Solar Sailors supergreen superyacht concept design in New York Times

Special Report: Yachting | Soliloquy's Green Dream
By ALICE PFEIFFER
The New York Times | September 22, 2009

If “green” is the new fashion trend for super yachts, few may come greener than Soliloquy, 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.

Mr. Callender, 23, has designed a 58-meter, or 190-foot, motor-sailor with cabin space for 12 passengers and three crew members, to be powered primarily by three rigid-wing, retractable, independently rotating “solar sails” that fold away when not in use like the blades of a pocketknife.

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.

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.

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All enquiries soliloquy@solarsailor.com.au

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