One of the most remarkable voyages of exploration ever undertaken – a four-year global trans-navigation by sea and land launched by South African adventurer-explorer Mike Horn – makes its U.S. debut today in Pangaea, a 115-foot state-of-the-art sailboat currently moored in New York City’s Battery Park from September 4-6, 2008
Mercedes-Benz is partner and main sponsor of the overall Pangaea Project, a campaign to educate young people about conserving natural resources. The Pangaea expedition’s philosophy and objective fits with Mercedes-Benz´s approach in developing pioneering technologies that will contribute towards emission-free mobility.
In the course of the 4-year expedition, Mercedes-Benz will support the project teams at different land stations with vehicles including its M-, GL-, and R-Class BlueTEC vehicles that get 20-30 percent better fuel economy relative to comparable gasoline engines. Mercedes-Benz 2009 ML 320, GL 320 and R 320 BlueTEC luxury SUV models meet the demanding criteria specified in the U.S. BIN5 (50-state) emissions standards.
About Mike Horn and Pangaea
Explorer Mike Horn has undertaken exceptional feats of endurance and determination. Among his exploits include Latitude Zero, an 18-month circumnavigation of the Earth around the Equator, Arktos Expedition, a solo circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle lasting 27 months, and the North Pole Winter Expedition, the first ever night expedition to the North Pole.
The Pangaea ship is purpose-built taking over 22,000 hours of design time and marine expertise to incorporate numerous state-of-the-art sustainable technologies and features the latest communication technology. Pangaea is the biggest polar exploration sailboat ever built and integrates solar panels to power its piloting and lighting systems, a recyclable aluminium hull, trawling nets for collecting bottles and plastics in open water, and several other ecologically sustainable elements.
The Greek word PANGAEA means “all Earth,” which is also an acronym for Horn’s Pan Global Adventure for Environmental Action that will cover 62,140 miles, reaching the North and South Poles and crossing all the Earth’s continents and oceans. Horn’s mission is to unite cultures through the Young Explorers Program with a powerful message designed to create environmental solutions for future generations.
Over 144 students aged 13 to 20 will join Mike Horn on this amazing odyssey and partake in environmental projects. During each leg of the expedition, educational specialists will join the students to share their knowledge about fauna and flora to help them understand the fragile, but necessary interaction between man and nature.
The Pangaea Project will focus on the following activities:
• Water – emphasizing the need to study and monitor the oceans, their bio-diversity and the impact humans have on them while also engaging in ocean clean-ups and debris removal of coastlines and water sources.
• Biodiversity – studying and understanding flora and fauna with a focus on achieving a balanced ecosystem for future generations.
• Social Community – aiding and educating local communities on optimizing limited water supplies in local villages while improving sanitary and hygiene conditions to become self-sustainable.
After leaving New York’s Battery Park City, Mike Horn sets sail on the Pangaea Expedition towards Punta Arenas in Chile in the first stage of his epic journey to Antarctica, where Horn will trek to the South Pole. Pangaea’s route will take Horn to Australasia, China and Russia, on his way to the North Pole and Greenland. Horn will sail to North and South America and back to Punta Arenas, Chile.
