As the PANGAEA Expedition gets set to kick off later this month, Mike Horn and his PANGAEA sailing boat made made their U.S. debut today, docking in New York City's Battery Park where they'll remain through Saturday.  Following their stop in the Big Apple, Horn will then set sail towards Punta Arenas in Chile in the first stage of his epic journey to Antarctica, where he will eventually trek to the South Pole.

For those of you unfamiliar with the PANGEA Expedition, as we've noted in the past, it's an epic journey that will last a total of four years and span a total of five continents, including both the North and South Poles. Along the way, Mike and a diverse team of 144 young people will sail the PANGAEA - the largest polar exploration sail boat ever built - to various destinations, partaking in a myriad of projects aimed at improving environmental conditions both locally and globally.

Lending their support as the title sponsor of the PANGAEA Expedition is Mercedes-Benz, who will, among other things, support the project teams at different land stations with vehicles, including its environmentally friendly M-, GL-, and R-Class BlueTEC vehicles.  With a focus on educating young people about conserving natural resources, the Pangaea Expedition’s philosophy and objective coincides perfectly with Mercedes-Benz´s environmentally responsible approach – one of developing pioneering technologies that will contribute towards emission-free mobility.

To learn more about Mike Horn's PANGAEA Expedition as well as Mercedes-Benz sponsorship of the journey, you can find details of both in the official press release below.

Enjoy.



OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Mercedes-Benz Partners With PANGAEA – The Global Sustainability Expedition Of Mike Horn

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.

Copyright © 2008, Mercedes-Benz USA