There is three more days to go before the revolutionary boat, Race for Water Odyssey departs the Fiji waters to continue its global expedition.

The revolutionary vessel, which belongs to the Race for Water Foundation departs Port Denarau in Nadi on Saturday, January 19, 2019; it had arrived into the country on December 22, 2018.

The 114-foot vessel is the world’s largest solar powered catamaran.

The Race for Water Foundation is dedicated to preserving oceans. Its mission is to raise awareness of marine plastic pollution and offer land-based solutions to tackle the critical threat facing the oceans.

Director of the Race for Water Odyssey Franck David said, “It’s an exceptional ambassador vessel – free of carbon dioxide emissions with only renewable sources of energy: wind, sun and ocean.”

“This programme established extends out to the stakeholders, corporate bodies, younger generations in schools and local community through education and awareness on marine conservation,”Mr David said.

The vessel was in the Pacific Ocean in the latter part of last year stopping over at French Polynesia (Tahiti), Samoa, Tonga before it arrived at Port Denarau (Fiji).

It departs for New Caledonia on Saturday then sails to Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea before it goes to Asia starting with Bali.

Some numbers

• It has 5550 square feet of solar panels and storage in the 8-tons of Lithium-ion batteries.
• Self–piloting towing kite spanning 430 square feet deployed at an altitude of 500 feet.
• 440 pounds of hydrogen stored in 25 bottles at 350 bars.

About the vessel

Length – 114 ft.

Width – 51 to 75 ft.

Weight – 100 tonnes

Height – 20.7 ft

Draft – 6 ft

The Average speed – 5 knots

Maximum speed – 8 knots

Full time crew on board is 7.

Renewable Energies

The unusual catamaran, Race for Water Odyssey, had left Lorient on the North French Atlantic coastin April 2017; it exemplifies that a vessel can be powered by renewable energies since it travels around the world solely using a combination of clean energy sources: solar power with the sun, the wind power through a 40 square metre towing kite and hydrogen which getsconverted into electricity.

The catamaran was created in 2010 by Swiss entrepreneur Marco Simeoni.

“The vessel is a on a crucial mission for our oceans,” Mr Simeoni said.

“The expedition is committed to a five-year Odyssey (2017-2021), the Foundation’s ambassador vessel travels around the world to study the impacts of plastics on the marine environment, raise awareness and propose local solutions to this global problem, particularly through a machine that transforms plastics into energy: Biogreen.”

It began its expedition on April 9, 2017 from the Lorient in the service of the Ocean, the energy transition, science and education and returns to the same venue in 2021.

It also collected samples in Fiji and Tongan Waters.

Great Boost

Port Denarau Marina general manager Cynthia Rasch said, “This stopover is a great boost to the marina’s community engagement in imparting knowledge on ocean conservation and combating plastic pollution in our ocean.”

As a certified Clean Marina with Level 3 Fish Friendly accreditation, Ms Rasch said one of their objectives of the programme is to ensure clean facilities exist in our boating communities and to protect our waterways from pollution.

“There is urgent need to fight the plastic pollution in our oceans and there have been many innovation and community programs in place for cleanup, however one thing is for certain, we cannot stop the tide of plastic entering our oceans but through learning, sharing and acting, we can reduce the impact by doing our part.

“Plastic isn’t just the problem, but it can also be the solution as Race for Water Odyssey gives us hope through their innovative technological approach in converting end of life plastic into energy.

“Plastic pollution has become an epidemic. Every year, we throw away enough plastic to circle the Earth four times.

By 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish (by weight).

Recycle takes little effort on your part, for a big difference to our world,” she said.