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Photo:OpenBCI
planetsolar
Exactly 16 months ago today, a crew of intrepid sailors and alternative energy proponents set sail on a solar-powered luxury yacht, intent on making theirs the first ship to circumnavigate the globe on solar power alone. Today, they've almost reached their goal.
We first told you about the PlanetSolar team back in 2009, when the boat was little more than blueprints and a dream. The boat was built in just 14 months and set sail from Monaco on September 27, 2010, heading west.
Named Tûranor, which Tolkien fans will note is an Elvish word for "power of the sun," it's the largest solar-powered boat ever built at 101 feet by 49 feet. That footprint only grows as additional solar panels are unfurled. It's also certain to draw a crowd when it docks at any marina, and that's intentional. At each stop, the PlanetSolar crew talks with government officials, scientists, journalists and the general public, preaching their gospel of solar power.
The boat just left Abu Dhabi where it was a featured exhibit at the World Future Energy Summit. After a stop in Doha, it's headed around the Horn of Africa and back to Monaco, hopefully by May. In anticipation of a successful circumnavigation, we bring you a gallery of the Tûranor's accomplishments.
Photos: PlanetSolar
