Sailing on a historic stretch of water
For this sailing trip, we set sail from Barcelona's old port, close to the Olympic marina where the 1992 Olympic Games were held. In the year of the America's Cup, the Catalan port is abuzz with activity.
We let the AC40s pass us, as they come in from training at 35 knots, and enter the channel. The weather is spring-like, with a light easterly wind of around ten knots and bright, shy sunshine. But outside, it's a bit of a mess.
Barcelona's waters are animated by a long cross swell with a choppy chop caused by the many boats plying the bay. Ideal for testing this innovative hull.
An efficient hull
Three of us are on board for this test. As we leave port, we can barely hear the Torqueedo Deep Blue 50R, which develops the equivalent of 80 hp.
The De Antonio E23 launches quickly and almost flat out, thanks to the excellent torque provided by the electric motor and automatic flaps. Once outside, you're in for a surprise. The catamaran hull, allied to the foil, works very well in these cross seas. The foil fulfills its role and lifts the hull slightly. Without the constraints of flight, this configuration ensures excellent passage through the sea, and offers great comfort to its crew. You can tack almost flat, and the absence of handrails is no longer a problem.
We reach a maximum speed of 23 knots, in surprising comfort, but the De Antonio E23 is not designed for sporty riding. At 20 knots, range is 1 hour 15 minutes, while at 6 knots, it rises to almost 5 hours, for a range of 30 miles.
The tests carried out on Lake Geneva achieved a speed of 27 knots.
Sufficient autonomy for a day's outing
As with an electric car, there are two recharging modes, with a rapid charging station or a conventional 230 V circuit. With a fast-charging station, full recharging takes just 1.5 hours, while a conventional network will require a full night's connection.
As with all electric units, the question of range quickly comes to the fore. What about that range, which on paper is less than that of a combustion model?
" Indeed "says Stanislas Chmielewski, co-founder of the site, "m but it's more than enough for coastal cruising and day trips. This model is aimed at customers looking for a different kind of unit, for day trips in a sailing area of around 15 miles. Autonomy is amply sufficient to reach a cove and spend the day at various anchorages. "
