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Russian voyager Konyukhov to cross Atlantic, Pacific Oceans aboard solar-powered catamaran

The solo crossing is set for 2021-2022, the traveller’s son and organizer of expeditions told TASS

Russian adventurer Fyodor Konyukhov reaches Cape Horn as part of his solo voyage across the Pacific Ocean on the AKROS rowboat, May 12, 2019 Oskar Konyukhov/TASS

Russian adventurer Fyodor Konyukhov reaches Cape Horn as part of his solo voyage across the Pacific Ocean on the AKROS rowboat, May 12, 2019

© Oskar Konyukhov/TASS

MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Russian voyager and explorer Fyodor Konyukhov is planning a solo crossing of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in 2021-2022 aboard a specifically designed catamaran run completely on solar energy for the first time in the world history, the voyageur’s son and organizer of expeditions, Oskar Konyukhov, told TASS.

"In 2021-2022, for the first time in history Fyodor Konyukhov is planning solo voyages across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans aboard a solar-powered catamaran. According to the project, NOVA is planning to construct an 11-meter long ocean class catamaran with built-in electric motors and solar modules," he revealed.

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According to Oskar Konyukhov, the catamaran is in the blueprint stage, designers submitted their projects just this Thursday. The construction is set to begin in January 2020 at the British Rannoch Adventure shipyard. St. Petersburg’s Hevel Solar company will create the solar batteries.

The voyage is split into two stages. In February-March 2021, Konyukhov intends to cover the Canary Islands-Antigua route, around 3,000 nautical miles. The second part of the journey will see him crossing the Pacific Ocean, travelling from Chile to Australia and covering 9,000 nautical miles. Overall, the voyage is expected to take 6 months.

During the journey, Konyukhov will make a video diary and conduct ecological monitoring of the ocean by daily noting whether there is plastic waste floating in the waters, the project manager pointed out.

Fyodor Konyukhov is a Russian survivalist, voyager, aerial and marine explorer who has so far completed five solo circumnavigations. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean 17 times and became the first Russian to complete the Explorers Grand Slam: he climbed the highest mountains on all the seven continents and visited the North Pole and the South Pole. Between 1992 and 1997, Konyukhov conquered Mount Elbrus, Mount Everest, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Vinson Massif as well as Mount Kosciuszko and Denali (also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name). In 2007, Konyukhov circumnavigated the Southern Hemisphere aboard a sailing yacht dubbed the Scarlet Sails when he crossed the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

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