Monaco Solar & Electric Boat Challenge

The 4th Monaco Solar & Electric Boat Challenge, at the Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with UIM (International Powerboating Federation), was a huge success.

With the four standard contests and a new offshore race between Monaco and Nice completed, the event more than met expectations of the 21 teams from seven nationalities.

The one overriding objective is to use competition to promote eco-responsible propulsion to the largest number of people involved in motor-sport.

Nothing can stop the Dutch: Gerhard van der Schaar’s Clafis Victron Energy Solar Boat Team in the Open Class and Johannes van der Steen driving NHL Solarboatteam in Challenge A, each won the fleet endurance race, the speed contest (47.906 km/h over one eighth of a mile (231.5m) by Clafis Victron), slalom contest and one-on-one duels in their respective categories.

The big novelty was launch of the Monaco Offshore Solar & Electric Race from Monaco to Nice and back. Built to YCM Offshore Class specifications, the electric boat Heliodive equipped with 50 solar panels, and able to take three people aboard, completed the 25nm in 3 hours 10 minutes to establish a reference time.

Pupils from Monaco’s Lycee Technique et Hotelier were again involved in the Vripack Challenge, with eight building two boats from a Vripack kit, who then competed in the slalom and duels.

Final overall ranking

Challenge A Class:
1st: NHL Solarboatteam – Johannes van der Steen – NED – 959 Pts
2nd: WhisperPower Solar Team – Jeroen Antonisse – NED – 869 Pts
3rd: Antwerp Maritime Academy – Jos Noteboom – BEL – 825 Pts

Open Class:
1st: Clafis Victron Energy Solar Boat Team – Gerhard van der Schaar – NED – 1200 Pts
2nd: Sunderbird – Emden – Matthias Graf – GER – 769 Pts
3rd: Solar Boat Twente – Jasper Admiraal – NED – 694 Pts

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