BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The 42-foot-long "Sun21" was christened with spring water in Basel, Switzerland on Monday and the first solar-powered boat is taking a farewell tour of European ports before departing from Spain in an attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

    The Swiss-built catamaran's christening was cheered by several hundred government officials and environmentalists who wished skipper Michel Thonney and shipbuilder Mark Wust a safe voyage.

    "Fitted out with solar cells, batteries and electric motors, the catamaran will travel day and night without using a single drop of fuel," the crew said in a press release.

    The team expects "Sun21" to travel at 6-7 knots an hour, about average for a sailboat. The batteries store power for days with less or no sun.

    The catamaran will cruise down the Rhine to Rotterdam, Netherlands. From there it will sail to Seville for the trans-Atlantic start at the end of November.

    The crew also intends to break the record for the longest-ever voyage by a solar boat by following a course that covers 7,000 nautical miles.

    "All thanks to the most important guest on our trip," Thonney said at the christening. "The sun, of course!"

    The route includes layovers in the Cape Verde Islands, the Caribbean, Florida and finally New York City on May 7, 2007.

    (Agencies)