25 teams have already signed up for the 2015 Solar1 Monte Carlo Cup, which will take place from 9-11 July
Following the success of its inaugural year, the Solar1 Monte Carlo Cup will be even bigger in 2015, organisers have announced.
The solar-powered boat race has already received entries from 25 teams (five more than last year), with racers hailing from as far afield as Russia and the USA.
And the field is expect to grow even wider, as Solar1 has extended an invitation to the winners of Desafio Solar Brasil, a similar event that took place in Rio De Janeiro last month (12-16 November).
Sergei Dobroserdov, CEO of Solar1, said that he was excited by the level of innovation shown by the entrants, who are predominantly students.
“If this is what these young students can design and achieve now, I am very excited to see what our future holds with them at the helm,” he added.
Over the course of the three-day event in Monaco harbour, teams will compete in a series of races that test their speed, endurance and manoeuvrability.
The inaugural Solar1 Monte Carlo Cup in 2014 was a world first, as previous solar-powered boat races were held on lakes and rivers, rather than the open-water environment of the Mediterranean.
Bernard D’Allessandri, director of the Monaco Yacht Club, said: “For us it’s contact with a future generation. We’re certain that the technologies used here on these boats will be used on the yachts of the future.”
The 2014 Solar1 Monte Carlo Cup was a world first – Picture: Franck Terlin
