The boat maneuvers, accelerates and goes into cruising speed, but there is no sound, other than the conversations of the first passengers on the Sun Concept Cat 12.0 and the lapping of water removed by the movement of this exclusively solar-powered vessel.
The fact that it is completely silent, an unusual feature on a boat, is what is immediately noticeable when traveling on this solar boat from the Algarve. But its greatest value is in the state-of-the-art technology it uses and also in its design, guaranteed by a Portuguese company specialized in conceiving means of transport and in innovating in its design.
O Sul Informação was inside Sun Concept's Cat 12.0 on the short trip that this boat made inside Vilamoura Marina, yesterday, Saturday, during the boat's official presentation ceremony, which took place within the scope of the Vilamoura Boat Show.
And the tranquility provided by the boat was one of the characteristics most commented on by the personalities invited to be on this first official voyage of the Cat 12.0, which constituted «a milestone in the life of Sun Concept».
«This was the big step. The first model, the Sunsailer 7.0, served to prove that it was possible. When we realized that yes, that it was possible and that there was adhesion, - and with the learning and recruitment of the right people -, we took a leap in terms of design", he revealed to Sul Informação Manuel Brito, founding partner of the company based in Olhão.
In this case, the challenge is much greater. The Sunsailer is a boat of smaller dimensions and for use in sheltered waters.
The Cat 12.0 is a catamaran that has "the ability to ride in the open sea, the ability to travel without loading for a whole day, or more."
“Furthermore, there is the possibility, if you are sailing at a low speed, of having unlimited autonomy. It also has a higher cruising speed and capacity to transport around 25 people." explained to our newspaper João Bastos, commercial director of the company, during a visit to the company's facilities promoted by the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) of the Algarve, about a week ago.
Manuel Brito stresses, for his part, that «in world terms there is nothing that compares to Cat 12.0». And, in addition to the boat that is already built and purchased by a maritime tourism company in Madeira, the construction of another vessel is already starting, this time destined for a private individual and which will have other characteristics, such as the fact that it is all closed and have two bedrooms».
However, there are already many interested in acquiring one of these innovative vessels, but they will have to wait. For now, the Algarve company only has the logistical capacity to build one of these boats at a time.
This first model took about two years to be built, but the company expects to be able to build the next one in about four months.
It is certain that the more Cat 12.0 there are crossing the waters of the planet Earth, the better it is for the environment, as stressed José Apolinário, Secretary of State for Fisheries, who represented the Government in the launch of this solar boat.
«The great challenges that are posed today, both in terms of carbon neutrality and in the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, is to manage and use the resources of the sea in a sustainable manner. This project promotes and implements the circular economy and the use of renewable energies», summarized the member of the Government, from Olhão.
This led to this being “one of the emblematic projects”, which were supported by the Fundo Azul, created by the Ministry of the Sea.
«We have 22 projects approved by Fundo Azul, representing 9 million euros of incentive. This was one of those chosen, received 500 thousand euros in incentive», revealed José Apolinário.
This support helped the company to design a unique product, which, even so, sells at a price in line with vessels with equivalent characteristics that are on the market, at least in cases where they are intended for work.
Photos: Helder Santos|Sul Informação
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