The most amazing conference in Zermatt and SkySails
Watch - January 30, 2020Gunter Pauli invited me to a conference in Zermatt and it blew my mind more than any conference I’ve ever been to, really. On stage, 2 deals were signed, one for SkySails, the sail that pulls the Race for Water Odyssey boat.
SkySails go up to 100s of meters- the wind up there is really strong and it’s pulling a cord on a reel. The robot that runs it puts it into a sharp dive and brings it back down. Meanwhile, the reel is pulling the cable uses only 5% of the energy made.
They have a version under development for harvesting wind power on land (Sky Power). It’s just incredible and we want one here one day. It’s better than a windmill.
About the SkySail:
Instead of a traditional sail fitted to a mast, SkySails uses large towing kites to propel the yacht forward. Their shape is similar to that of a paraglider. The towing kite is made from high-strength, waterproof fabrics.
SkySails can operate at an altitude of 100 to 300m, where stronger, more stable winds prevail. The tractive forces are transmitted to the yacht via a line made of very high-strength synthetic fibres.
The launch and recovery system is installed on the foredeck and it manages the lowering and deployment of the kite wing. During launch, a telescopic mast unfolds the kite wing whilst lifting it. Once it is at a suitable altitude, the wing unfurls completely and can be launched. A winch releases the towing rope until operating altitude has been reached. The recovery process is performed in reverse order.
The launch and recovery procedures each take a total of 10 to 20 minutes.
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