World's largest message in a bottle

A bit of controversy has surrounded the Norwegian soft drinks company Solo's  release of 'the word's largest message in a bottle' in the open seas of the western Canary Islands after it was towed past La Gomera and then left to itself just off El Hierro.The 'bottle' weighs 2.5 tons, is 26 feet long and has the required navigation lights for a drifting object in international waters, not to mention solar panels, satellite-connection and tracking technology. A 140-liter fresh water tank with remote controlled nozzles will clear the lenses of the custom made camera which will upload a picture every 8 hours. While some admire the PR stunt, others fear the object will pose a hazard to shipping.
Well-known polar explorer Jarle Andhoy is the godfather of the expedition and there is a competition  to predict the area where the bottle will end up. For every mile the object has travelled the winner will receive one bottle of the soft drink. You can follow its progress here: http://www.solo.no/en                
Maybe they should have launched it on April 1st ?

Official launch in the Marina of San Miguel de
Abona, Tenerife (C)Photo: Stuart Wilson/Solo