World’s Largest Solar Powered Boat To Begin World Voyage monday 27th september 2010 Monaco — It’s anchors away for what is being heralded as the world’s largest solar powered boat. The state-of-the-art catamaran, was launched in Monaco on Monday, and boasts of approximately 540 square meters decked with photovoltaic modules. The vessel was the dream of the German entrepreneur Immo Stroeher and Swiss project founder, Raphael Domjan and it’s reality. They’re taking it on a record-breaking round-the-world trip to show that solar power is a viable source of energy for transport. Special batteries on board allow the boat to sail for about three days without fresh solar power. The 60 ton ship, named ‘Planet Solar’, spent fourteen months under construction in Kiel, Germany, before being launched into the Mediterranean this week under the Swiss flag. It cost ten million euros. According to the German shipbuilders, the vessel should be able to reach speeds of up to 15 knots. The crew of six hope to make it around the world in 160 days, all of them fossil-fuel free. Weather and nautical conditions permitting, the catamaran will stop in Miami, Cancun, San Francisco, Sydney, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi.