November 29, 2013, in Germany‘s Berlin, saw the world’s largest solar boat, PlanetSolar, receive the 2013 European Solar Prize, in the category ‘Media’, for the media exposure generated on completion of the first trip around the world in a vessel powered only by solar energy (2010-2012).
2013 European Solar Prize for PlanetSolar
During the official ceremony awarding the prize, Raphaël Domjan, responsible for initiating the first curcumnavigation around the world powered on solar power, and Cordula Ströher, owner of the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, went on stage together, pleased that this eco-adventure is honoured once again.
On 4 May 2012, after 584 days at sea, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar completed the first trip around the world on solar power.
After leaving PlanetSolar in June 2012, Raphaël Domjan has been putting all his energies into the activities of the ‘Solar Planet’ foundation. As for the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, she continues her solar missions around the world. In 2013, on behalf of science, the largest solar powered boat in the world led, jointly with the University of Geneva, a campaign to provide exclusive scientific measurements of the oceanic current of the Gulf Stream: ‘PlanetSolar Deep Water’. New missions are now in the course of being planned for 2014.
