It’s been said the rich are different, and that they have more money. More toys, too, I figure, like yachts and stuff. On a few of the rare occasions when I’ve been invited on the high seas with the higher class, I’ve ended a conversation (usually after a little too much rum) with the query: “How much fuel do you burn on a trip like this, mate? It must cost a ton, huh?” A raised eyebrow (for effect, let’s say from under the brim of one of those dopey captain hats) lets me know that not only is the conversation over, but that the answer is something like: “More than you make in a year, (ahem) sir.”
Well, there’s good news for the over-privileged! Conspicuous consumption of the finer things no longer necessitates conspicuous consumption of fossil fuel and its associated costs (not that the latter matters to these – okay, I’ll give it up). Yes, the world’s first solar-powered super yacht has launched and is currently prepping for an around-the-world tour.
The mammoth catamaran, called the PlanetSolar, is the largest solar-powered boat in the world. It was launched in the Baltic Sea off Kiel, Germany, March 31. And to be fair, its makers are more focused on their effort’s promise of promoting solar-power, clean energy and reducing carbon emissions than they are serving the nouveau and oldeau riche. Still, the ship is a behemoth: tipping the scales at 60-tons, the PlanetSolar measures 102-feet long, 50-feet wide, and 24-feet tall. The reason it’s so big is so that it can present Ra with 5,300 square feet of solar panels on its deck, which translates into 103-kilowatts of electricity. That’s way more than the boat needs to run at its average speed of nine miles per hour.
After some “sea tests,” the next big step for PlanetSolar will be her world tour, which will rack up about 26,998 nautical miles, following an east to west equatorial route. (Yep, that’s where the sunshine is.) The 160-day voyage is scheduled to take place in 2011, and for those of you who’d like to visit big Miss Sunshine, the plan is to make several stopovers where the public will be able to get info on the project and visit an exhibition on renewable energy.