Jimmy Cornell follows in the footsteps of Magellan

We have already announced Jimmy Cornell's new trip around the world... He recently gave a great interview British press, in which he revealed the details of the upcoming trip and the features of the yacht on which he will set off. The spoiler is an electric sailing catamaran that operates completely without fossil fuels.

Jimmy Cornell follows in the footsteps of Magellan

Background

In 2010 I sold the Aventura III yacht. At that time I was already 70 years old and it seemed it was time for us to say goodbye. But this mood did not last long - the climate was changing faster, and already in 2013 I decided to buy a new yacht, Aventura IV, to try to get through the Northwest Passage.

What is happening there now is what scientists call the "canary in the coal mine," and this effect is ultimately affecting the rest of the world. Once I already managed to overcome this impassable waterway, but now it opens up from the ice more and more due to changes in the climate. And I've seen the impact of global warming on local people.

Having completed this mission, in 2017 I sold the Aventura IVand it ended there ... But not for long, because three years later, when climate change surpassed the worst forecasts, I again decided to postpone retirement and try something different. For example, to go around the planet along the route of the first circumnavigation, made 500 years ago. And do it on a fully electric yacht.

Jimmy Cornell defeats the Northwest Passage in Aventura IV

Once again, the main reason for my decision was deep concern about the state of the environment, and especially the oceans. During my first trip around the world, I was lucky enough to see many places where nature was still preserved in its original form from the beginning of settlement. Over the years, I have returned to many places and almost everywhere, from Tuvalu to Alaska, have been shocked by the kind of destructive processes that followed the changes in climate.

My concern for the health of the oceans has been influenced by my own observations over the 45 years I've navigated them, as well as the constant confirmation of my research on global weather as my books are updated. For those currently planning a long cruise, the worst change to date has been an increase in the frequency of off-season cyclones. The seasons of tropical storms are less clearly defined, storms have appeared even in places where they did not smell before.

Modification of conditions

Compared to previous years, in the South Pacific, the cyclone season lasts longer, in the Caribbean Sea there was a hurricane at the end of November, and in the Coral Sea, off-season cyclones were recorded in June, July, and even September. In the Northwest Pacific, the frequency and strength of typhoons is increasing, and some super typhoons have gusts of up to 200 knots.

In recent years, typhoons have been reported in the area on a monthly basis, making it almost impossible to determine a safe time of the year. The 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world was the perfect excuse to follow the same route in accordance with current problems, and become as green as possible. And doing it on a zero-carbon electric yacht is truly unique.

Typhoon in the ocean

When I started looking for a suitable boat, I found several electric yacht projects under development. All of them were either hybrids (diesel engine or generator), or had a generator set as a backup. As for a yacht capable of withstanding long-distance travel - even those described as fully electric ended up with some kind of backup engine. That's why I decided to create my own sailing yacht based solely on renewable energy sources, without fossil fuels for propulsion or power generation.

Yacht selection

The main reason I chose a catamaran was to sail all the way. Which, in principle, is possible in the Southern Ocean, where the wind is guaranteed. And in this case, energy regeneration becomes especially necessary.

There are four main factors in an electric sailing yacht, and all of them are dictated by the fact that electricity must be generated not only by passive means (solar panels, wind and hydro generator), but also by active means when the yacht is under way.

1. The yacht should be potentially fast sailing. This means a lightweight displacement vessel, single or multihull.
2. There should be enough space on the yacht to install solar panels, so I chose the Outremer cruising catamaran.
3. Crew with the right mindset and attitude: ready to hit the road when there is wind, and not losing patience when there is no wind.
4. And the last, perhaps the most important factor. We all live in such a world and at such a time when we need to be ready to change our habits: from how we eat, live and travel to, naturally, how we sail.

Equipment selection

Finnish company Oceanvolt has been working on energy recovery for the past 20 years, and as a result created an original system based on its ServoProp variable pitch propeller. Its unique feature is that the propeller can rotate the blades over 180 °. A software controlled variable pitch stepless drive automatically adjusts the pitch of the propeller blades for optimal power generation and power output.

Combined with uniquely designed blades, this provides optimum efficiency in forward, reverse and hydrogeneration. When the blades are in neutral, the propeller produces very low drag, similar to that of a propeller. ServoProp is capable of generating approximately 1 kW of electricity at a speed of 6-8 knots. Also, my EL.CA.NO catamaran will have a lot of solar panels with a total power of 1500 watts.

With this potential level of power generation, there is no need for a separate generator. Although the shipyard insists on installing a backup diesel generator for me, I flatly refused - I don't want to be tempted by an additional source of energy in the event of an emergency. I am determined to prove that cruising is completely carbon-free. As real as a fully autonomous cruising yacht. I will even try not to use shore charges along the way.

I did not install a generator on any of my previous yachts - I relied only on the main engine, which I subsequently supplemented with solar panels, wind and a hydro generator. I tested such a system on my way back from the Northwest Passage when the engine broke down shortly after I got off the coast of Greenland.

We managed to walk about 2,500 miles to the UK, relying mainly on the Sail-Gen hydrogenerator, which covered all our needs: autopilot, instruments, communications, electric winches, toilets. As a result, we arrived in Falmouth with fully charged batteries.

All onboard electronics, including the proven Zeus system, will be supplied by B&G - just like on my three previous yachts. In addition to standard naval cruiser configurations, B&G agreed to test new solutions at EL.CA.NO for emergencies such as lightning strikes, autopilot failure, or power outages.

These are the concerns voiced by cruising sailors who took part in a recent survey of small crews. Throughout the trip, we will monitor the protection of all electronics during a thunderstorm in order to isolate the entire network at the right time or create a basic temporary navigation system that runs on a separate battery. It can be used in an emergency or if you need to shut down the main system.

Sailing Armament

The basic sailing plan and armament of the EL.CA.NO are based on Outremer 45, some characteristics were borrowed from Outremer 4X to enhance performance. There is a very difficult route ahead of us, crossing several oceanic regions from temperate to tropical, from high latitudes to low latitudes - this made me take very seriously my choice of sails. In addition to the standard mainsail and spinning solent, I will have a zero code and my favorite Parasailor spinnaker.

Outremer 45 became the base for the creation of Cornell's electric catamaran

In addition to the electric propulsion system, we have had so many modifications to these two models that the resulting prototype will be sold as a new model, the Outremer 4E. A later hybrid version, the Outremer 4H, will be fitted with a diesel generator. In the short term, I think the latter model may be more attractive. Therefore, I also explored various possibilities to make diesel generator sets more environmentally friendly.

This led me to Krone, a large industrial filter manufacturer in Bremen, Germany. They improved the exhaust gas filtration system for one of the patrol vessels of the German customs service. Krone's chief engineer assured me that a more compact catalytic converter system could be adapted to diesel generators on pleasure yachts.

However, it only solves half of the diesel pollution problem. The harmful particles are neutralized, but carbon dioxide is still released into the atmosphere or water. And although such filters are generally a good option, soon it will not be enough, since in the not too distant future fossil-fueled ships will be banned from entering marinas, marine parks, nature reserves, some rivers and lakes. Outremer is already preparing for this.

As for the historical context of my project, its goal is not only to mark the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world, but also to correct the mistake. Until now, the Portuguese navigator Fernand Magellan is considered the first navigator around the world.

In fact, we should give credit to the Basque sailor Juan Sebastian Elcano. He joined at the very beginning of Magellan's journey in 1519, led the expedition after the assassination of Magellan in the Philippines, and completed it in 1522. This is where my Elcano Challenge arose with the goal of circumnavigating the world on a fully electric boat of the same name. But I didn't just choose EL.CA.NO spelling, it means ELectricity. CArbon. No.

An ambitious plan

Such an enterprise looks quite ambitious on my part, but I am ready to take the challenge and do everything possible to get to the end and prove the viability of this cruising yacht concept, and also that it will become the norm in the long term. This is a challenge not only for me, but also for Grand Large Yachting, whose Outremer team fully supports the project.

There are three critical areas on the 30,000-mile path, passing them technically correctly and at the right time is still a quest. The most difficult part of the route is the Strait of Magellan, which is 350 miles long. Local westerly winds, which intensify, passing through the high mountain gorges, will be a difficult test for the narrow hulls and centerboards of the catamaran.

Strait of Magellan - beautiful and dangerous

Even more dangerous here are strong unpredictable villas - katabatic winds that flow down the high mountain slopes at a speed of 40 knots or more, and mercilessly push the yacht to the opposite leeward shore. We have already experienced such a test in the area on the Aventura III. We barely managed to stay away from the coast, while the engine roared at full speed.

With a 56kV battery, the EL.CA.NO motor will be able to run at full power for at least a couple of hours, and I'll keep my fingers crossed so I don't end up in this situation again. In any case, we will have at the ready two anchors - Rocna and Vulcan - weighing 25 kg, with a chain of 25 m and a halyard each 100 m long. We will drop them if necessary, and hopefully they will stop any fatal drift.

It will also be difficult to avoid the simultaneous cyclones on both sides of the equator as we move from the South to the North Pacific, in the area between Puka Puka, Tuamotu, and Guam. But since cyclones rarely approach the equator and never cross it, in the event of a typhoon or cyclone, it will be enough for us to simply stay as close to this saving line and not protrude unless absolutely necessary.

But when traveling, one has to fear not only the forces of nature. Even 500 years after the death of Magellan in the Philippines, this part of the world remains highly questionable in terms of security, especially in the Mindanao region, in the south of the archipelago. Therefore, although I refused the diesel engine, I did not dare to reject the kind offer of the Spanish Navy. They left their contacts in the Philippines and Brunei so that we can turn to them when necessary - and then we will arrange an escort ship through this infamous area.

The coast of the Philippines - even such a heavenly place can pose a potential threat

Thus, as an official event dedicated to the anniversary of the first circumnavigation, the Elcano project is provided with VIP services if necessary. And this is already something more reliable than crossed fingers!

We have to cross some rarely visited areas of the ocean, and along the way I am going to take part in various research projects. As with the Northwest Passage, I will be launching weather buoys and regularly submitting data to the World Meteorological Organization.

In addition, the Ocean Pack will test water samples for temperature, acidity, presence of plastic particles, and then transmit the data via the yacht's satellite system to Geomar, an ocean research institute in Kiel, Germany.

For many years in a row, I ended my long-distance cruise seminars with the words that the most beautiful moments of my life are yet to come. And I am living proof of this. EL.CA.NO is coming - the future belongs to electricity!

12.06.2020