As the United Nations climate talks continued this week in Cancún, on the east coast of Mexico, a huge boat quietly breezed into the harbour… and gave environmental delegates plenty to think about. At 102ft long, 29ft wide and 25ft high, it's hard to miss the Tûranor PlanetSolar catamaran, the largest solar-powered sea vessel. And with 500 solar high-efficiency units that cover some 540sq. ft the 200-person capacity boat, which is silent and pollution-free, can motor along at a fair old lick, too: the top speed is about 15 knots per hour (28 kms per hour). It cost a cool £10million to build and is in the process of achieving a series of record-breaking feats as it circumnavigates the globe, while also promoting the use of sustainable energy.    On September 27 it set off from Monaco on the round-the-world trip, which should be completed in the spring of 2012 at a average speed of eight knots an hour, if everything goes to schedule. Completion of the 31,000-mile journey will see the vessel set the following world records: * First solar-powered circumnavigation by any means of transportation * First round-the-world voyage by a solar-powered boat * First Indian Ocean crossing by a solar-powered boat * First Red Sea crossing by a solar-powered boat    |
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