World’s largest solar boat docks in Paris

PARIS - France 24

The Turanor PlanetSolar, the world's largest solar boat, travels on the Seine river as The Eiffel Tower is seen Background, in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013. AP photo

Paris is not new to extreme machines. The world throngs to the French capital every year to be wowed by the cutting-edge technology in either automobiles, at the Paris Motor Show, or aircrafts, at the Paris Air Show. This week, the world’s largest solar-powered boat eased into the Seine, ending its transatlantic voyage.

Docked at the quay in front of Paris’ western Parc André Citroën, the Turanor PlanetSolar catamaran, whose body is made of carbon fibre, exemplifies state-of-the-art solar-powered engineering.

The boat has already racked up some impressive credentials after circumnavigating the globe and breaking the record for a transatlantic journey by a solar-powered vessel. But this time, it also served as an experimental station that enabled scientists from the University of Geneva to conduct atmospheric and oceanic studies in the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean.

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