Solitary sailor, Kenichi Horie has taken on the challenge of many adventures using wind, solar, and human power. Now, he’s completed a new adventure using wave power. The Tsuneishi Forestry Construction Company completed construction of the world’s first wave-powered boat, the “SUNTORY Mermaid II” (hull length: 9.5 meters, Maximum width: 3.5 meters, Hull weight: 3 tons), in June 2007. The boat was towed to its mother port of Shin Nishinomiya Yacht Harbor from Tsuneishi. On March 16th, 2008, the Suntory Mermaid II set sail from the Hawaii Yacht Club (Honolulu). Over 110 days, it successfully sailed about 7,000 km to the Kii Channel (between Gamouda cape in Tokushima and Hinomisaki Cape in Wakayama).
Collaboration | Tokai University, Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd. TSUNEISHI Holdings Company, SHARP Corporation, Hawaii Yacht Club, Kansai Yacht Club,
Shin-Nishinomiya Yacht Harbor Co., Ltd., and Nishinomiya City, FURUNO Electric Co., Ltd. |
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Technical Development | Yutaka Terao | Sponsor | Asahi Newspaper |
Design | Ichiro Yokoyama | Supporter | SUNTORY Ltd. |
Building | Tsuneishi Forestry Construction Company |