In March 2010, the PlanetSolar took to the water for the first time. The catamaran is the first boat to run completely off solar energy. Raphaël Domjan, a Swiss explorer, is behind this project; he sees it as a challenge and wishes to inform public opinion about environmental protection.
Le PlanetSolar took 14 months to build and cost €18m (£15m). It has all the latest innovations in terms of solar technology, giving it an estimated range of three days. At 31 metres long, the multihull boat has a maximum speed of 15 knots.
In a testing phase until autumn 2010, PlanetSolar will begin a round-the-world trip in 2011 with stopovers planned all along the Equator, where there is maximum sunshine. This journey, which is over 50,000 km (around 31,000 miles) long, should take 160 days of sailing.
Find out about all the innovations in solar-powered transport here: Sustainable mobility goes sunbathing
