A Catamaran is a type of Multihull boat,yacht or ship consisting of two hulls, joined by some structure World's largest solar-powered Luxury boat docks at Cancún giving UN climate delegates something to think about... before finishing record-breaking round-the-world sail
As the United Nations climate talks continued this week in Cancún, on the east coast of Mexico, a huge boat quietly breezed into the harbour… and gave environmental delegates plenty to think about.
At 102ft long, 29ft wide and 25ft high, it’s hard to miss the Tûranor PlanetSolar catamaran, the largest solar-powered sea vessel.
And with 500 solar high-efficiency units that cover some 540sq. ft the 200-person capacity boat, which is silent and pollution-free, can motor along at a fair old lick, too: the top speed is about 15 knots.
It cost a cool £10million to build and is in the process of achieving a series of record-breaking feats as it circumnavigates the globe, while also promoting the use of sustainable energy.
Building of Tûranor (which means 'The Power of the Sun' in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings language) by Knierim Yachtbau at Kiel, Germany, was completed in March this year.
And on September 27 it set off from Monaco on the round-the-world trip, which should be completed in the spring of 2012 at a average speed of eight knots an hour, if everything goes to schedule.
Completion of the 31,000-mile journey will see the vessel set the following world records:
* First solar-powered circumnavigation by any means of transportation
* First round-the-world voyage by a solar-powered boat
* First Indian Ocean crossing by a solar-powered boat
* First Red Sea crossing by a solar-powered boat
How does it work? Here's the science bit... Styled by LOMOcean Design, Tûranor uses over 5,780 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels which, in turn, connect to one of the two electric motors in each hull.
SunPower, a California-based solar-panel company, are the best in the business according to PlanetSun spokesman Dany Faigaux.
He said: 'The advantage of SunPower is they have the most efficient cells available on the market with more than 22 per cent efficiency.'
The boat's hull was model tested in wind tunnels and tank tested to determine the hydrodynamics and aerodynamics.
And, as German investor Immo Stroether - who partnered Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan to bankroll the project - believes, the clever design heralds a 'new generation of catamaran'.
'This is a milestone in the progress of solar mobility,' he said. 'It is my vision to see solar power take its rightful place - not only on rooftops, but also on the roads, seas and in the skies of the future.
'The aim is to offer future-proof solutions for sustainable living in major cities and environmentally responsible mobility concepts. Solar mobility can make a significant contribution to this endeavor.'
According to the mission statement on the website, 'the Planet Solar team intends firstly to show that current technologies aimed at improving energy efficiency are reliable and effective, and secondly to advance scientific research in the field of renewable energy.
‘At the heart of this project is the conservation of our planet by the promotion of solar energy, energy efficiency and eco-mobility.
‘This is a great occasion to advance knowledge and to inform and make the general public aware of the importance of renewable energy.’
But there is no sun-bathing on deck allowed, as it will interfere with the efficiency of the panels.
Captain of the expedition is Frenchman Patrick Marchesseau, and he, along with Mr Stroether and Mr Domjan, is joined by Swiss Christian Ochsenbein, Michaela von Koskull from Finland and German Jens Langwasser.
And after the epic, record-breaking trip, the boat will be used as a luxury yacht.
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