Making the Kat sailboat even more efficient and sustainable was WEG's challenge for Voice of the Oceans expedition led by the Schurmann Family. This audacious expedition is designed to show the reality of how people are polluting the oceans with plastic and aims to seek innovative and practical solutions, and raise awareness of people around the world for the need for urgent actions.

The sailboat started the circumnavigation seven months ago and has just arrived at its first international destination (British Virgin Islands). The expedition will be visiting around 65 destinations around the world using renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro and solar. The entire management technology, storage in lithium batteries, distribution and remote monitoring of the energy system was designed and installed by WEG, in addition to the supply of paints for the boat protection against biofouling.

Built seven years ago, has participated in previous expeditions, Kat sailboat has been equipped with a WEG power control unit, which allows the boat to be self-sufficient with 100% clean energy. “This power control unit has always been sailors´ dream, and now we have full control of the energy inside Kat boat,” says Vilfredo Schurmann, the boat captain.

In addition to a wind power generation arrangement system, the boat also has WEG solar panels and hydrogenerators, reducing the use of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases.

The Schumann Family has always been concerned with the preservation of marine environments. Not only in Voices of the Oceans, but since the earlier Orient Expedition, WEG paints have ensured the protection of the boat. In 2021, before the trip commenced, WEG engineers met with the boat crew to find out solutions that would solve typical sailing challenges, such as biofoulings attached to the bottom part of the boat, causing structural damages and even an increasing fuel consumption.

“The boat requires highly resistant paints since we are going to navigate through cold places and on the other side on very hot near the equator line,” explains the captain. The solution was to protect the boat with WEG's anti-fouling paint, specially developed for vessels and boats, which ensures long performance, significant energy consumption savings and, most importantly, they do not affect marine environments.

It is worth adding that, in addition to all the innovations and sustainable solutions incorporated into Kat sailboat, Voice of the Oceans promotes actions that are capable of neutralizing carbon emissions. In partnership with StarBoard, the emissions generated are already being calculated to be neutralized with the planting of typical species of mangroves that are part of the coastal ecosystem.