Please select your home edition
Edition
Musto 2023 Hikers LEADERBOARD

Solar-powered catamaran skirts the Somali pirate zone

by Raphaël Domjan/Sail-World Cruising on 10 Nov 2011
Planet Solar - newly maintained and rearing to go. Next, the Indian Ocean and its pirates SW
Turanor Planet Solar, the extraordinary solar-powered yacht making its way around the world, is just about to cross the deadly Pirate Zone - now swelled to include most of the West Indian Ocean - hoping to reach the Red Sea and thence to the Mediterranean.

The craft had been a year at sea when it arrived in Singapore for maintenance, which has now been carried out, and Raphaël Domjan, Founder & Expedition leader of the huge vessel, takes the story from here:


After a stopover for almost a month, we continue our journey to Monaco. The crossing of the Strait of Malacca was another premiere for solar energy. It went well and we had good conditions: we benefited a lot from the supporting winds and sunny days.

There were more people on board of PlanetSolar during our first short journey to Thailand: our communication manager Rachel, our cameraman Olivier, and our new crew member Oliver, the photographer and responsible one for logistics.

Despite the severe floods which prevail at that moment in Thailand, our short stopover in Phuket was a great success. Several individuals like the Swiss ambassador came to admire the boat. We also enjoyed the beautiful scenery in this fantastic region.

At the moment we are going to the west towards the sun in the direction of Sri Lanka. This part of the journey on the high seas of the Gulf of Bengal will be quite difficult. This will be our last long crossing during this journey around the world.

Thereafter, we will sail to the western coast of India until we reach Bombay. Then we will sail along the coast of Pakistan and Iran and reach the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf around Christmas.

More information about this ambitious project, which plans to make Turanor Planet Solar the first solar-powered yacht ever to circumnavigate the world, can be obtained on their www.planetsolar.org!website.

Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERP&BStoneways Marine 2021 - FOOTER

Related Articles

BFSLYC Landyacht Series round 8 at Hoylake
Conditions allow maximum speeds of 60 mph for Class 2/3 The Wirral Sand Yacht Club (WSYC) proudly hosted the final round of the Landyacht Series for Mini Yachts, Class 2/3 and Standard. With a forecast of 16-24 mph winds and dry conditions, pilots were eager to tackle the terrain of the hard-packed beach.
Posted today at 9:31 am
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay Day 2
Champagne Sailing and Fierce Competition Tor Bay turned on the charm on Day Two of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup, delivering stunning champagne sailing conditions for the International Dragon fleet.
Posted today at 7:25 am
The Acetal Pivoting Mast Step
A New Generation of Precision At Allen, we're always refining performance through engineering innovation. That's why we're excited to introduce the Acetal Pivoting Mast Step – a lightweight, cost-effective evolution of our popular Aluminium Pivoting Mast Step.
Posted today at 7:00 am
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 4
The Final Series begins in Aarhus under the Nordic evening light The first day of the Final Series at the iQFOiL World Championship brought both patience and intensity to Aarhus Bay. With the fleets now split into Gold and Silver, racing was set to resume with high pressure and limited wind.
Posted today at 5:19 am
69F Cup at Circolo Vela Torbole preview
Five teams gather for the second event The stage is set in Torbole for the second event of the 2025 69F Cup, an event that is ready to go just few weeks after the opening event of the season, the EUROSAF 69F European Championship, won by FIN1 Racing led by Allan Norregaard.
Posted on 9 Jul
Harken D-Zero Nationals overall
These events are about far more than who ends up on the podium Attending your class National Championships is simply a must do. These events are about far more than who ends up on the podium. They are a fantastic opportunity to get up the learning curve and socialise with fellow class sailors.
Posted on 9 Jul
British Classic Week day 3
Concours d'Elegance parade and the female and youth (under 25yrs) helm race Day three at British Classic Week in Cowes brought the annual Concours d'Elegance parade and the female and youth (under 25yrs) helm race sponsored by Marineware and Awlgrip.
Posted on 9 Jul
Solo Western Series at Porthpean
Impeccable organisation on and off the water by the team of volunteers On Sunday 6th July Porthpean Sailing Club held its first Solo open meeting as part of a doubleheader with Torpoint Mosquito. Both events are part of the Western series sponsored by P&B and Dinghy Shack.
Posted on 9 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 2
A day of waiting with no racing held The second day of racing at the 2025 Moth World Championship began with high hopes: as early as 10:00 a.m., a promising southerly breeze began to build on Lake Garda, hinting at ideal conditions for a full day on the water.
Posted on 9 Jul
Admiral's Cup AC2 Class
Offshore legends, small boats, big test In the 2025 Admiral's Cup, AC2 features smaller boats than their AC1 team mates but the challenge is every bit as tough, if not tougher. This is where elite skill meets raw offshore endurance.
Posted on 9 Jul