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There's no shortage of unusual projects on Lake Geneva. But some immediately attract attention. With the Stravaganza 42, expected on the starting line of the Bol d'Or 2026, the cursor seems to have been pushed particularly far.
This 42-foot monohull was the result of a meeting between an experienced Italian owner and British naval architect Jo Richards, well known in the industry for his fast racing and lake yachts. The brief was simple on paper: to build a yacht capable of making the most of the often light and unstable conditions of Lake Geneva, or of the Eastern Mediterranean waters.
And to achieve this, the technical choices are quite different from the usual standards.
A keel capable of tilting up to 100°
The heart of the project lies in its canting keel system. The Stravaganza 42 was designed around a central cylindrical ring integrated into the hull, allowing the keel to pivot up to 100° to either side. A particularly important amplitude for a monohull of this size.
The aim is to maximize righting moment while reducing wetted surface and hydrodynamic drag. The boat is designed to sail with approximately 10° of heel to windward. In this configuration, the bulb can be partially lifted out of the water.
When the bulb emerges, its volume no longer generates parasitic buoyancy. According to project data, the righting moment increases by around 10%, while the drag of the appendage decreases sharply. Announced speed gains can exceed 2 knots.
Hull architecture designed to limit natural stability
Another special feature is that the hull itself has been designed to produce little intrinsic dynamic stability.
The aft sections are wide and relatively square, while the forward waterlines remain very fine. This choice reduces resistance in light airs and makes full use of the canting keel.
In other words, unlike a more conventional monohull, the boat does not rely on its hull to right itself. All the power comes from the moving appendages.
Prepreg carbon for appendages
The appendages are another central element of the project. The two asymmetrical load-bearing surfaces behind the central area, as well as the rudder, are made of high-temperature prepreg carbon fiber. The massive use of carbon is explained by the stresses generated by the pendulum keel and the high loads transmitted to the appendages when the boat is travelling at high speed.
Operation of the keel is based on a hydraulic system powered by a lithium battery weighing just 40 kg. According to the project data, this energy reserve would enable the boat to perform between 170 and 180 complete maneuvers. Energy management becomes a central issue here. Unlike conventional hydraulic systems powered by internal combustion engines, the whole system operates on a much more compact and lightweight logic.
A boat made for Lake Geneva conditions
Lake Geneva is a special playground. Winds are often irregular, with strong pressure variations and complex thermal effects. It now remains to be seen how this highly technical concept will perform in the reality of the Bol d'Or, particularly against the big catamarans of the TF35 or the sharpest monohulls on the lake.
But one thing is already certain: on the starting line, the Stravaganza 42 is not likely to go unnoticed.
