Anchored since September 24 at the Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly in Lorient, Southern Brittany, France, the world’s largest solar boat, PlanetSolar, was officially feted at her wintering site in the presence of local authorities on Saturday, October 26. The unprecedented program that will be available to the public, starting next month, was also revealed at the event.
PlanetSolar in Lorient © 2013 Sellor / Henri Basset
Thanks to the partnership with the Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly and the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the public will be able to explore the depths of the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar and learn about the scientific aspects of the Gulf Stream research carried out during the summer 2013 “PlanetSolar DeepWater” expedition.
Having arrived a month earlier and then undergoing some brief maintenance work, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar was officially feted today at her wintering site—the Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly. In the heart of this unique location (dedicated to cultural, scientific, and technical discoveries), local authorities came out to enthusiastically greet the world’s largest solar boat.
Thus, for Norbert Métairie, Mayor of Lorient and President of the Lorient Agglomeration, “It is a pleasure to welcome the world’s largest solar boat to Lorient. It proves that, one month after the commissioning of our passenger ship with no CO2 emissions, there is a vast field of application for renewable energies in the maritime and transportation industries. With this ship parked opposite to the Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly, we have a terrific showcase for our agglomeration’s maritime dynamics and a connection to innovative technologies”.
This wintering is a source of joy for PlanetSolar, “We’re delighted to have found this wintering ideal solution. We could not have hoped any better location for our boat! Indeed, la Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly allows us to proceed to the maintenance operations and at the same time to have to boat available for the public in order to continue the spread our messages. In addition, this periode allows us to prepare our 2014 campaign that has more and more a passionate look”, indicates Pascal Goulpié, CEO and co-fundator of PlanetSolar.
Exploring the depths of this one-of-a-kind boat
Within the framework of a visit to the Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly in Lorient, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar will be welcoming guests from November 2, 2013 – March 15, 2014. Accompanied by tour guides, the public will thereby be able to explore the inside of the giant solar catamaran every Saturday from 2pm-6pm.* In addition, by means of explanatory panels, visitors will be encouraged to become acquainted with the objectives of the summer 2013 “PlanetSolar DeepWater” scientific expedition, which was conducted along the Gulf Stream and across the North Atlantic by researchers from the University of Geneva.
As was the case during her 2013 stopovers, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar will continue to serve as an educational platform and to convey her positive message about solar energy. In fact, schoolchildren are also invited to visit the boat every Monday from 1.30pm to 5pm**. The children will be able to compare life onboard a racing sailboat with that of the solar boat. This activity can be supplemented with an educational workshop called “Energy at its source” (cycles 2 and 3).
In order to prepare the ship for her 2014 campaign, onboard maintenance operations will be carried out on the days that she is not open to the public.
*Visiting hours for the public: Saturdays from 2 pm- 6pm (duration is 25 min) – included in the visit to the Cité de la Voile, within the limit of available places
**Visiting hours for schoolchildren: Mondays from 1:30pm- 5pm (per half-group – duration is 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the tour selected) – by reservation only: resascolaire@citevoile-tabarly.com
