The first production boat in basalt
Innovation Yachts, the yard set up by Norbert Sedlacek, has made a specialty of working with basalt fiber for composites. The Austrian skipper, who built his reputation by becoming the first sailor from his country to complete the Vendée Globe, is now attempting to complete a circumnavigation of the 2 poles aboard an Open 60 built with this volcanic rock as part of the Ant Arctic Lab project. Meanwhile, Vendée-based Innovation Yachts is working on other projects using this material, and at Boot Düsseldorf unveiled its first production model, the Volcat 16, a versatile 16-foot catamaran built from a balsa-basalt sandwich.
A 16-foot beach and raid catamaran
Beyond the sustainable aspect of its composite construction combining wood, natural fiber and 55% bio-sourced epoxy resin, the builder emphasizes the robustness of basalt for boat use. Ansgar Frommeyer, Sales Manager, emphasizes: "Basalt gives very good UV protection and is 30% more impact-resistant than glass, which is why it was initially used for armor plating. This makes the Volcat 16 a good boat for adventure and raids, or for sailing school use."
The Volcat 16 is offered in two versions: classic, with 13.1 m2 of mainsail and 3.3 m2 of genoa, or race, with a larger sail area. A gennaker completes the wardrobe. Weighing 162 kg, it can accommodate 4 people, and its hulls, with their wide opening hatches, can carry all the equipment needed for coastal camping trips. Its standard rigid platforms, which can be modified with trampolines, make it all the more suitable for this program. It can be dismantled for easy transport.
An electric motor version
The Volcat 16 is also available in a purely motorized version. Without a mast, the catamaran transforms itself into a cruising or working platform. The shipyard offers it with a 1 or 6 kW outboard electric motor. Solar panels fixed to the platform can provide up to 1 kW of power.
Durability comes at a price, as Innovation Yachts' catamaran is priced at almost 2 times that of the competition. The Volcat 16 is priced from ?24,900 inc. VAT with basic sails, and up to ?30,000 motorized with options and batteries.
