Encouraging first trials
It is not only in offshore racing or light sailing that boats fly. Several motorboat manufacturers have already released "flying" models such as SEAair or Enata, but also the electric model from Candela. Here is a new actor.
A flying boat and electric
Spirit Yachts, known for its elegant classic wooden sailboats has partnered with BAR Technologies, a marine engineering consulting firm that uses digital simulation, to develop a 35-foot electric foiling motorboat.
Spirit Yachts will design the vessel, while BAR Technologies will provide simulation and design expertise for the America's Cup to provide a suitable hull shape below the waterline, using foil technology to minimize hull contact with the water and improve comfort and efficiency. BAR Technologies will design and manage the ship's electric drive train to provide approximately 100 miles of range and five hours of sailing time on foils, after recharging.
Two bridge configurations
This is a project commissioned by the owner of the superyacht Spirit 111 (33.9 m), which is itself equipped with a Torqeedo electric motor. It will retain the classic and elegant lines of the brand. The foiler has 6 seats in its "open cockpit" version, with two pilot seats and a U-shaped saloon just behind in the central cockpit. It can also be easily converted into a "Spider" version by keeping only the two pilot seats for a piloting mode. The boat will take off at 14 knots and once in the air will reach a cruising speed of 22 knots and a maximum speed of 30 knots.
Construction of the foiler is underway at the Spirit Yachts yard in Ipswich, on the east coast of the UK, with delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2022.
Development of green technologies
"Classic yacht owners are increasingly looking at green investments as battery technology evolves and quiet electric drives become more practical. Advances in foil technology on the America's Cup now opens the door to green innovations in the wider maritime sphere, dramatically reducing the energy requirements of new boats."
