PARIS: French adventurer Alain Thebault’s trimeran sailboat arrived in Hawaii at the end of a ten-day voyage from Los Angeles that came well short of breaking a crossing record.
The “Hydroptere” arrived in Honolulu just ahead of solar airplane Solar Impulse’s expected arrival today after departing from Japan.
The Swiss-piloted aircraft and French-led boat plan to gather in Hawaii to make a statement on clean energy.
The boat was the first hydrofoil supercraft to make the crossing, but it was not able to achieve high speeds to compete with the four-day 19 hour crossing record due to low wind conditions, the crew said in a statement.
Under proper wind and sea conditions the Hydroptere can reach speeds of over 50 knots, while barely slicing the water with its foils. On the open ocean its top speed is around 30 knots.
