An ambitious project is taking on new forms: From 2023, a waste collection multihull conceived by extreme sailor Yvan Bourgnon is to fish plastic waste out of the oceans - now the initiators of the project have come up with a new concept for propelling the deep-sea quadrimaran.
Four masts with Dyna rigging are to propel the 80 metre long ship, and two wind turbines are also to be installed to generate electricity for electric motors. Original plans, according to which the ship was initially to be propelled by conventional sails and later exclusively by electric motors, have been cancelled.
In 2016, the Swiss Bourgnon founded the association "The Sea Cleaners" based in La Trinité-sur-Mer, France, which is behind the construction of the waste collection ship called the "Manta". From 2013 to 2015, Bourgnon sailed around the world in an open sports catamaran(Portrait in YACHT 14/2015) has been strongly confronted with the increasing pollution of the oceans - and now wants to combat it with the help of the gigantic rubbish collector.
It is clear that one ship alone is not enough to rid the oceans of plastic waste, but the aim is to focus on heavily polluted regions and, above all, to collect new plastic waste before it sinks to the bottom of the sea and gradually decomposes. The project also aims to contribute to education and awareness-raising.
"The idea is that in 25 years there will be many of these ships collecting rubbish," Bourgnon recently told French radio station France Info. The plans for the construction of the ship should therefore be made freely accessible.
First of all, however, the "Sea Cleaners" have to raise 25 million euros for construction number 1 - they are currently still working on the financing. However, the first aerodynamic tests are to be carried out in France as early as April.
You can read a report on the extent of plastic waste in the oceans as well as current opportunities and successes in taking countermeasures in YACHT 7/2018, which will be published on 21 March.
