Alastair Callender, a 24 year old British graduate, has designed the world"s greenest superyacht. It is so energy efficient that it can create surplus power that can be sold to the nation power grid
Soliloquy is a conceptual collaboration between a prize-winning British marine designer, Alastair Callender, and Solar Sailor, an Australian company that specializes in integrated sun- and wind-energy systems for ships
Callender designed Soliloquy for his final-year project at Coventry University and - following this year"s Monaco boat show where a small-scale prototype of the Soliloquy (selling for up to £40m when built) attracted the attention of several potential buyers - he is now in talks to build Soliloquy for a client looking to exchange his conventional boat for a greener vessel.
Photovoltaic cells on the 219 square-meter, or 2,360 square-foot, sail surface are designed to drive the yacht at speeds of up to eight knots. Under wind alone, it can clip along at up to 10 knots, while a back-up hybrid electric-diesel motor will be able to generate speeds of up to 18 knots.
The sails, developed by the Australian company Solar Sailor, which sponsored Callender's project, can rotate 360 degrees to face the sun or wind, and fold away like the blades of a penknife when not in use.
Eco-features will include a cold-molded hull built with wood from sustainably managed forests, and an on-board gym with treadmills that will help charge the main batteries. 'Yacht design and helping the planet are things I'm very passionate about,' Mr. Callender said.
It is emission-free at up to 10 knots but can reach 18 knots with the help of a diesel-electric motor. It can also store energy for when there is no wind blowing.
For more information, please visit www.callenderdesigns.co.uk
