Father Fyodor Konyukov (age 70), a traveler, painter, and priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, is planning to circle the world in a 40-ft catamaran powered by solar panels. The first part of the voyage will be the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in April 2022, and the second part involves sailing across the Pacific in December 2022.

“In 2022, we are planning test crossings of two oceans, and those will be the first ever solo ocean crossings on a solar-powered catamaran,” said Oskar Konyukhov, head of Fedor Konyukhov’s headquarters.

Father Fyodor is training for a solo sailing in the Jules Verne Trophy race. The Jules Verne Trophy is a prize for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht, with no restrictions on the size of the crew, provided the vessel has registered with the organization and paid an entry fee for the race.

The construction of a 100-ft solar-powered boat for the Jules Verne Trophy will begin in Russia this year. “To cover a 27,000-mile round-the-world route in 80 days, the vessel must go at 14 knots. The task is complicated by the fact that it will be solar-powered, and this is an additional load, slowing it down,” said Oleg Belkov, shipbuilder and technical consultant for the project.