logbooks
Logbook of 05.06.2012 Day 587
Weather conditions : rainy day with sunny spells at the end of the day.
Distance covered during the last 24 hours (from 20 o'clock till 20 o'clock): 0 nautical mile (0 km)
LAST BLOG OF THE PLANETSOLAR ADVENTURE
I am sitting in the cockpit of PlanetSolar, I feel so glad to have successfully completed this first world tour with solar energy, however, I also start to feel nostalgic about leaving PlanetSolar and not sharing our adventures with you anymore.
Crossing the finish line was so intense that we are still on cloud nine... we will still need some time to realise that we actually achieved this journey around the world with solar energy.
Saturday was a unique moment, what a great feeling to be with all the people who supported this adventure. I also think about our families and friends. The prince Albert II, our patrons Jacques Rougerie and Serge Rhoetheli, as well as Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, founders of Solar Impulse.
I thank all the people who helped us in this adventure, from the start in 2004 until today. I also thank all of you who followed us and supported us during this extraordinary journey.
We will be attending the European Solar Days in Marseille on Wednesday. We will be there for three days. On Saturday, Erwann, Christian, Jens and myself will make our last trip on board PlanetSolar. We will bring the world's largest solar ship to the harbour of La Ciotat most likely.
MS Turanor PlanetSolar, the first and only solar vehicle to have achieved a circumnavigation, will depart this summer to make some stopovers in the Mediterranean Sea. By doing so, it will keep promoting the potential of renewable energies. More details about its long-term future will be known in the next months, but there is no doubt that it will continue its way thanks to the sun's energy and it will thus continue to bring the message of this unbelievable adventure.
In a few days, we are going to take all our belongings from the cabins where we have been living for almost two years. We are also taking many memories with us.
Erwann will stay for a few days in France with his family before going back to Canada to find his girlfriend. After these vacations, he intends to be back on the sea as captain on board cruise liners.
Patrick is already sailing on board the yacht « Boréal », a cabin cruiser belonging to the Ponant company.
Jens will be heading back home in North Germany where PlanetSolar was built. So far, he plans to enjoy some holidays in the area, but I think we will see him soon involved in a marine adventure.
Christian will spend some time in the Swiss mountains and enjoy some vacations there. With the experience as engineer on board PlanetSolar, there is no doubt that he will keep working in the field of renewable energy development.
As far as I am concerned, I will be going back home this weekend, following the Napoleonic road to the lake of Neuchatel in Switzerland where I will meet with my girlfriend, my family and my friends. First, I will recharge my batteries. But the adventure goes on with the SolarPlanet foundation. Indeed, we are going to shoot a 52min long documentary about the adventure « PlanetSolar » which should be aired for the first time next fall. We are also going to write a book on this adventure together with Roger Jaunin. There are many stories, adventures, and expeditions to be written with solar ink. We will soon meet again for new and even more ambitious adventures.
Jules Verne once said « One day man will be destroying everything or else will be saving everything ». After having achieved this first world tour with solar energy, I am even more convinced that our civilisation is capable of the best.
Tomorrow's world will reflect today's wisdom.
Dear friends, it is now time to say goodbye until our next adventure. But continue to support us and promote the vision of a better world. Together, nothing is impossible.
Thank you and good luck to you all.
Raphaël and the team of PlanetSolar.
Logbook of 05.05.2012 Day 586
Weather conditions : average day with sunny spells.
Distance covered during the last 24 hours (from 20 o'clock till 20 o'clock) : 0 nautical mile (0 km)
Even after last night, I am still not realising that we are in Monaco and that we have succeeded in this journey around the world. It is just too amazing.
The day starts early in the morning with the mailing and signing of a few hundred envelopes. But what a pleasure to see the arrival stamp on it...
The day passes by very quickly, there are so many people I would like to spend time with… At the end of the day, the Prince Albert II of Monaco do us the honours of visiting the ship and attending the presentation of our adventure with all our partners and friends.
For the first time, we are showing the short movie (13 min) on our adventure, the celebration is good, everyone is happy.
See you tomorrow for the last blog of the PlanetSolar adventure...
Raphaël and the crew of PlanetSolar.
Logbook of 05.04.2012 Day 585
Weather conditions : wonderful day, blue sky with a few cumulus clouds, moderate wind from the South-West.
Distance covered during the last 24 hours (from 20 o'clock till 20 o'clock): 100 nautical miles (185 km)
This morning, we can see Monaco using the binoculars. We are less than 50 kilometres away. The sky is clearing up, the batteries are charging and we will be able to cross the finish line with our batteries fully charged the same way we left Monaco at the start of this world tour. This means that we will stop the time for this first world tour with solar energy the moment we will cross the finish line.
At noon, our batteries are fully charged and we steer PlanetSolar toward the finish line. All our video cameras are ready, our whole team and the websolarTV as well...
We can see the last longitude line getting closer and closer. Behind this symbolic line lies the success of the first world tour with solar energy.
At 2.13 pm we are actually crossing that symbolic line, it is simply unbelievable… right now, we are on cloud nine and we cannot even begin to realise what we have just accomplished...
We are all very tired tonight, I will write more details about this historic day tomorrow.
It is really great, we made it... and above all, this success is a success for our planet, which we have to protect at all costs.
We thank you all for your support and see you tomorrow in Monaco.
Raphaël and the crew of PlanetSolar.
Logbook of 05.03.2012 Day 584
Today is the big day
Weather conditions : wonderful day, clear and blue sky, fresh wind from the West (15 knots).
Distance covered during the last 24 hours (from 20 o'clock till 20 o'clock) : 68 nautical miles (126 km)
Here we are at last. For 8 years we have been working on achieving this world tour with solar energy. If everything goes according to plan, we should cross the last longitude line tomorrow and then reach Monaco, the departure point of our adventure. Friday May 4th, 2012, on this day early in the afternoon we shall succeed in this first journey around the world with solar energy for the first time in history.
Today the weather is perfect. We leave Corsica under a pure blue sky and surrounded by white and snowy summits. It seems that Nature and the sun have decided to give us the most beautiful day of our adventure as well as a record.
Indeed, today we have yield 661 kWh, this is the absolute record since the start of this world tour. Our solar ship must also be feeling that we are getting close… it is as impatient as we are and, probably as impatient as all the people waiting for us in Monaco.
We are taking care of the final preparations on board PlanetSolar, installing the video cameras and answering some questions of the media from around the world. Last hours on board, last watch, the adventure is coming the an end. We are receiving many messages of support those days, and we now realise that we are going to miss you all… after these 19 months travelling together through our logbook. We thank you all for your support and for following us.
See you tomorrow for a historic moment or better said, for the first time that men and a solar vehicle shall achieve a world tour with solar energy only.
Follow us on our website (www.planetsolar.org) at 1.30 pm. and we will also be in the evening news on France 2 and RTS...
Raphaël and the crew of PlanetSolar.
Logbook of 05.02.2012 Day 583
1 day left before arrival.
Weather conditions : wonderful day, blue sky, snowy summits.
Distance covered during the last 24 hours (from 20 o'clock till 20 o'clock) : 0 nautical mile (0 km)
Right after waking up, I go to the cockpit to take a look at the weather conditions. The weather is beautiful, clear blue sky, and snowy summits…it is perfect.
Really, Nature has always helped us and provided us with its energy when we needed it… the planet and its power are really with us.
Patrick Marchesseau joined us this morning. The crew comprises now 5 members, our batteries are fully charged, and the weather forecast is looking good. We will leave Corsica tomorrow morning and begin our last navigation. Although we are all very happy about crossing the finish line tomorrow, we all share a feeling of nostalgia.
See you tomorrow for our last solar navigation.
Raphaël and the crew of PlanetSolar.
Logbook of 05.01.2012 Day 582
2 days left before arrival
Weather conditions : stormy and rainy day, weak to moderate wind.
Distance covered during the last 24 hours (from 20 o'clock till 20 o'clock): 60 nautical miles (111 km)
After a quiet night we arrived in Calvi at sunset. In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful town in the world with its colourful houses facing the sea. It really is a magic place.
The last time I visited this region it was hot and sunny, but today we could be lost in the North of Norway that it would make no difference. Indeed, we are surrounded by snowy summits, freezing wind and a heavy rain.
Right after docking, a lot of people come to meet us, either because they are curious or because they saw a documentary about our adventure and are surprised to see us here in Corsica.
At the end of the day, the sun finally shines through the thick layer of clouds and our 38'000 tiny solar cells finally yield some energy for our batteries which were quite low.
See you tomorrow for new solar adventures.
Raphaël and the crew of PlanetSolar.
Logbook of 04.30.2012 Day 581
3 days left before arrival
Weather conditions : rainy day, weak wind.
Distance covered during the last 24 hours (from 20 o'clock till 20 o'clock) : 20 nautical miles (37 km)
We are waiting for our last team of journalists, now every event takes a symbolic turn… I realise that all the details surrounding our adventure were actually the engine of our life for the last 18 months. It is an awkward feeling to think that in a few days, all these little things that had become our life will disappear forever.
When we left Monaco in September 2010, I was looking forward to seeing my mountains again, but at that time I did not know about my need to take the open sea. Today, I realised for the first time that I am enjoying it and that I will be missing this feeling I have when sailing off once I will be back to my life on the ground.
At 3.30 pm, we leave Portoferraio for Calvi in Corsica. I am looking forward to see this wonderful place. Late in the afternoon we are sailing toward Corsica, we are under the wind of the island whose highest summit (1000 m) is generating a lot of turbulences. The wind turns to 180° at a speed of more than 30 knots and then blow again in the same direction over a few hundred meters, simply unbelievable. We will meet Patrick Marchesseau who is waiting for us in Corsica, we are looking forward to start together this last solar navigation from Corsica to Monaco. Right now, we are less than 200 km away from the finish line.
Everything has an end. The last blog of our adventure around the world will be online on Monday May 7th. For all of you who will not be able to be in Monaco this Friday morning for the arrival, you can follow us live on our website which will be hosting a webTV...
See you tomorrow, last stopover before Monaco.
Raphaël and the crew of PlanetSolar.
