Pit stop for Solar Odyssey at Monaco

Continuing her hydrodynamics tests in Mediterranean, the future electro-solar trimaran Solar Odyssey co- skippered by French Frederic Dahirel, is welcomed by the Monaco Yacht Club.

The large orange trimaran is moored in Hercule harbor after a trip of 210 nautical miles coming from Canet en Roussillon (Spain frontier, where she is based since Spring 2011) via Marseilles and Cavalaire. Then she will sail towards Corsica. These navigations are part of validation of the platform in all weather and sea conditions, before setting up the solar Manta Ray structure and embarking around 800 kilos of lithium polymer batteries. If the platform has been developed and financed by the Lemer Pax company (based Nantes/Carquefou/France), to go ahead, the project needs to secure other financial partners. The Mediterranean hydrodynamic test tour is contributing to build the project .

 

A laboratory boat

Testifying the seriousness of the project , Solar Odyssey has just been registered by French authorities as "Experimental Boat" in the wake of two prestigious predecessors : the Commandant Cousteau's Alcyon turbosails and Eric Tabarly's Hydroptere (now managed by Alain Thébault).

Conceived and built by sailors, the Solar Odyssey platform has made her creators confident for, during her first trials in electric power configuration, with 20 knots of wind in the nose and using only 50 % of the engine power, she has reached 8 knots: the cruising speed of a lot of boats, sail or power!

This project is really the one of a new era, for the focus of Solar Odyssey is to cross the Atlantic and make a round the world tour with the sole solar energy, with zero C02 emission. This at a "commercial" speed which will be tomorrow transposable to professional boats. Frederic Dahirel: "… the focus of Solar Odyssey is to make a demonstrator, but not only to show it was technically possible, we can do it! We have to hard working in order to find reliable additional energies, first for those who need and who will need…".

 

A "must" pit-stop

Solar Odyssey Team is very proud to be welcomed at the Monaco Yacht Club. Frederic Dahirel: "… It's a big honour to be there. When you are a sailor, you can ignore than Monaco was at the beginning of the 20th century, an incredible nautical experimentation  area! Thus Albert the 1^st was a famous navigator. The Maritime Museum of Monaco is a well known witness. And the naval tradition is very strong in Monaco.

Besides, we are  of course aware another electro-solar program has left Monaco in September 2010 and has made an half round the world at mid August 2011. We have sent them earlier our  best wishes of success. We will sail in their wake with a similar focus, but at a higher speed as explained above ; and will try to register a new chrono at the Guinness…".

 

Solar Odyssey is berthed at the Monaco Yacht Club Antoine 1^erquay, till August 14 2PM