Today, September 4, 2014, in the popular Italy yacht charter destination – Venice, saw PlanerSolar end her 2014 campaign, launched in Boulogne-sur-Mer in France on April 13. This 9,000 kilometer trip, spread out over 5 months of navigation, featured stops in Atalayoun in Morocco, Monaco, as well as Greece, where the ship transformed into a scientific platform as part of the “TerraSubmersa” archeological expedition, led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE). Once again, the largest solar-powered ship ever built showed she could be used for concrete goals, and thus reaffirmed her position as a multi-functional tool and formidable communication platform. Now at her peak, the ship seeks a new owner.
PlanetSolar in the popular Italy yacht holiday location - Venice © PlanetSolar
PlanetSolar’s 2014 campaign ends today, on a high note. Through the course of these past 5 months, the largest solar-powered ship in the world has reaffirmed her position as a multi-functional tool, and has definitively confirmed her incredibly important use as a scientific platform, launched in 2013.
During 8 stops spread out along a 9,000 kilometer route, the solar-powered boat met with the public and carried out her mission of promoting solar energy. The high point of this 2014 campaign was the “TerraSubmersa” scientific expedition, which took place in Greece during the month of August. Carried out by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), this mission aimed to explore the prehistoric landscapes that have been swallowed up by the waters of the Kiladha Bay, in order to reconstruct them and identify potential traces of human activity.
PlanetSolar in Venice, Italy © PlanetSolar
Thanks to a partnership with Vento di Venezia (VdV), the organization responsible for promoting the Island of Certosa (Venice), PlanetSolar will spend the winter in the Serene Republic. During this period, which will last until May 2015, VdV and PlanetSolar will jointly organize public visits and private events. To celebrate the end of her campaign, a series of activities will be organized around the boat from September 4 to September 9.
PlanetSolar seeks a new owner
The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar adventures have been due to the Stroeher family (boat owner), a German family that is passionate about solar technologies, and has been operating behind the scenes since the start of the project.
PlanetSolar - upview © PlanetSolar
“The goal was on the one hand to conceptualize an idea that could prove the effectiveness of solar technology, and would help promote and develop that sector. On the other hand, we also wanted to demonstrate that beyond her technical prowess, the ship could be used for concrete, useful goals,” explains Immo Stroeher, the family’s patriarch. The businessman’s financial investment, as well as his significant personal engagement, has allowed PlanetSolar to go much further than a single trip around the world, in creating a durable enterprise that now allows the ship to be used for concrete goals.
Aerial view of PlanetSolar in Venice © PlanetSolar
“The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, winner of 6 Guinness World RecordsTM, not only completed the first solar-powered voyage around the world, but has also successfully carried out two unique scientific missions in 2013 and 2014, both of which were punctuated with prestigious stops during which countless visitors were able to visit the interior workings of the ship! Today, we are very proud to note that after the success of her voyage around the world, PlanetSolar has undergone a perfect transformation, carrying out not only scientific missions, but also serving as a powerful tool of communication thanks to the enthusiasm she generates at each stop. Our expectations have been exceeded, and it is time for us to retire, and pass this unique ship on to a new owner,” Immo Stroeher concluded.
