Vendee Globe: 'Crazy Kiwi' racing solo around the world again using only renewable energy
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 30 Oct 2024 06:34 PDT
31 October 2024
Conrad Colman / MS Amlin © Thomas Deregniaux / Qaptur / MS AMLIN
In the 2016 Vendee Globe, Conrad Colman became the first competitor in Vendee Globe history to finish without using a drop of fossil fuel during his circumnavigation.
It was an eventful race. The 'Crazy Kiwi' moniker was earned after Colman finished under Jury rig when his mast broke 740nm from the finish, and he ran completely out of food. Conrad Colman finished the race nibbling rations from his survival kit. That was after an electrical fire in the Southern Ocean and falling overboard at night also in the Southern Ocean, connected to the main boom by his tether, and was eventually flipped back onto the boat by a fortuitous wave.
For the current edition of the Vendee Globe, the USA born, and New Zealand raised professional sailor has purchased a 2007 vintage IMOCA60, for his fifth race around the World. In the video he walks us through the process of upgrading the latest boat to suit his race strategy, which includes improving the strength of the hull by adding an extra carbon skin.
Following a race Rule change he is not permitted to use an electric motor again.
"We have an opportunity to carry this development into the area of renewable energy," he says. "The world is moving forwards and we have to go that way. I think we can be the flag bearer for that technology, we are pushed by the wind we should be charged by the sun. And also the parallel I like to draw is when we leave the dock we have 10 litres of drinking water and we make drinking water as we go, for me we should have the same approach to energy. I have charged myself with proving it can be done. Clearly respecting the regulations as they are written today I am not going to use my diesel engine. I will use two sources of power, I have covered the boat with solar panels and have the Watt & Sea generators and I am showing it can be done. I will leave with 20 litres of diesel and will return with 20 litres of diesel."
For Conrad Colman's full story click here