Citing 'liberating journey,' skipper expects shift in ocean travel
Powered by solar panels atop its awning, the "sun21" approaches Manhattan on Tuesday, ending the crossing that made it the first solar-powered boat to navigate the Atlantic.
MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: 11:14 a.m. MT May 9, 2007
Five months and more than 7,000 miles later, a Swiss-built solar vessel has completed the first sun-powered crossing of the Atlantic.
Dubbed "sun21," the catamaran reached North Cove Marina in New York City on Tuesday.
The 46-foot boat produced 2,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy during its voyage and "not one drop of oil," the Switzerland-based group transatlantic21, which sponsored the crossing, said in a statement.
"This proves that in our modern society it is indeed possible to travel the world efficiently and still safeguard the environment," said the boat's skipper, Michel Thonney. "This has been a liberating journey and one which I believe will transform the way we approach travel on our oceans, seas and waterways."
The crew left Chipiona, Spain, on Dec. 3 and stopped on the Caribbean island of Martinique before traveling along the U.S. East Coast to New York.
New York was chosen to complete the voyage because it is also the site of a first annual World Clean Energy Awards sponsored by transatlantic21 and two other Swiss groups.
"Unlike other awards programs, the World Clean Energy Awards recognizes innovation in action, as opposed to innovation on the drawing board," transatlantic21 stated. "Sun21 serves as the shining example of clean energy applications in practice."
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