This super-yacht is solar powered

Ever fantasize about sailing off into the sunset, nothing but the open ocean and horizon ahead of you?

Living out this dream is reserved for the uber wealthy few, but if money were no object, we’d prefer to do it in OceanCo’s forthcoming 348-foot superyacht called Project Solar.

A joint effort of OceanCo, Nuvolari Lenard Design, and Dykstra Naval Architects the price tag isn’t the only huge feature of this unique sailing vessel. Cleantechnica reports that the length of the vessel, when completed, will be greater than the playing area of an American football field. Now that’s a serious party boat.

“We are very proud of the project; it’s not only the largest project but a very environmental project, said Mohammed Al Barwani, Owner of Oceanco, in this video. “The project is called Solar and it would rely heavily, or chiefly, on power from solar energy.”

In addition to sporting battery-saving solar panels, the superyacht will also employ a rigid sail system called a Dyna Rig. If you think back to the sailing vessels of centuries past, you’ll recall that all of those massive sails and rigging required a crew of dozens of sailors to keep the ship on course.

Unlike those complicated rope and canvas systems, Dyna Rig is operated electronically, so no manual labor is required. This means that when conditions are favorable, the massive yacht can be propelled by clean wind energy rather than a combustion engine.

The boat is slated for completion and launch in 2015.

* Beth Buczynski, EarthTechling