRANOR PlanetSolar’s circumnavigation of the globe has been quite successful. With its crew of six – Mikaela von Koskull (Finland), Jens Langwasser (Germany), Christian Ochsenbein (Switzerland) and Daniel Stahl (Germany), as well as captain Patrick Marchesseau (France) and project founder Raphaël Domjan (Switzerland) – the Swiss solar-powered ship has crossed the Atlantic just 61 days after its departure from Monaco, using solely the power of the sun.