A 4ft robotic sailing boat designed by Plymouth-based maritime technology company Oshen has crossed the Atlantic Ocean without human intervention.
The C-Star PC13 set off from Gran Canaria on 7 May and crossed the finish line east of Barbados on 13 September, covering 2,926 nautical miles (5,400km). Oshen says it is the first team to complete the Microtransat Challenge, which calls for a small sailing boat to cross the Atlantic independently.
Powered by solar panels, the vessel uses its energy to run sensors and adjust its fixed sail to make the best use of the wind.
Three attempts, five years of work
The crossing was Oshen’s third attempt. Its first boat broke down after 10 days, while a second launched from Plymouth spent 220 days at sea before problems with its mast forced the mission to end.
CEO and co-founder Anahita Laverack said the team had spent five years working towards the challenge. More than 30 teams have tried, including university and naval teams from several countries.
Oshen moved to Plymouth in 2022 and has grown from 10 employees to around 30. Its robotic boats are also used as sensor platforms for defence, monitoring undersea cables and pipelines, tracking illegal fishing and collecting ocean, climate and wildlife data.
Why it matters for Britain
The achievement highlights specialist engineering developed in Plymouth and supports a growing local maritime technology company. Oshen’s work is also being applied to infrastructure protection, environmental monitoring and scientific research.
