Prince Philip presented the inaugural Royal Thames Mansura Trophy to Loic Lagrange for the Lagoon 420 hybrid-powered catamaran from French shipyard, Constrution Navale de Bordeaux. The ecological innovation of the catamarans' design was recognised in a ceremony at London's Royal Thames Yacht Club.
The Lagoon 420 motor-sailing catamaran uses a bank of batteries which re-charge via propellers turned by the boat's speed whilst under sail.
More than 60 Lagoon 420's have been built since 2003, half of which have made trans-Atlantic passages.
Runner-up was the Sydney Harbour-based Sydney Solar Sailor passenger ferry, with rigid photovoltaic sails supplying its electric motors, with back-up LPG generator.
The inspiration for the competition - which aims to help cut carbon emissions and fight global warming - was Mansura, a cabin-cruiser built in 1912 and driven by a petrol-electric hybrid propulsion system developed by her owner, Jack Delmar-Morgan, electrical engineer and member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club.
Jack's granddaughter Miranda Delmar-Morgan, a Yachting Monthly contributor attended the presentation which is supported by the RYA's The Green Blue project.
Yacht designer Nigel Irens will join the judging panel for the 2008 Mansura competition. Rules will be posted in March and will be found at www.mansuratrophy.royalthames.co.uk



Yachting Monthly, 20 February 2008