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Dronautic Organisation

The Dronautic Revolution 1968 - 2018

samedi 24 mai 2014Dronautic Organisation

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The first non-stop and unmanned round the world yacht race will be launched in 2018. Different 6 meters long nautical drones, the Dronautic’6, designed and managed by students, engineers or experimented sailors will compete together to be back to the starting port after rounding the Antarctic. Will you be between them ?


The racing program is opened to deferent teams, which can be managed by universities, sailing teams, big companies or an association of them. Their solar, sailing or solar and sailing drones have to complete the rules of the Dronautic’6 : 6 meters long, 6 meters wide (maximum). They have to be able to evaluate on the oceans surface in a complete energetic autonomy without embarking fossil or nuclear energy.

Drones are everywhere in the space and in the airs. But what about the seas ?

First projects a trying to develop drone offshore navigation on the oceans. Pioneers come from the USA with the SailDrone and the Scout. One has chosen the wind energy when the other has chosen the solar one… Which one has the best solution to be able to make a complete round the world navigation ?

• November 2013 : SailDrone joins Hawaii from San Francisco

The American SailDrone can be considered as the pioneer of autonomous offshore sailing. This 19’ trimaran has been able to sail from San Francisco to Hawaii in 2013. After this success, its team has decided to try the first round the world navigation.
- More information on http://saildrone.com

• January 2014 : Scout tried to cross the Alantic

This solar drone has been launched in august 2013 after 3 years of research from a student team based in the East coast of USA. The Scout is a 12’ long monohull using solar energy to navigate. Early in 2014, it tried a North Atlantic crossing but, after 4 months, it was look to have lost its way. The Scout was already able to navigate 1300 nautical milles in 175 days.
- More informations on http://gotransat.com


A DRONE IS HEADING FOR EUROPEAN SHORES VIA THE ATLANTIC by aquageeks

Other teams have work on similar project to launch solar or sailing drones.

If those team were competing together ?

Better than letting engineers and students searching alone do develop new navigating drones, Dronautic presents a new class, the DROANAUTIC’6, and a program of competition ending with the ultimate challenge, a round the world navigation, The Dronautic Revolution !

Remember : On June 1968 14th, Robin Knox-Johnston set sails from England at the helm of his 32’ ketch Suhaili. He was one of the nine men taking part in the Golden Globe. 313 days, 1 hour and 5 minutes later, he was the only one to came back after a single-handed revolution around the world.

In June 2018, 50 years after Sir Robin Knox-Johnston start around the world, the starting line of The Dronautic Revolution will be opened. Unmanned, sailing or solar boats (respecting the rules of the Dronautic’6) will try to come back home after rounding the Antarctic, if possible, in 312 days or less.

About The Dronautic Revolution 2018

Starting date : Thursday June 14th 2018
Port of call : open to candidature
Course : Staring port – around the Antarctic by rounding the 3 caps (Aguilas -Good Hope-, Tasmania, Horn) – back to the starting port
Timing : 312 days (based on Suhaili non-stop navigation)
Class : Dronautic’6


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Dronautic Organisation : History : in the line-up of the legendary round the world navigations


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