Performance expertise to design the Persico Cat 72'
The Italian shipyard Persico Marine is recognized for the quality of its construction of high performance sailboats. It is present in the field of cruising with the great Wally as well as in the field of regatta and offshore racing, through the IMOCA class, Ocean Fifty or the America's Cup with the technological AC75. It is this expertise acquired over the years that allows the company to present today the Persico Cat 72', a 22 m long foil catamaran capable of reaching 40 knots. The boat is currently under construction at the Persico Marine shipyard in northern Italy. Delivery is scheduled for 2024.
Custom construction for a light weight quote
At the beginning of this project, a shipowner entrusted the reins of the project to the architectural firm Morrelli and Melvin, who had designed several racing boats. The specifications were to create an innovative foiling catamaran, with performance comparable to that of a racing boat and the comfort of a cruising yacht. This ambitious project, 22 m long and 9.50 m wide, is built in a sandwich of carbon fiber prepreg with a Nomex core. Carbon was also chosen for the interior, which was designed to be light. The design is from the British studio Design Unlimited. The rig was custom designed by Southern Spars, with a carbon wing mast and boom. Custom tooling was developed for the build, which will begin in late May in Auckland. Including the wing mast, the two Torqeedo Deep Blue motors of 25 kW each, which will ensure a cruising speed of 8 knots, and the batteries, the total weight of the boat is set at 20 tons.
A flight system based on America's Cup technologies
For the development of the flight system, the owner and designers turned to the same simulation software that was used to design the America's Cup winning AC50 and AC75 by Team New Zealand. This is the VPP Gomboc optimization software, which acts as a flight controller. The Persico 72' is equipped with foils of more than 7 m long, with automatic rake control, lateral daggerboards and T-shaped rudders.
Ferdinand van West, lead designer for Morrelli and Melvin explains: "The foil has the same purpose as the one used in the IMOCA class, but it has been adapted to a catamaran and can be fully retracted. We have done a carefully considered optimization so that the Persico Cat 72âeuros² is a safe boat with full performance, even in light wind conditions when the foils cannot be used. The decision was to optimize the design to make the boat a semi-foiler, but one that can transition to a full foiler, hovering just above the surface of the water, when conditions allow."
The Persico 72' is designed to glide approximately 20 cm above the water in 9 knots of wind and reach speeds in excess of 20 knots in 13 knots of wind. For safety and reliability, the fully autonomous control system is capable of progressively lowering the hulls and decreasing the speed to the owner's preference. Forecasts call for speeds up to 40 knots downwind and 26 knots upwind, with comfort similar to that expected on a cruising catamaran.
A boat that can be driven by a crew of 3 people
Maneuvering is done from one of the two steering wheel stations located in the large aft cockpit. In addition, all navigation and flight controls can be handled by a small crew of 3 from the helm station. The vessel is also equipped with an inside wheel with flight and mainsail controls to ensure maximum protection and safety at high speeds.
Passengers can enjoy a 360° view from the lounge through the curved windows. The roof can accommodate solar panels, which can provide 2kW of charging.
