Spirit Yachts is a British shipyard founded in 1993 that designs and builds splendid classic sailboats and motorboats for performance and long-distance travel. He is responsible for the 54-foot yacht Spirit, skippered by Daniel Craig in the James Bond Casino Royal.
But if the shipyard is making news again, it is for its new project, the Spirit 44, a 13.4 m long overall project, entirely electric and without hydrocarbons on board. This "sustainable sailing yacht" project was created thanks to the impetus of a new client, a former technology entrepreneur who lives and operates in British Columbia (Canada).
This new model - which will also be the smallest in the sail range - should incorporate some of the performance of the Spirit 46 (classic range), but with the habitability of the 47 CR (cruising range).
"The overall objective is almost total energy autonomy. I plan to use the shore power in an exceptional way "explains the future owner. It also pushes the concept to its limits since the cooking of food will be carried out via an alcohol stove.
Currently under construction in the Spirit Yachts yard in Suffolk, this "sailboat of the future" should be launched at the beginning of 2020.
James Bond's sailboat in Casino Royale ©Bateau-vintage
A classic exterior look, but electric propulsion
Externally, the Spirit 44 E will look like the models in the range, namely its low freeboards, a long waterline, a flush deck and a quality wooden look. Two teak-coloured solar panels will be harmoniously integrated at the rear of the deck. They will recharge OceanVolt 48 DC batteries (total capacity of 30.4 kWh, composed of 16 x 1.9 kWh batteries) that will power a 15 kW Sail Drive electric motor. This light and electric system (only 46.5 kg) operates as a hydro-generator to produce electricity under sail and regenerate batteries.
"With the 44E, we are applying the teachings of Spirit 111, which will be as ecofriendly as possible and adapting these same principles to a smaller yacht. The absence of hydrocarbons and the addition of solar sails will allow us to take another step towards the creation of a fully sustainable yacht" explains Nigel Stuart, general manager of the Spirit Yachts shipyard.
Solar sails
Spirit Yachts is working with the OneSails GBR sailmaker to develop a solar solution for the sailmaker's sailing game. John Parker explains "We are currently exploring the use of the latest thin solar cell photovoltaic panels, which can be integrated into OneSails 4T FORTE sails as sources of power generation. The work is at the cutting edge of progress, so at this stage, a number of details remain confidential."
These sails use a continuous fibre composite technology, which does not use resin or glue, thus eliminating delamination issues.
The site will call on Lewmar for the manual winches and Hall Spars for the carbon mast and boom, guaranteeing lightness. A mahogany and stainless steel centre wheel steering wheel is installed aft of the cockpit and a tender garage under the transom can house an electric tender.
A warm interior
Under the bridge, there is a Webasto heater/air conditioner that will also produce hot water. For lighting, LEDs will be installed on board.
A total of four people can sleep on board, divided into two cabins. A twin cabin at the front with its own toilet will serve as the owner's cabin. A starboard aft cabin will accommodate two additional guests in two berths.
A folding chart table will be integrated into the front bulkhead of the guest cabin to maximize space. In the centre of the boat, a U-shaped saloon will be installed on the port side with a wooden central table and an additional bench on the starboard side. At the back of the living room will be the open kitchen.
White partitions, mahogany structures and visible yellow cedar planks will give the interior a warm and natural atmosphere.
