Pegasus is a new electric hydrofoiling boat created by new Finnish company, FoilOne is now on show in Italy, participating in The Foiling Week, a gathering of like-minded foiling enthusiasts and foiling craft companies, which has been taking place annually since 2014.

This will be the first time many foiling enthusiasts will be able to see Pegasus in the flesh. But the concept has already impressed winning the award for Foiling Motorboat of the Year at the The International Foiling Awards earlier this year

Pegasus is certainly a cool looking foiling toy and it’s easy to see why it has turned the heads of awards judges. The designers say they turned to 1950’s era Formula 1 cars and that resemblance is hard to miss.

A wide grille-style bow and fuselage cockpit are the key F1-styling features and once it is foiling it looks for all the world like F1 throwback on stilts.

The lifting hydrofoils can be seen here underneath the stationary boat

But if styling is reminiscent of a car, then the handling will put drivers more in mind of a motorbike with an in-house developed steering system designed to make driving simple for the non-boater. Put simply steering inputs run directly to the front foil, mounted in front of the driver to provide a more motorbike-like feel as opposed to the traditional real-foil steering of a rudder or engines on water craft.

When cornering the whole boat leans over, carving on its foils in much the same way as any motorbike.

The advantage of hydrofoils is that they offer much less water resistance, once a craft is going fast enough to create the required lift from the wings under water. As such higher speeds can be achieved over longer periods for reduced fuel.

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The designers of Pegasus say this has enabled them to build an electrically powered boat that can go faster and further than it otherwise could.

The foiling system is modelled on foiling racing dinghies, with a sensing ‘wand’ linked to the foil flap. As the boat lifts up, the wand drops which scrubs ‘lift’ off the foil flap and vice versa.

This simple system essentially allows for a self adjusting ride height and has been used to great effect in foiling dinghies, such as the International Moth class, which have been leading the way in foiling development for 20 years.

FoilOne are not alone in heading down the hydrofoil route and the market for eclectic, foiling motor boats is in significant growth at present.

However, foiling does come at a cost, namely boats typically need to be as light as possible to enable easy, sustainable flight and thus take advantage of the drag benefits that come from being out of the water.

To ensure the minimum weight and maximum stiffness required to make foiling effective, Pegasus is built from Carbon Fibre. Which does not come cheap.

The sensing ‘wand’ is clearly visible here on the trailing edge of the front foil.

There is limited practicality here and there is no denying that Pegasus has been developed as a luxury toy, targeting the superyacht owning market. And pricing clearly reflects that.

Each boat will be hand built and is customisable, with limited build slots available. The base price is €109,900 and that’s before the 2 x 5 kWh Torqeedo electric batteries are added in, so the on-the-water cost will likely be closer to €120,000.

That is an eye-watering cost for a water toy. But it would not be the first toy to hit the market at similar cost and sell. It’s certainly very, very cool and in a money-no-object world I can’t say I wouldn’t be tempted.

Pegasus specifications

LOA: 4.88 m
Beam/Width: 0.95 m
Draft: 1.0 m with foils extended & displacement mode (0.3 m with foils up)
Weight: 200 kg
Motor: 18.8 kW
Battery: 2 x 5 kWh – Powered by Torqeedo
Range: 2h +
Charging: 0-100 % in under 2h
Speed: 18-22 kt cruise, 30 kt top speed
Builder: FoilOne

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This article This new electric foiling boat looks like an old-school F1 car and handles like a motorbike appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Electric outboard motors are nothing new, after all the humble electric trolling motor has been around for decades, but in the past couple of years a new breed of more powerful units has emerged.

Capable of powering everything from a tender to a 50-knot sportsboat, the latest generation of motor are some of the best electric outboard motors we’ve seen and they will surely play a big role in the growing trend towards all-electric boats.

We’ve rounded up some of the best options available on the market right now to help you track down the right one for cutting down your boat’s carbon footprint.

Best electric outboard motors for your tender

Torqeedo Travel

Specs: Weight: 15.5kg | Power: 600W – 0.8hp | Battery: 500Wh | Range: 11nm 

Torqeedo has been making electric outboard motors for quite a while now, and their latest offering slots into the travel range of electric outboards between the 503 (1.5hp) and the 1103C (3hp).

All the usual Torqeedo refinements are present and correct. IP67 rated as totally waterproof, the 603 Travel has a magnetic kill cord and an onboard computer providing instant readouts of operating range at current RPM and battery-charge status displayed on the tiller arm.

You can link it to an Apple or Android app and gain even more information including a map-based range indicator.

Mercury Avator 7.5e

Specs: Weight: 27.1kg | Power: 750W – 1hp | Battery: 1kWh | Range: 34nm

Announced in early 2022 and launched less than a year later, the Mercury Avator 7.5e is the first electric unit from the world’s biggest builder of outboard engines.

The whole top plate hinges up to reveal the battery, which can be quickly removed from your electric boat or replaced for convenient charging.

It’s by no means the lightest electric outboard motor on the market, but its claimed range at 25% throttle is very impressive – we look forward to putting one to the test.

Not resting on its laurels, Mercury launched the Avator 20e and 35e this summer as well. These units are no bigger than the 7.5e, but need wiring in to an on-board battery bank.

Remigo One

Specs: Weight: 14.5kg (inc. bracket) | Power: 1kW – 3hp | Battery: 1,085 Wh | Range: 14nm

The idea behind the Remigo One electric outboard makes perfect sense; rather than mounting the battery on top of the shaft, like the engine on an old-school petrol outboard, the Slovenian company has integrated it into the shaft and shaped it like a rudder to minimise drag and maximise steering effect.

It is backed by a 2-year warranty and has a magnetic key/kill cord. There are some other neat ideas too. The rudder casing is waterproof to IP67 above the water and IP69 below the water so it will survive a dunking, and it’s held in place by a clamp mechanism that allows you to adjust the shaft length to suit your boat with the aid of an allen key.

The transom bracket is separate to the motor so you can leave the bracket attached to the boat and simply slot the motor on and off. The tiller also folds and locks parallel to the blade so you can use it as a perfectly balanced carry handle.

The Kicker is exceptionally light and surprisingly powerful

Thrustme Kicker

Specs: Weight: 4.4kg | Power: 1kW / 3hp | Battery: 259kWh | Range: 5nm

If it’s light weight and value that you prioritise over cruising range, then this Norwegian option is hard to beat.

Launched in 2021, the Kicker boasts enough range and grunt to get one person from ship to shore and back again in calm conditions, as editor Hugo proved in a week-long test.

The only downside is that the battery isn’t removable, which can make charging a little more difficult.

TEMO-1000

Specs: Weight: 15kg | Power: 1kW / 3hp | Battery: 740Wh | Range: Up to 1hr

A brand new option from France, the TEMO-1000 doesn’t look anything like a traditional outboard motor.

The design doesn’t have any rectangular box on top, just a rudder-shaped shaft with an electric motor at the bottom and a long slim battery that simply slides down into it, connecting automatically to your electric boat without having to plug wires into it.

The tiller arm does the same, meaning it disappears completely when not in use and yet it is never detached and therefore never mislaid.

Haswing Ultima 3

Specs: Weight: 16kg | Power: 1kW / 3hp | Battery: 1.03kWh | Range: 18nm

A top-of-the-range option from trolling motor stalwarts Haswing, the Ultimate 3 is suitable for boats up to 7m long.

The brushless DC motor produces 3hp (claimed to be equivalent to a 4hp petrol outboard motor), and it’s available in short and long shaft versions as well as the standard length.

Not only is the detachable battery unusually light at 5kg (lightest in class, according to the manufacturer), it also connects to the engine in a single simple operation without the need for connecting cables or other fiddly parts – no bad thing when you’re bobbing about in a tender!

ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus

Specs: Weight: 19.3kg | Power: 1kW / 3hp | Battery: 1,276Wh | Range: 22nm

The original Spirit 1.0 has actually been in production for six years with over 10,000 units built. Featuring a 1,000W brushless motor, this electric outboard motor is claimed to be equivalent to a 3hp petrol engine, ideal for tender duties or small to medium sized dinghies.

This Plus version, launched in 2020, is the same weight, size and power – the big gain is where it’s needed most, run time. It has been achieved by upgrading the battery from 1,018Wh to 1,276Wh.

At the same time, the power cord has been upgraded for durability and reliability, and the voltage has been changed from 40.7V to 48V, making it compatible with an external 48V battery. The battery will even float if dropped overboard!

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This article Best electric outboard motors: All the options for zero-emissions propulsion appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Sitting alongside at the old port in Cannes is a boat that looks supersized almost to the point of excess. If that much is only to be expected of a 62ft power cat with a 29ft beam, the option of a fully enclosed upper deck and near vertical lines, it’s pleasing to reflect that the forthright styling is very much counterbalanced by the lightfootedness of the Silent 62 Open concept.

Because what we have here is a cat designed to cruise indefinitely in quiet, and largely emissions-free serenity, thanks to a combination of solar panels, high-capacity battery banks and back-up generators.

That certainly makes plenty of sense, given that this Austrian yard (very aptly named Silent Yachts) has been dedicated to the production of fully electric solar-powered catamarans ever since its foundation in 2016. But before we get to all of that, let’s jump on board the more aesthetically pleasing Open version and see just how much space this lofty, flybridge power cat actually delivers…

If you don’t need the full-beam owner’s cabin, the sunken bow lounge is a lovely place to tuck yourself away

Day space options

The aft cockpit is by no means the chief outdoor party zone but it still does a very decent job. There’s a seating and dining area to port, as well as a built-in aft bench, and if you look further aft, beyond the symmetrical steps at each side of the transom, there’s a pair of fixed bathing platforms as well as a central high-low section capable of handling a 500kg tender.

With a beam in excess of 29ft, there’s plenty of room in the cockpit for freestanding furniture too, as well as the flybridge steps and an optional grill and fridge, but it’s forward of this point that the fun really kicks in.

With a wet bar, a port lounge and a forward bench, the upper helm is brilliantly sociable

The outdoor bow lounge, for instance, is delightful – partly because its sunken setting provides an extra sense of intimacy and protection from the elements and partly because, in addition to some overhead shelter from the extended roofline, you also get direct access to the main deck saloon via a watertight central door in the middle of the windscreen.

Some attractive asymmetry generates sunbathing space to port and sociable seating to starboard – and if you make your way back down those broad side decks, you’ll find another pair of intimate little bench seats, one on each side, recessed into the superstructure, facing directly out to sea.

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As for the practicalities of the bow space, there’s ample storage beneath the raised section of deck for all kinds of gear, from paddleboards and SeaBobs to a range-extending kite sail. And you also get the option of a pair of bright and well organised ensuite crew cabins here too.

But it’s hardly a secret that the chief party zone on this Open model is the huge upper deck. Silent tells us it provides around 650ft2 of space but that seems like a modest estimate to us.

It’s so spacious, you can just imagine the designers’ eyes lighting up at the rich, blank-canvas potential of it all – and what they’ve decided to do at the port side is create what amounts to a ‘helm lounge’ rather than merely a helm, thanks to an L-shaped bench seat alongside some more bench seating forward.

The aft end of the flybridge leads up three steps to a big raised sunpad beyond the reach of the hardtop

You could easily seat nine or ten people here on a long passage and the fact that it butts up against a big wet bar further aft means you don’t have to travel far for your drinks and nibbles. There are no cooking facilities up here but there is of course no shortage of energy on hand should you want to specify an electric hob or grill.

On this test boat, what you get instead is a large fridge and ice maker, a decent sink, lots of storage and a huge expanse of wraparound work surface plus a fore-and-aft bar with space for three people to perch with a drink.

Behind that is another enormous L-shaped lounge area, which is broadly mirrored on the starboard side. There’s also a huge amount of open deck here, should you want to litter it with freestanding furniture or lay out some exercise mats. And at the very aft end of the upper deck, up three steps, beyond the remit of the hardtop, a slightly elevated plateau of cushion-lined loungers looks aft through a set of low-profile wraparound guardrails.

The two transverse forward doubles face out through long, deep hull windows

Taken in its entirety, it is a stupendous recreational space and, effective though this layout is, you can of course configure it as you please, with everything from dining tables to settees, gym equipment and Jacuzzis.

Back down on the main deck, right at the apex of it all, the 500ft2 internal saloon is another very generous space. And just as the sliding windows do a good job of opening it up to the external side benches, so the aft galley interacts very naturally with the cockpit seating.

Ahead of this, a large L-shaped dinette is big enough for eight people and thanks to a high-low table, it’s easily converted into a casual TV lounge or a large day bed. On the other side of the broad central walkway, huge storage cabinets run fore and aft and while some people might prefer to see this space used for an alternative form of seating, these cabinets (like the port dinette) are also designed to help ramp up the volume in the cabins down below.

The two transverse forward doubles face out through long, deep hull windows

Cruising layouts

The test boat has five ensuite cabins – a pair of doubles and a single in the starboard hull, accessed via two staircases, and a twin and a double in the port hull, accessed by one staircase. That makes things feel so evenly distributed that it’s not immediately clear which of the two forwardmost cabins is earmarked for the owner, but you can of course tailor the layout to suit your needs.

This Open variant does lack the option of the closed model’s superyacht-style private owner’s upper deck suite but even here, you can ramp up the owner’s luxury by extending the starboard cabin beneath the bridge deck and stealing a chunk of space from the port double.

There’s a sense of muted restfulness that feels distinctly premium

If you do that, you do have to sacrifice that sunken bow lounge and forward saloon door to help generate the extra volume required but with superb forward views through a raised window section that runs the entire width of the cabin, it remains a very tempting option for owners in pursuit of extra space, separation and exclusivity.

Either way, the style and fit-out here is very attractive. Though it errs toward the classier, more understated side in terms of the fabrics, there’s a sense of muted restfulness down here that feels distinctly premium. As the external aesthetic suggests, the headroom is also excellent throughout and the light and views are good too, thanks to deep panoramic windows in every cabin and bathroom.

As regards the more memorable features, the ‘peep-show’ showers in the port hull are particularly good fun, as they enable you to chat to your partner in line of sight while they shower. Now if they could just add another glass panel so you could conduct the chat from bed, that really would be something.

There’s an ensuite twin cabin at the aft end of the port hull

Silent and sustainable

Silent has been very careful to maximise the potential of the sun’s power. There’s a full-scale hardtop above that enormous upper deck, plus an additional roof section above the bow lounge, which means plenty of space for a 17kWp solar array, enabling you to generate in excess of 100kWh per day.

The fact that Silent is so careful about placement also helps minimise potential obstruction of the sun and there’s a 150kW generator on the test boat too so you can keep the battery banks topped up whatever the weather.

As regards propulsion, while you can spec anything from as little as a pair of 50kW e-motors, we have the range-topping 340kW versions here, so they’re paired with twin 17-unit lithium-ion battery banks totalling 286kWh.

Each cabin comes with a private bathroom with separate shower

We start off cruising gently, as you tend to with an electric boat, enjoying the torque, the silence, the soft ride, the absence of fumes and the fact that, save for some gentle movement in response to the morning swells, there’s no vibration here at all.

It’s a delightful way to go boating and, with a combined total of 10-18kW of energy disappearing from our battery banks at 3-5 knots (about the same amount as you might expect to replace by means of the 62’s solar array), you really could cruise all day without a break – and without diminishing your battery banks in the slightest.

But of course, that isn’t what most of us do. We cruise for an hour or two at a slightly quicker pace, anchor up for an hour or two; have lunch here; do some paddleboarding there. And that’s why Silent suggests that in a typical holiday region on the average sunny day, the solar panels alone will generate enough power to handle your propulsion systems, as well as all your household and navigational appliances.

A wide beam and obstruction-free roof structures enable the solar array to generate up to 100kWh per day

And if you want to commit to longer passages at greater pace when imperfect weather is reducing your solar generation, the diesel generator can be used as a back-up to preserve or replace the power in your battery banks. In short, if you enjoy the idea of mixed recreation, quiet fume-free cruising and silent overnight anchorages, the reliable, straightforward self-sufficiency of the Silent Yachts approach is very tough to fault.

Silent 62 Open specifications

LOA: 62ft 0in (18.88m)
BEAM: 29ft 6in (8.99m)
DRAFT: 3ft 9in (0.93m)
DISPLACEMENT: 39,000kg
FUEL CAPACITY: 1,000-2,200L
WATER CAPACITY: 900-2,200L
ENGINES: twin 50-340kW e-motors
RCD: A12
CONTACT: silent-yachts.com

Silent 62 Open costs and options

Price from: €3.5M ex VAT.
Test boat includes the following: Fifth cabin in starboard hull, Bow lounge and forward door, Hydraulic 500kg stern platform, 340kW e-motors

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Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Silent 62 Open review: Compact superyacht electric power cat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

When Turkish yard, Sirena Marine, introduced the new Sirena 48 at the entry point to its award-winning fleet of liveaboard cruisers, the idea was to transfer the brand’s traditional big-boat versatility into a more youthful and accessible package. It worked too. With its voluminous hull and upright superstructure, it delivered a claimed 25% more usable volume than its competitors and it did so while finessing the classical bulk of the trawler yacht with elegant features. So where, you might ask, is the merit in the Sirena 48 Coupé a chopped down version of that same boat?

Well the simple fact of the matter is that some people don’t like flybridges. They don’t like the style of them, they don’t like the windage, they don’t like the elevated weight and they don’t care for the ongoing maintenance.

Some baulk at the implicit ostentation of a raised sundeck too, particularly if they boat in northern Europe where tastes are modest and the weather is cold. And some favour a brighter, more open saloon than a flybridge cruiser is able to provide.

So there we have it: the Sirena 48 Coupé – and in this case, not just a Coupé but a Coupé Hybrid. Because if you’re going for a more modern, dynamic and lightfooted approach, why not replace the twin diesels with at least the option of a serial hybrid drivetrain?

As you would expect, the Sirena 48 Coupé main deck layout is identical to that of the established flybridge model, save for a couple of basic differences. Firstly, there’s some extended cabinetry on the starboard side of the saloon, where the flybridge steps would otherwise go, enabling the inclusion of a full-height fridge freezer.

The semi-displacement hull gives a comfy cruise at any speed

And secondly, there’s a rather lovely new roof structure, which features a subtle curve, as well as a useful flare that sees it jut out above the side decks in exactly the same fashion as the fly model. Better still, while this roof space has been well used for a large solar array, it still enables natural light to flood through the central panels, creating some lovely patterned sunlight in the saloon space. In tandem with the large vertical windows, the low-level dash and the linear, fuss-free furniture, that lends this saloon an even more striking sense of openness than the original 48.

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The layout itself is also very easy to get on with. The two-person helm gets direct access to the starboard side deck through a big skipper’s door, and opposite that, a convertible C-shaped dinette gets great views thanks to the raised deck level in the forward part of the saloon and a large portside window. It does position you a little way aft of the skipper so sociability on passage could be better.

The L-shaped galley, on the other hand, enjoys a very natural union with the aft cockpit thanks to a three-part sliding door and an opening window above the bar. It’s well proportioned too, with an oven, a sink, a dishwasher and plenty of high-level storage, plus another sliding window directly above the four-ring electric hob.

Six knots provides up to 30 silent miles on the batteries alone

And as for the cockpit itself, you can arrange that in all kinds of ways, with everything from a pair of facing settees to a forward-facing transom bench. As on the flybridge model, there’s extra flexibility dialled in here too, enabling you to opt for a waterside lounge on the swim platform or a transverse crew cabin.

As you move along the side decks, sheltered beneath those flared overhead mouldings, it quickly becomes clear that the foredeck lounge is also very generous for a boat of this length. Even with three people loaded full-length onto the long island sunbed, there’s still plenty of space for a forward-facing three-man bench at its leading edge, plus a sensible, workmanlike forepeak, with beautifully integrated cleats and fairleads.

Given the sunbed’s extraordinary length, you would think the designers must have been tempted to shorten it up and integrate a facing lounge in the forepeak instead. But as illustrated by the twin steps that take you up to the raised bow, cabin volume remains a major part of what makes the entry-level Sirena 48 so attractive.

The raised foredeck and vertical hull sides create lots of space in the ensuite bow cabin

When you head down the steps to port of the helm, the first thing you see, beyond the bright central atrium, is the VIP cabin in the bow – and as the foredeck furniture suggests, volume is outstanding. With that beam-forward design and those near-vertical hull sides, you get a large taper-free central bed with plenty of space on both sides.

While there are no hatches or skylights in here, you do get decent hull windows and opening portholes and you also get plenty of cruise-friendly storage options, plus a really impressive port ensuite that also functions as the day heads. There’s a good size of shower compartment in here with a huge flush-mounted rain shower and again, Sirena has factored in a really thoughtful mix of drawers, shelves and storage compartments.

The heads in the bow cabin

Across the companionway to starboard, a deep-set twin cabin provides full-height hanging storage at the foot of the bed plus an astonishing 8ft of headroom beneath the helm for changing your clothes. And yet, as on the flybridge model, it’s the full-beam owner’s cabin that really hits the mark.

On the starboard side is a chaise longue-style settee beneath a large hull window, plus a dressing table that butts up against the forward bulkhead with a mirrored flush-mount TV above it. On the port side is a long integrated storage cabinet and in the centre, a large fore-and-aft bed gets plenty of vertical height for propping yourself up as well as excellent views through the big windows. The ensuite bathroom is pretty impressive too. It occupies the space behind the aft bulkhead for the day heads, which it broadly mirrors both in terms of footprint and fit-out and that’s a very good thing.

Headroom in the starboard twin is truly outstanding

Now of course, such is the volume on this lower deck that Sirena’s designers could probably have factored in four cabins if necessary, but with the three-cabin arrangement you see on the test boat, everything feels really easy and unforced, particularly as the deck levels do such a good job of mitigating any regions where the deckhead dips. And it feels cruise-friendly too – partly because of the space, partly because of the storage, and partly because of neat little features like the washer-drier, which is tucked neatly out of sight in a dedicated cabinet at the entry point to the owner’s cabin.

The V-shaped forward bulkhead creates the space for a pair of doors in the shared bathroom

Propulsive preferences

The new 48’s serial hybrid powertrain sees the Sirena’s semi-displacement hull partnered with a pair of 213kW E-Motion electric motors. Those are hooked up to twin 39kWh battery banks, which are fed by a pair of E-Motion variable speed 180kW generators, supplemented by additional input from the 4.2kWh solar array that lines the roof of the coupé structure.

You can double the battery capacity from 78kWh to 156kWh and that will of course bring extra running time, but the basic principle behind this boat is that, if you cruise at the quoted optimum speed of about 6.5 knots, you can run for 1.8 hours (12 miles) on the standard battery pack or 3.6 hours (24 miles) on the uprated supply before you need to top up with your generators.

There’s some neatly concealed refrigeration where the flybridge steps would otherwise go

You can also increase that range to 15 and 30 miles respectively if you drop the pace to 5.7 knots and, as you would expect, recharging takes no guesswork on your part because once the battery level reaches 20%, the generators automatically kick in, bringing you back to 90% in as little as 45 minutes.

The fact that the diesel tanks contain exactly the same amount of fuel (1,900L) as the diesel-powered flybridge model means that overall range is also strong. Sirena quotes a mixed-use (diesel and electric) cruising range of around 350Nm. That falls significantly short of our own calculations but you can of course increase the range by dropping the pace. And yet in spite of Sirena’s talk of 35% fuel savings, this boat doesn’t seem substantially more efficient than the twin Cummins 550s of the flybridge variant we tested back in 2024.

The roof-mounted solar array creates a pleasant checkerboard light pattern in the saloon

Even on that first model, which was a couple of tonnes overweight, we were seeing broadly comparable range figures – and substantially higher ones at low speeds. So in truth, it seems more accurate to say that this new boat simply opts to burn its 1,900L of diesel in a different way.

Now that probably sounds like a criticism but of course the reality is much more textured than that. Yes, the hybrid system pegs you back to 14 knots rather than the 27 the conventional platform delivers so it makes good sense that those who favour internal combustion can continue to buy this Coupé model with Cummins 550s or Volvo D11-670s.

But this hybrid system also enables you to make a low-profile departure from the harbour or creep into a secluded bay without upsetting the locals with noise or emissions. It enables you to pootle about at low speeds without filling the aft cockpit with fumes.

You can slide silently into a remote bay without upsetting the locals

If you top up the banks before bed, you can also enjoy eight hours’ sleep without running generators, even with your AC and AV systems on. And the fact that it promises to cut your maintenance costs by 10-15% doesn’t hurt either.

Sirena 48 specifications

LOA: 52ft 8in (16.04m)
BEAM: 16ft 5in (5.00m)
DRAFT: 3ft 10in (1.16m)
DISPLACEMENT: 28,600kg (light)
FUEL CAPACITY: 1,900 litres
WATER CAPACITY: 600 litres
ENGINES: twin 213kW E-Motion motors
RCD: B16
CONTACT: sirenayachts.com

Sirena 48 costs and options

€1.5M ex VAT
Test boat includes the following options…
Hybrid propulsion system

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article Sirena 48 Coupé review: Can it be as good at the flybridge? appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The world’s oldest and most prestigious powerboat racing trophy is being reinvented as an exciting new challenge for electric boats. The Harmsworth Trophy, which was originally awarded in 1903 to the winner of the first ever motor boat race, went on to become the most sought-after trophy in powerboat racing.

Initially, it was conceived as an international challenge between competing nations, much like the America’s Cup for sailing, but it later evolved into an event for individuals.

The list of previous winners includes such legendary names as Sir Thomas Sopwith, Garfield Wood, Stefano Casiraghi and Fabio Buzzi. However, the gradual decline of offshore powerboat racing in recent years means it hasn’t been awarded to anyone since 2011, when it was won by German powerboat racer Markus Hendricks.

The Harmsworth Trophy was first awarded in 1903

Ultimate incentive

Now the trustees of the Trophy, based at the Royal Motor Yacht Club in Poole, want to give it a new lease of life as the ultimate incentive for builders, owners and drivers of electric boats.

The challenge is open to anyone who can complete a 75-mile offshore course from Poole to Cowes and back in the fastest possible time. Any form of electric boat is permissible, including commercial, military and leisure, but it must have at least two seats and two people aboard throughout the challenge.

The only other provisos are that the course must be completed using the same set of batteries and without any other form of propulsion, fuel or outside intervention. The challenge course will have a minimum time limit and must be covered in a single day. If required, recharging for up to four hours will be allowed at a quick-charging facility in Cowes.

The late great Fabio Buzzi was one of only a handful of the legendary trophy’s former winners

The challenge will be run and monitored by the RMYC, which will appoint timekeepers, course observers, and start and finishing officers. However, challengers will have to provide their own safety and support vessels.

The trophy will be awarded to the fastest boat to complete the course in a calendar year, commencing January 2025. The successful driver and challenger names will be inscribed on the trophy and the presentation made at the RMYC at the end of each year.

Prospective challengers should apply to the trophy’s trustees by email at harmsworthtrophy@outlook.com.

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Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

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When RS Sailing, the world’s largest manufacturer of sailing dinghies, announced that it would be building a planing electric RIB a few years ago, to put it mildly some ‘expressions of surprise’ were heard from the marine industry.

RS changed the sailing world with its high performance dinghies which took the principle and the fun of the planing skiff concept into a much larger market than it had ever been before, but an electric RIB was surely too far outside their areas of expertise – wasn’t it?

Established motorboat manufacturers were – and still are – struggling with the energy transition, as designing a boat that is quick to charge, has a usable range, but also has enough grunt when needed to get planing with its heavy batteries is a mind-bendingly big ask. Then packaging it in a form customers would want and at a price they could bear is every bit as challenging.

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The RS Pulse 63’s all-new hull comes from Isle of Wight-based designer Jo Richards, who has been responsible for most of RS’s sailing dinghies, but the styling comes from superyacht studio Design Unlimited.

RS Sailing is one of the world’s most successful makers of performance sailing dinghies, building around 2,500 a year, so its move into electric boats comes with real intent.

There are similarities between high-performance sailboats and RIBs, says RS director Jon Partridge: “Both need ultra-efficient running surfaces that can manage the transition between displacement and planing modes smoothly.

“Too much displacement is inefficient for high speeds and too little displacement is inefficient at slow speeds. Planing conventionally is about pushing, pushing, pushing until the hull breaks over the hump. Our latest dinghies and the RS Pulse 63 just go faster, faster and faster.”

The RS Pulse 63 has an LOA of 6.3m and comes with an infused hull and a choice of PVC or Hypalon tubes. Deck layouts are modular, but the standard package includes a centre-console and a single front seat. Prices begin at £74,000 (ex. VAT).

RS Pulse 63 specifications

LOA: 20ft 8in (6.3m)
Beam: 7ft 6in (2.3m)
Weight: 815kg
Motor: 40kW
Top speed: Up to 23 knots
Battery: 63kWh
Price: £79,990 inc VAT
Contact: rselectricboats.com

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article Watch: RS Pulse 63 review – Is this the Tesla of the seas? appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Did you think all hybrid powered boats were slow, boring craft with limited range and sea-keeping best suited to plodding along lakes and rivers? Then it’s time to think again because Swedish yard Marell Boats has teamed up with Scania motors to develop a diesel electric hybrid craft that is just as fast, fun and robust as most petrol powered super boats – and we were among the first to experience it.

Called the M17, it’s an all-aluminium deep-vee performance craft designed primarily for use as a patrol boat, although a leisure version is available. Power comes from a pair of Scania hybrid diesel electric engines linked to MJP waterjets. Together they are capable of powering the M17 to a top speed of more than 50 knots, yet it will also cruise all day at 8-10 knots in almost total silence using the electric- only mode. Not only does this make for a much quieter and nicer environment for the crew, it also gives better slow-speed control as there is no lower limit to the idle speed.

Hugo Andreae is one of the first to experience the M17 in action

When more speed is needed, the big 16-litre V8 diesels kick in automatically, delivering up to 1,150hp per side in addition to the 230kW (308hp) electric motors. The result is electrifying, in every sense of the word. While not the quietest or smoothest of engines we’ve tested, the big Scanias provide serious shove and a fast cruising range of over 500nm.

Electrifying acceleration

We jumped on board the M17 Hybrid for a demo run at the Seawork show in June, where it was being exhibited to potential commercial customers including police, customs and even special forces – silent mode being of particular interest to the latter. With Marell founder and CEO Patrik Söderholm at the helm, he was able to demonstrate its full range of abilities.

Everything is designed to be as simple and ergonomic as possible so the skipper can focus on driving

That started with some skilful manoeuvring out of the dock using electric power alone. Being waterjet-driven there was still a considerable amount of turbulence behind the boat but the usual noise and vibration of combustion engines was completely absent. Although the Scania electric motors are rated at 230kW each, they can deliver short bursts of up to 280kW (375hp). Fed by four 104kWh battery packs, they had no trouble shifting the 57ft M17 along Southampton water at speeds up to 10 knots, even when laden with at least ten guests and four crew. We didn’t have time to test the estimated 7-8 hour electric run time but given the low power consumption at displacement speeds, we’ve no reason to doubt it.

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Diesel range

Only when Patrik pushed the revs above 1250rpm did the two big diesels fire up. One of his key objectives when developing the hybrid system was to make it as simple and intuitive as possible. When chasing down a drug smuggler or evading enemy fire, the last thing you want to be doing is fiddling around between different drive modes so it all happens automatically.

The 16-litre Scania diesel engines deliver a thumping 1,150hp each

Whether it was the contrast with the silence in electric mode or the amplifying effect of the aluminium hull and wheelhouse, the big V8s did seem quite vocal when running at speed. Then again it’s not often we get to test engines of this size and power in something as small and focussed as this. The effect is dramatic, the combined torque of the big V8s and the twin electric motors hurtling the M17 across the water with the speed and agility of a true superboat. We eventually ran out of steam at 48 knots, rather than the claimed 50-55 knots, but given the number of passengers on board that’s hardly surprising.

Secure sea-keeping

What did surprise us is how quickly it accelerated out of the turns. With no shafts or sterndrive legs to grip the water, jet-drive boats are prone to spinning out when cornered too rapidly but by easing the throttle momentarily to allow the hull to sink lower in the water then using the instant torque of the electric motors (up to 2,000Nm per side from 0-1,300rpm) to power it out, Patrik pulled a full 180-degree turn while barely losing any speed – a very useful attribute when chasing down the bad guys!

Scania supplies the full diesel electric drivetrain while the waterjet drives are from MJP

It’s not all about speed and power, however. Another benefit of the hybrid set-up is that you can use one diesel engine to power both water jets. In this mode the electric motor on the active engine becomes a generator, sending power to the electric motor on the other driveshaft. By alternating which engine is running, you can halve the total number of hours you’d normally put on them, extending their working lives and reducing the servicing bills as well.

Verdict

While Marell hasn’t yet built a leisure version of the hybrid boat, there is no technical reason why it couldn’t – it has already built an M17 for a private customer with a full cruising interior and Volvo IPS650 drives – but the reality is that the cost is likely to prove prohibitive. And while we don’t have the figures to prove it, dragging around the extra weight of those big batteries is likely to offset any reduction in CO2 from the electric motors.

Twin screens show which mode is engaged but the computer automatically decides when to fire up the diesels

So while this remarkable boat may not yet make financial sense to a private buyer, it does offer some very clear benefits to the commercial sector and proves once and for all that hybrid boats can be just as fast, exciting and capable as petrol or diesel powered craft.

The electric motors bolt directly onto the gearboxes

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article A look at the new M17 Scania hybrid diesel-electric system appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Axopar is launching the first two models of its electric Axopar boats range, the AX/E 22 and AX/E 25. Both are based on existing Axopar hulls but come with their own unique AX/E badging and Evoy’s latest electric outboard engines in place of the usual Mercury offerings.

The new AX/E 25 has a top speed of over 50 knots

The AX/E 22 is equipped with an Evoy Breeze motor, which has a nominal rating of 90kW (120hp) and a peak output of 137kW (183hp). It has a quoted maximum speed of 36 knots and “blistering acceleration” due to the instant torque of its motor. This is fed by a 63kWh lithium battery pack, giving it a quoted range of 50nm at slower speeds but considerably less if you use its full performance.

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The AX/E 25 has Evoy’s more powerful Storm electric outboard, which is rated at 225kW (300hp) and has a temporary peak output of up to 450kW (596hp). This takes its power from a 126kWh battery pack. That combo should push this model up to 50 knots depending on load, but again not for very long. The quoted range for this one is 60nm at slower speeds and offers longer cruise times as well as quicker-charging from a DC fast charger.

Bespoke engine and battery management system are complemented by AX/E branded upholstery

“We believe that electrification will evolve progressively and we are committed to staying at the forefront of this transformation,” says Axopar founding partner Jan-Erik Viitala on the electric Axopar boats. “Evoy has proven to be an ideal partner.”

Those two electric Axopar boats were on show during September’s Cannes Yachting Festival, with deliveries of production boats expected to start in early 2025.

The AX/E 25’s power comes from its 300hp Evoy Storm electric outboard.

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

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This article New Electric Axopar Boats Launch: First Two AX/E Models Include Latest Electric Outboard Engines appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The original Riva Iseo was first shown back at Cannes 2011, and like the larger Aquariva, it has earned its place as an enduring modern classic. Around 70 of these beautiful sterndrive-propelled 27-footers have been delivered to date, but while its styling has barely changed over the past 13 years, the latest model packs a very different powertrain.

The El-Iseo isn’t just Riva’s first all-electric craft, it’s the first battery-powered sportsboat built by any of the long-established European boat yards. The big question is whether this is just an expensive toy built to satisfy a handful of wealthy clients or a genuine first step on the path to a greener future? We flew out to Italy to put it through its paces and see how it fares.

Musical conductors

The Riva El-Iseo started life as an engineering prototype at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival, but this is the real deal, a full production-ready RCD-approved boat you can buy off the shelf, albeit at a suitably elevated price tag.

A 250kW Parker electric motor and a pair of 75kWh battery banks replace the usual 300hp petrol or diesel engines

The Riva El-Iseo is very similar to its petrol- or diesel-powered sisters, save for a revised windscreen, cockpit layout and what lies beneath the sunpad. The heart of the matter is a Parker GVM310 AC motor, rated for a continuous 250kW (335hp) and a temporary peak of 300kW (402hp).

Then there’s a sealed and liquid-cooled 800V 150kWh lithium battery bank, a salt water heat exchanger, a voltage regulator, an inverter, and plenty of heavy-duty insulation, wiring and hosing, as well as various fire and gas detection/extinguishing systems.

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The battery pack consists of two independent banks, which means the failure of one doesn’t stop the boat completely. The only familiar sight is the single Mercury Racing Bravo X3R sterndrive leg bolted to the transom.

There are three cruising modes – Adagio, Andante and Allegro – which the musical among you will recognise as slow, moderate and fast. Adagio restricts acceleration and limits the speed to just five knots for marina work and displacement cruising.

In this mode the battery should last all day, giving an effective cruising range of 50nm. Andante allows swifter acceleration but caps the top speed at 25 knots, giving a range of 25nm at 25 knots. Finally, Allegro delivers full acceleration and an artificially limited top speed of 40 knots at 4,000rpm, but only for around half an hour.

The all-digital dashboard keeps track of power usage and remaining range

You can select these cruise modes manually, but when the battery level drops to 20%, the system steps in and it slips automatically from Allegro to Andante. Carry on until the battery reserve drops to 5% and it will trip once again into Adagio, giving you another two to three nautical miles to get you home.

Effortless power

Handling is crisp. It accelerates more quickly than most petrol-powered runabouts of this size, with no suggestion of cavitation and a seamless surge of torque from rest all the way to 4,000rpm. The custom dashboard is all digital, plus there’s the choice of a 9in or 12in Simrad nav-screen amidships.

A conventional-style gear-shift/throttle delivers forward and reverse selection as well as power. The steering is by Xenta and there’s an automated Zipwake trim-correction system.

There were five of us in the boat during our brief half-hour test session, taking the weight from an already hefty 3.75 tonnes to just over four tonnes. Mostly we were blasting around at or close to top speed.

Three different driver modes allow varying degrees of performance

We set off with the batteries at 80% and came back showing 34%, which when we plugged into a fast-charger back at the Sarnico yard’s quay, the boat’s instruments informed us it would take 1 hour and 30 minutes to restore to 100%. However, Riva quotes 75 minutes for a more practical 20-80% fast charge, while a slow charge on shore power would take eight hours or more.

While the El-Iseo is certainly quiet, and much quieter than an ICE installation at displacement speeds, there is still some noise once it starts planing. Not being a foiler, its hull generates quite a bit of sound simply by moving through the water and there is a fair degree of whining from the sterndrive, which would normally be drowned out by the roar of a petrol engine.

Riva’s El-Iseo is presently the only electric boat on the market to be RCD rated as Cat B (most of its rivals are C or D). In theory this means it can cope with winds up to F8 and 13ft seas, although it’s hard to envisage any owners choosing to put that to the test.

Price of change

Riva never likes to publish prices but there’s no glossing over the fact this is a very expensive boat, even by Riva standards. We understand it will cost over €1.1m VAT paid, compared to around €480,000 for a 300hp petrol one.

It’s hard to make sense of paying twice as much money for something with broadly similar performance and considerably shorter range than the petrol version but the El-Iseo is less about what it does and more about what it says – both for the people who buy it and the company that makes it.

The chances are its intended customers already have a waterside villa (possibly on a lake where ICE boats are banned) or a megayacht in need of a stylish tender, where range and price is largely irrelevant and the cachet of ferrying guests around in a cutting-edge, fume-free, ‘eco-friendly’ Riva is reason enough to splash the cash.

For Riva and its parent company, the Ferretti Group, it’s an equally bold statement that it’s prepared to invest in electric and hybrid drivetrains to power future generations of craft. Luxury is nearly always expensive but E-luxury, as Ferretti is labelling it, is on another level.

Riva El-Iseo specifications

LOA: 27ft 5in (8.35m)
Beam: 8ft 2in (2.50m)
Draft: 3ft 3in (1.00m)
Displacement: 3.75 tonnes
Motor: 1x 250kW Parker Hannifin GVM310
Max Speed: 40 knots
Range: 25nm @ 25 knots
RCD: Cat B for 6

If you enjoyed this….

Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

This article Riva El-Iseo: Is this the coolest electric boat money can buy? appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Enata Marine has collaborated with yacht designer Timur Bozca to produce this svelte limited-edition version of its all-carbon foiler. Named Vatoz, the Turkish word for stingray, the 32ft model is fitted with twin 370hp diesels for a comfortable cruising speed of 18-35-knots and a top speed of 40 knots.

However, its big selling point is its ability to fly several feet above the water on foils. Unlike other foiling motor boats such as the Candela C8 and Spirit P35, which use flat, strut-mounted foils front and back, the Vatoz has curved forward foils to generate lift with a more conventional double-leg foil aft. This also houses to the two torpedo-like propulsors.

Take off happens at around 12 knots with a cruising altitude of 1.3-1.5m. Flight control is maintained using the Dubai based builder’s proprietary Wingman system to deliver a smooth, stable ride even in choppy conditions.

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The plumb bow, flared hull sections and wraparound windshield present like a piece of sculpture. The cockpit features seating for eight either side of a central walkway and a portside helm position. There’s also a double sun-pad aft and a stepped transom for easy access to the water.

Down below, a vee-berth-cum-sofa forward makes overnighting possible, made all the more special by hull windows on either side and a glass skylight in the foredeck. There’s also a day-head/shower compartment,

As for range, Enata is claiming nearly 200nm at 20 knots or 150nm at 30 knots thanks to the drag reduction of the foils. It claims this reduces fuel consumption by 30-50% compared to a conventional monohull cruiser of similar dimensions and performance.

It plans to build just eight of the limited edition Vatoz models.

This article What we know so far about Enata's designer foiling motor boat, Vatoz appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

German start-up, Tyde, has released renderings of its first proper leisure boat, an e-foiling sportscruiser called simply The Open. Billed as the world’s largest foiling electric motor yacht, this walkaround model measures 48ft 3in (14.7m) and tops out at 30 knots.

Aimed at private owners interested in the very latest sustainable boating technology, the Open’s zero-emissions drivetrain comprises a 400kWh
bank of BMW i3 batteries and twin 100kW Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motors mounted on top of the rear foil struts. These should give a cruising range of 50nm at 25-knots.

The Open’s efficiency is due to the two computer-controlled foils that lift the main hull clear of the water at cruising speed, allowing it to ‘fly’ over the surface using very little power. It will start foiling at around 17-18 knots.

The back half of the cockpit features booth dining with flanking sofas and table, a stern sunpad-sofa and bathing platform

The other big benefit of hydrofoils is the smoothness of the ride. The foils run beneath the waves, while the hull flies above them, resulting in
a much more comfortable cruising experience. And the fact that it is powered by electric motors rather than combustion engines means it should also be exceptionally quiet and vibration free. The only downside of those fixed foils is a relatively deep draft of 6ft 5in (1.95m) in displacement mode.

Both the Icon and Open were developed in association with automotive giant BMW and its design studio spin-off Designworks.

The Open has a distinctive squared-off reverse angled prow that flares out dramatically above a razor-sharp entry point to create extra space in the bow for seating. The two-seat helm is protected by a wraparound windshield, and there is sleeping space for two and a shower compartment below decks.

Tyde has not announced pricing yet but expects to deliver the first production boats this autumn.

This article The world's biggest electric foiling boat is coming appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Billed as the world’s largest foiling motor yacht, this open-walkaround model measures 14.7m (48ft 3in) overall, has a maximum beam of 4.5m (14ft 9in) and has a potential top speed of 30 knots.

Said to be aimed at private owners interested in the very latest in sustainable boating technology, the Open is based on Tyde’s first extraordinary prototype, the 13m (43ft) LOA Tyde Icon, a foiling glass lounge that first came to public attention during the Cannes Film Festival in June, but got her boat show debut four months later in September at the Cannes Yachting Festival.

Both the Icon and the Open were developed in association with automotive giant BMW and its industrial design studio spin-off Designworks.

The Open has a square-stem with razor-sharp-entry around the displacement waterline but flattens out considerably aft.

Above the at-rest waterline, the bow flares to a raked-forward chisel that conceals a fold-out anchor system and maximises usable space forward above and below deck.

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There’s bench seating space forward of the two-seat helm position, which is nicely protected by an angular wraparound windshield and a substantial buttress-supported hardtop that not only shades two-thirds of the open deck area, but also will be completely covered in photovoltaic cells.

The back half of the cockpit is fully in the shade and provides booth-dining with flanking sofas and table, a stern sunpad-sofa and bathing platform. Beneath the foredeck there will be berthing for two and a head-shower compartment.

The Open’s zero-emissions drivetrain will be similar to the Icon’s. There will be a 400kWh bank of BMW i3 batteries and twin 100kW Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motors. It should be capable of a 50nm range at a 25-knot fast cruise.

And like The Icon, The Open is likely to start flying at around 17-18 knots from lift generated by a T-foil at the bow and a twin-strut horizontal foil aft that will incorporate forward-facing counter-rotating props.

The set-up is said to save 80% of the energy required to run a conventional comparable-size planing model.

The biggest benefit of a hydrofoil boat is the smoothness. Those foils run beneath the surface, while the hull should fly above any waves. And the fact that it is also an electric boat means it does so softly in terms of both vibration and noise. The maximum draft should be 1.95m (6ft 5in) and the air draft is claimed to 3.5m (11ft 6in).

Tyde may well be a new company, having only started in 2021, but it certainly has plenty of experience on which to draw. Its founders are no stranger to ‘sustainable mobility’.

Managing director Dr Christoph Ballin’s previous entrepreneurial ventures include electric outboard manufacturer Torqeedo and Sea.AI, which specialises in collision-avoidance technology for the marine environment. And his business partner, Tobias Hoffritz, was formerly BMW’s innovation director.

Tyde tells us it is almost ready to take Open orders and expects its first deliveries of production boats to commence in autumn 2024.

This article Tyde Open first look: World’s largest foiling motor yacht to launch in 2024 appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Looking a bit like a modern Scandinavian take on a US-style pontoon boat, the Rand Solara 33 offers a huge amount of usable deck space in relation to its length with multiple entry points to the water and a shallow draft for sneaking into shallow bays.

But unlike most pontoon boats, this one is powered by electric motors and sits on slender GRP hulls for more sea-kindly, fuel efficient running. It’s RCD rated category C for up to 14 people.

Save for the odd hidden surprise, what you see is what you get on the Rand Solara 33. There’s a bathing platform with a small hi-lo platform and aft facing bench at the stern and a generous two-sofa dinette and wet bar amidships.

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The helm itself is well protected by a tall windscreen that links up with the hard top to provide shelter from the wind and sun as well as an upward facing surface for multiple built-in solar cells.

There’s also a heads compartment to port with full standing headroom. Up front the two corner dinettes can be linked with a fill-in section to make one big dining area plus a walk-through bow with drop-down steps into the water.

With twin Torqeedo Cruise 12.0 electric outboards and 40-80kWh lithium-ion battery banks, the top speed should be around 12 knots, but with twin Deep Blue 50s and 80kWh battery capacity expect that to be more like 20 knots.

The Rand Solara 33’s base price of €245,900 looks unusually keen for such a sizeable electric boat.

This article Rand Solara 33 first look: Has this Danish yard just re-invented the pontoon boat? appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Is it a boat, is it a plane, is it the future or is it a fascinating but pointless publicity stunt? These are just some of the questions being asked about the most extraordinary new
craft of the year.

Built by German start-up Tyde and penned by Designworks, BMW’s futuristic skunkworks department, its stated mission is to “disrupt the luxury leisure world” and be “a radical change for good”. To ram home the point, Tyde named it The Icon and launched it in the full glare of the world’s media at the Cannes Film Festival.

It worked a treat, hoovering up column inches like a publicity-hungry starlet, but at some point every icon has to live up to its billing, and at the other Cannes festival in September – the Yachting one – we finally got a chance to put that to the test.

Before telling you what it’s actually like to drive, it’s worth spending a few minutes getting to grips with the people and technology behind this revolutionary new craft.

Tyde is the brainchild of two big hitters: Dr Christoph Ballin, one of the co-founders of Torqeedo electric motors, and Tobias Hoffritz, former Innovation Manager at BMW AG.  No surprise then to learn that The Icon is powered by a pair of Torqeedo 100kW Deep Blue motors and fed by six 40kWh BMW i3 batteries.

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But sticking a load of lithium ion cells and a pair of electric motors in a conventional planing hull that looked and drove like every other boat would have been greeted with a collective ‘meh’ and resulted in a craft with a very limited cruising range.

So instead they used another of Hoffritz’s contacts within BMW to come up with a far more arresting solution. The result is nothing if not original. With its origami-inspired latticework of glass, carbon fibre and steel, it is about as far from the traditional image of a luxury motor yacht as it’s possible to get.

Designed from the inside out, the idea is to redefine the concept of luxury by giving passengers the space, light and views to enjoy the unique sensory experience of ‘flying’ above the water in a near-silent hydrofoil boat.

The hull is made of conventional moulded GRP and looks to have more in common with a modern racing yacht than a traditional planing power boat.

Engineered by renowned naval architects J&J Design with foiling technology by America’s Cup guru Guillaume Verdier, it features an unusually wide, flat stern with a maximum beam of 14ft 9in (4.5m) that tapers towards a knife-like reverse-angled bow. As a result its waterline length of 42ft 6in (11.95m) is only a few inches short of its length overall.

Read Hugo’s full review of the Tyde Icon in the January 2024 issue of MBY, which is out on December 7.

Tyde Icon specifications

LOA: 43ft 2in (13.15m)
Draft: 14ft 10in (2.95m)
Motor: 2x 100kW Torqeedo Deep Blue
Top speed: 30 knots
Starting price: €1,900,000 (ex. VAT)

This article Tyde Icon sea trial review: Is BMW's €2m electric flying boat brilliant or bonkers? appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The cabin is focussed around a single central bucket seat with an F1-style wheel and futuristic helm console. There is room for a couple of extra passengers on a rear bench seat.

Sea trials have already been successfully completed at speeds of up to 32 knots using a conventional 115hp Mercury Verado outboard engine.

This is located beneath the “tailgate” and will ultimately be replaced by an electric sterndrive leg that will draw its power from a battery bank located underneath the “bonnet”.

Four independently adjustable foils enable it to start flying at 12 knots and, because the hull lifts clear of the surface, is said to offer an unusually refined ride.

Height sensors provide vital trim information. The carbon fibre construction includes cores created from recycled plastics and synthetic decking.

The electric boat version will include solar panelling on its horizontal surfaces. It will be built at the company’s Bologna facility from early next year with an expected on-water price of around €1 million (ex taxes).

Article continues below…

Mantaray M24 first look: Foiling runabout coming in both petrol and electric versions

Best hydrofoil boats: 6 of the most spectacular foiling motorboats money can buy

Future-E specifications

LOA: 17ft 1in / 5.2m
Beam: 6ft 7in / 2 m
Air draft (Planing): 4ft 7in / 1.4m
Air draft (Foiling): 6ft 3in / 1.9 m
Displacement (Light): 1,580kg (3,483lbs)
Displacement (Loaded): 2,000kg (4,409lbs)
Engines: Outboard/inboard electric
Foil assisted speed: 8 knots
Foiling speed: 16 knots
Top speed: >30 knots
Price (approx): €1million (ex. VAT)

This article Future-E first look: Electric Lamborghini of the seas to launch in 2024 appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Electric boats are here to stay. What started as a trickle of electric craft over the past few years has turned into a torrent with everyone from Riva to Axopar jumping on the bandwagon.

Hybrid diesel electric boats are by no means a new concept in the marine world, but the latest generation of electric boats, not to mention electric outboard motors, is proving that this technology is no longer something to look forward to in the future, electric boats are a viable option right now.

Here at MBY.com, we’ve been following the electric boats revolution with intent for over a decade and now there are enough models on the market to make this style of boat a true competitor to conventional diesel and petrol-powered boats.

With a network of fast electric boat chargers already in place along the French Riviera, and plans for many more in marinas all over Europe and the UK, it looks like the electric revolution is now fully under way.

Read on for our round-up of the best electric boats currently in build…

35 of the best electric boats in build right now

Near silent cruising at 5-7 knots is the electric Alfastreet’s forte

Alfastreet 28 Cabin

These Slovenian-built boats are now a common sight on the Thames where their elegant lines, large sociable cockpits and clever lifting hard tops make them ideally suited to lazy days afloat.

Although most of them are available with powerful petrol outboard or sterndrive engines for fast coastal passages, Alfastreet also offers factory-fit electric boat versions of all its models for inland use.

Designed for slow speed displacement cruising, these are built for slipping along silently at 5-6 knots with zero emissions rather than rushing about at speed.

The top-of-the-range Alfastreet 28 Cabin, for example, is powered by twin 10kW motors for a top speed of around 7.5 knots and an estimated cruising range of 50nm at 5 knots from its twin 25kWh batteries.

Alfastreet 28 Cabin specifications

LOA: 28ft 3in (8.61m)
Motor: 2 x 10kW
Battery: 2 x 25kWh
Top speed: 7.5 knots
Range: 50nm
Price: Approx £150,000 (inc. VAT)

Article continues below…

Electric boats: When will the boating world be ready to ditch the diesel?

Volvo Penta D4 Hybrid first look: Is this the future of boat propulsion?

ARC One

Ski boats are all about instant-on torque to punch you out of the hole and leap on the plane. New California start-up Arc Boat Company is ensuring its upcoming Arc One ski boat will do just that, courtesy of its honking 350kW electric motor.

In case you’re wondering, that’s the equivalent of 475hp. Or around twice the juice on tap in the highest-capacity Tesla Model S. It also means a top speed of 40mph, and enough amps to keep you skiing or wake-boarding for up to five hours.

The aluminium-hulled 24-footer, with seats for 10, is the first offering from Los Angeles-based Arc, which is being headed-up by Tesla’s former head of manufacturing. He’s expecting the first electric boats to be delivered, with custom trailer included, this summer.

ARC One specifications

LOA: 24ft (7.3m)
Motor: 350kW
Battery: 200 kWh
Top speed: 35 knots
Range: 160nm at 35 knots
Starting price: $300,000 / £226,000

The Boesch 750 offers all the style, heritage and performance you could wish for, and an electric motor

Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe

This exclusive Swiss yard has been in business since 1910 building elegant retro sportsboats for lake and sea use.

Unlike Riva, it still builds exclusively in wood using a lightweight mahogany laminate construction that it claims is as strong and easy to maintain as a modern GRP hull.

All its craft use a traditional mid-mounted engine with a straight shaft propeller and rudder steering for maximum reliability and a flat trim angle, making them well suited for use as ski boats.

The current range comprises six models from 20ft to 32ft, however only the models up to 25ft are available as electric boats.

The top-of-the-range electric model, the Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe, has twin 50kW Piktronik motors giving a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 14nm.

Boesch 750 Portofino Deluxe specification

LOA: 24ft 7in (7.5m)
Motor: 2 x 50kW
Battery: 2 x 35.6kWh
Top speed: 21 knots
Range: 14nm @ 20 knots
Price: €336,000 (ex. VAT)

The Candela C-8 recently set a world record for electric boat endurance by covering 420nm in 24hrs

Candela C-8

With a claimed range of 50nm at 22 knots, overnight accommodation for two and a more robust deep vee foiling hull, this new Candela C-8 could be the electric boats game-changer we were waiting for.

Whereas the Candela C-7 looked oddly dated for such a high-tech boat, the C-8 has a purity of line to it that is fresh, modern and distinctive. With its vertical bow, slender beam and subtly contoured topsides free of scoops, slats or unnecessary styling lines, it has a pared back simplicity to it that oozes confidence.

It doesn’t need to shout for attention because every pair of eyes will be glued to it the minute it rises onto its foils and flies silently past the assembled onlookers, leaving nothing but a lingering aura of astonishment hanging in the air.

New for 2023, the C-8 will now be available with an uprated 69kWh Polestar 2 Standard battery pack, which considerably improves the range (as the Candela C-8’s recent world record attempt proved), and with the option of a center console deck layout.

Candela C-8 specifications

LOA: 27ft 11in (8.50m)
Motor: 45-55kW Candela C-Pod
Battery: 44-69kWh
Top speed: 24 knots
Range: 51nm
Price: €290,000 (ex. VAT)

Watch our full test drive review of the Candela C-8

Electric motors powered by batteries, solar panels and ICE generators allow it to cruise night and day

Cosmopolitan 66

Newcomer Cosmopolitan Yachts is hoping to shake up the market for large electric boats with a striking new 66ft (20.1m) solar-powered catamaran called the Cosmopolitan 66.

An all-aluminium multihull design, the Cosmpolitan 66 features a vast amount of interior space thanks to a maximum beam of 35ft (10.67m).

The outside deck spaces are just as generous, with entertainment terraces fore and aft as well as wide side decks and a huge, almost square flybridge.

Cosmopolitan 66 specifications

LOA: 66ft (20.1m)
Motor: 2x 180kW
Battery: 450kWh
Top speed: 20 knots
Range: TBC
Price: TBC

Read more about the Cosmopolitan 66

Two-tiered windows provide big views and generous light down below

Delphia 10

The new Vripack-designed Delphia 10 is a very versatile yacht. You can spec it with either a diesel engine of up to 110hp or an electric shaft drive from 40 to 80hp.

You can also tailor the layout to your needs with one of three standard arrangements. The Delphia 10 Sedan is a traditional pilothouse model with walkaround side decks and a large cockpit settee.

The Lounge model (pictured) uses a fully open design, with plenty of seating and a forward cockpit, securely contained within elevated side decks. And the Lounge Top model uses a large flat hardtop that makes a great platform for boat solar panels.

Delphia 10 specifications

LOA: 32ft 1in (9.78m)
Beam: 11ft 5in (3.49m)
Engines: Single inboard electric 40-80hp / up to 110hp diesel
Top speed: 44 knots
Price: £229,950 (inc. VAT)

Watch our full yacht tour of the Delphia 10

Duffy Sun Cruiser 22

You can’t talk about electric boats and not talk about Duffy. Since 1970, more than 14,000 of these surrey-topped, genteel bay and lake cruisers have been sold. In Duffy’s home port of Newport Beach, California, there’s an estimated 3,500 of them running around. It’s simply the world’s best-selling electric boat.

Beautifully-built, with cushy seats for 12, a built-in fridge, and a multitude of cupholders, the top-selling Duffy 22 makes the perfect cocktail-hour cruiser.

Don’t expect to get anywhere in a hurry. Top speed is a heady 5.5 knots courtesy of a 48-volt electric motor amped by a bank of 16 six-volt batteries.

One especially cool feature is Duffy’s patented Power Rudder set-up. This integrates the electric motor with the rudder and the four-bladed prop, allowing the whole assembly to rotate almost 90 degrees for easier docking.

Duffy Sun Cruiser 22 specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m)
Motor: 1 x 50kW
Battery: 16 x 6-volt
Top speed: 5.5 knots
Range: 40nm at 5.5 knots
Starting price: $61,500 / £47,000

Four Winns H2e

Another member of the Beneteau Group vying to build the best electric boats, Four Winns will launch a 22ft model called the H2e in late 2022, which it claims is the first all-electric series production bowrider in the world.

Powered by a 180hp electric outboard motor from Vision Marine that promises a 35-knot top speed, the Four Winns H2e will get its American debut at the 2023 Miami Boat Show before going into full production in the summer.

Twin 700v batteries will be fitted, but there’s no word yet on the price or cruising range, but given Four Winns’ pedigree, you can expect the former to be very competitive indeed.

Four Winns H2e specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m)
Motor: 180hp Vision Marine electric outboard
Battery: 2x 700v
Top speed: 35 knots
Range: TBC
Starting price: TBC

Frauscher 740 Mirage

The tag line for this Austrian yard is ‘Engineers of Emotion since 1927’, and given the effect its boats tend to have on casual observers, let alone the person sitting behind the helm, we’re inclined to agree.

Simply put, it builds some of the best looking boats on the market, combining rakish proportions with cutting-edge style and exquisite detailing.

Although it builds petrol-powered boats up to 39ft offering searing performance, it also offers most of its smaller craft with the option of silent, emissions-free electric power.

The Frauscher 740 Mirage is a perfect example of this, offering two different electric Torqeedo motors of either 60kW or 110kW. The more powerful of these delivers a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 17-60nm depending on how fast you go.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Frauscher have also teamed up with Porsche for an all-electric version of their 8.5m Fantom model, which is due to launch in 2024 as part of a limit edition 25-boat series.

Frauscher 740 Mirage specification

LOA: 24ft 6in (7.47m)
Motor: 1 x 60-110kW
Battery: 40-80kWh
Top speed: 26 knots
Range: 17-60nm @ 26-5 knots
Starting price: €216,616 (ex. VAT)

Greenline 40

Slovenian-based Greenline Yachts can lay claim to kickstarting the current trend for electric boats. Way back in 2008 it launched the first affordable diesel electric hybrid boat, a formula it has been refining and improving ever since.

Greenline now offers an extensive range of cruisers from 33ft to 68ft, all of which are available with all-electric as well as hybrid or conventional diesel power.

The mid-range Greenline 40 is a fine example; the all-electric version is powered by twin 50kW motors giving it a top speed of 11 knots and a range of up to 30nm at 7 knots with a small 4kW range extender increasing that to 75nm at 5 knots.

However, if you need more flexibility the Hybrid model is fitted with twin 220hp Volvo D3 diesel engines boosting the speed to 22 knots but still allowing electric-only cruising at 5 knots for up to 20nm.

Greenline 40 specification

LOA: 39ft 4in (11.99m)
Motor: 2 x 50kW
Battery: 2 x 40kWh
Top speed: 11 knots
Range: 30nm @ 7 knots
Price: €445,000 (ex. VAT)

Hermes Speedster E

Inspired by the curvy lines of Porsche’s classic 1950s 356 Speedster, this achingly-gorgeous Hermes Speedster from UK-based Seven Seas Yachts, has been spinning heads since 2017.

The rakish, Greek-built 22-footer typically comes with a 115hp Rotax Biggles-style motor doing the powering. But more recently it’s been offered with an eco-friendly, 100kW electric motor juiced by a 30 kilowatt-hour battery pack.

Flat out it’ll do just over 30 knots. But throttle back to a more leisurely five knots and it’ll glide in stealthy silence for up to nine hours on a charge. Perfect for a trip up the Thames.

And for lovers of retro, it boasts a curvy chrome-framed windscreen, chrome-ringed gauges in a hand-stitched leather dash, bucket front seats in glove-soft marine leather, and chrome air intakes on the rear deck. A nautical piece of art? You bet.

Hermes Speedster E specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m)
Motor: 100kW
Battery: 1 x 35kWh
Top speed: 30 knots
Range: 50nm at 5 knots
Price: $269,000 / £203,000

Hinckley Dasher

Mention the name Hinckley and you immediately conjure-up an image of gorgeous teak-and-stainless, water-jet-thrusted Picnic Boats. But the legendary New England builder has been looking to the future and investing big in electric power.

Its first offering is the sleek 28-foot, all-electric Dasher that comes complete with a BMW-developed lithium-ion battery pack and twin 80hp Torqeedo Deep Blue motors. The high-tech combo can punch the Dasher to a top speed of 23.5 knots. Ease back to seven knots and it’ll run for over five hours on a charge.

Available as an open-deck, fishing-focused runabout, or classic-style windshielded day boat, the Dasher is a hand-built Hinckley bow to stern.

That said, while the boat still looks like it oozes with mirror-varnished teak and stainless fittings, the teak is actually hand-painted composite, the stainless is 3D-printed titanium. That flag-blue hull? Made of carbon-epoxy composites with carbon stringers.

Hinckley Dasher specifications

LOA: 28ft 6in (6.7m)
Motor: 2 x 50kW
Battery: 40kWh
Top speed: 23.5 knots
Range: 40 miles at 20 knots
Starting price: $545,000 / £412,000

The electric Iguana is capable of three knots on the land and 30 knots at sea

Iguana Foiler

Iguana Yachts has launched the world’s first battery-powered amphibious boat, called the Iguana Foiler. As if that weren’t enough, it also features folding foils and retractable caterpillar tracks.

The all-new 33ft Iguana Foiler is powered by a specially adapted version of Evoy’s new prototype 300hp electric outboard motor fed by a 120kWh lithium-ion battery bank.

To reduce drag and increase range, it rides on a pair of curved surface-piercing foils that fold down from each side and a third T-shaped foil at the rear fitted to a specially extended lower leg of the outboard.

Iguana Foiler specifications

Length: 32.8′ / 10m
Beam (min): 10′ / 3.1m
Engine: Single 300hp EVOY electric outboard
Top speed: 30 knots
Range: 50 miles
Capacity: 8 people
Price: TBC

Read more about the Iguana Foiler

The compact Magonis E-550 is a refreshinghly affordable electric option

Magonis Wave e-550

Spanish newcomer Magonis may not be the prettiest electric boat on the market but it is certainly one of the most affordable, with prices starting from as little €33,485 inc VAT.

Admittedly that only buys you the least powerful displacement-only 4kW version but even the most powerful 30kW model starts at a relatively modest €68,960 and boasts a top speed of 22 knots.

The key to its performance is a lightweight resin-infused hull that weighs just 335kg, which is powered by off-the-shelf electric outboards from Torqeedo and Mag Power.

Despite its diminutive proportions the squared-off bow means it is Category C rated for up to six people. Battery sizes vary from 10kWh to 23kWh according to engine power, giving a range of up to 60nm at 5 knots.

Magonis Wave e-550 specifications

LOA: 18ft 0in (5.50m)
Motor: 1 x 4 – 30kW
Battery: 1 x 10 – 23kWh
Top speed: 22 knots
Range: 30nm @ 3 knots
Starting price: €33,485

Mantaray M24

What makes this 24ft Mannerfelt-designed runabout particularly interesting is its simplicity. Unlike its main foiling rival, the Candela C-7, the Mantaray M24 requires no complicated electronics to ‘fly’.

Instead it uses the builder’s patented mechanical hydrofoil system, which it has trademarked as Dynamic Wing Technology or DWT.

The technology is said to be the result of ten years’ development work and uses a retractable T-foil in the bow and H-foil amidships that self-stabilise mechanically.

Mantaray M24 specifications

LOA: 24ft 0in (5.50m)
Motor: 48kW
Battery: 26kWh
Top speed: 30 knots
Range: 60nm
Starting price: TBC

Read more about the Mantaray M24

The Marian M800 doesn’t make any compromises on style or speed

Marian M800 Spyder

This Austrian yard only manufactures all-electric boats so they can be designed from the ground up to suit the packaging requirements of the battery and motor rather than having to accommodate big petrol or diesel engines too.

The result is a supremely elegant range of retro-inspired sportsboats from 19ft to 26ft, as well as a more prosaic lake cruiser. The latest M800 Spider, launched at the 2021 Cannes Yachting Festival, is its prettiest boat yet, rivalling the Riva Iseo for sheer style.

With each boat being built to order, you can specify anything from a 10kW electric motor and affordable 200Ah AGM batteries for lake use up to a 150kW motor and 125kWh lithium ion batteries for a top speed 34 knots (waterskiing is also possible) and a range of 30nm at 16 knots.

Marian M800 Spyder specifications

LOA: 25ft 9in (7.90m)
Motor: 1 x 10-150kW
Battery: 10-125kWh
Top speed: 34 knots
Range: 30nm @16 knots
Starting price: €238,560

Styling is a bold mix of retro design cues and futuristic detailing

Mayla FortyFour

German start-up Mayla Yachts is close to launching the first of its outrageous all-electric performance boats, called the Mayla FortyFour. Based on a Petestep deep-vee hull platform, this ultralight carbon fibre electric boat promises top speeds of over 70 knots.

Twin 800kW dual-core electric motors deliver up to 2,150hp of power to tunnel-mounted surface drives and thanks to the 4,800Nm of torque on tap, the second you apply the throttles, acceleration should be fearsome.

Power comes from either an all-electric 500kWh lithium-ion battery or a smaller 400kWh battery backed up by a 400hp (300kW) diesel generator and fuel tank. This hybrid boat version should give a maximum range of 270nm at 30 knots.

Mayla FortyFour specifications

LOA: 44ft (13.4 m)
Beam: 10ft (3.0 m)
Displacement: 6,200kgs
Water capacity: 200L
Power: Twin 400-800kW
Battery: 400-500 kWh Li-ion
Top speed: 70 knots
Cruising range: 70nm (electric) / 270nm (hybrid)
Price: TBC

Read more about the Mayla FortyFour

Navier N30

Anyone who has watched America’s Cup boats in action will know foiling does wonders for performance, which is the thinking at Silicon Valley-based and Sergey Brin-backed Navier, which is currently developing one very cool, and very clever, hydro-foiling electric dayboat, the Navier N30.

With its retractable foils and twin 90kW electric motors connected to a 80kWh battery bank, the carbon-hulled Navier can soar four feet above the waves at over 30 knots. Throttle back to 20 and the projected range is over 75 nautical miles, which Navier claims makes this the rangiest 30ft electric boat in the world.

You cake your pick from a Cabin version or open Hardtop, both of which come with a nifty self-docking feature (demonstrated in the video above). Navier says that the 2023 production run has sold out and it is already taking deposits on 2024 boats.

Navier N30 specifications

LOA: 30ft (9.1m)
Beam: 8ft 6in (2.6m)
Motor: 2 x 90kW
Battery: 80kWh
Top speed: 35 knots
Range: 75 miles at 20 knots
Starting price: From $300,000 / £226,000

Nero 777 Evolution

Designed in Italy and built in Germany, the new Nero 777 looks like a very appealing combination of style and engineering know-how. Due to launch in 2024, it will come with a choice of five Evoy propulsion systems ranging from 60kW all the way up to 300kW.

The latter will offer an impressive top speed in excess of 50 knots, making this one of the fastest electric boats in development. And with a Petestep hull, it should offer a very comfortable ride even at such rapid speeds. Bring the speed back to a leisurely 5 knots and the claimed range shoots up to an impressive 108nm.

Design-wise, the Neto 777 Evolution taps into the current trend for fold-down balconies, which can create a water-level beach club effect – no mean feat on such a compact boat.

Nero 777 Evolution specifications

LOA: 25ft 6in (7.77m)
Beam: 8ft 8in (2.63m)
Motor: 60-300kW
Battery: 40-126kWh
Top speed: 50 knots
Range: 108nm at 5 knots
Starting price: From €287,500

Nimbus 305 Coupe E-Power

Legendary Swedish yard Nimbus is renowned for its thoughtfully designed and sturdily built boats and the 305 Coupe is no exception.

Although originally designed for conventional combustion engines, it has been successfully adapted for electric use with the aid of a Torqeedo Deep Blue electric motor and a pair of 12.8kWh lithium ion batteries.

The recommended cruising speed is a modest 5.7 knots giving a range of 22nm at this speed but this can be almost doubled with the aid of a second optional battery.

Nimbus 305 Coupe E-Power specifications

LOA: 33ft 3in (10.07m)
Motor: 1 x 25kW
Battery: 1x 40kWh
Top speed: 6.5 knots
Range: 22nm @ 5.7 knots
Starting price: €265,000 (ex. VAT)

Optima E10

One of the most striking elements of the Optima E10 is its hull shape. This stabilised monohull design features a slender central hull flanked by even thinner external ones, creating tunnels underneath.

This design enhances efficiency by reducing drag, allowing the boat to achieve fast displacement speeds of approximately 14 to 15 knots. The external riggers also contribute to the boat’s stability, ensuring a comfortable and smooth ride.

Measuring 10m in length (around 33 ft), the Optima E10 is powered solely by electricity. It does not feature a hybrid drive or combustion engine, thus maximising its efficiency. The boat is equipped with two 63kWh Kriesel batteries and a 40kW electric motor from Rad propulsion, equivalent to approximately 54hp.

Optima E10 specifications

LOA: 36ft 1in / 11m
Motor: 40kW Rad Propulsion
Batteries: 120kWh Kriesel
Top speed: 15 knots
Range: 200 nautical miles @ 6 knots
Starting price: £400,000

Watch our yacht tour of the Optima E10

Pixii’s aluminium hull and powerful battery should deliver impressive range and performance

Pixii SP800

Although this budding British brand has yet to launch one of its pretty new Pixii SP800 electric sportsboats, the first one is already in build on the Isle of Wight.

Featuring a light but strong aluminium hull with either one or two electric motors linked to a jet drive and what is said to be a class-leading 150kWh battery pack, it has all the ingredients of a formidable contender.

We’ll have to wait to see if it lives up to its maker’s claims of a 40-knot top speed, but if it does, it would make it one of the fastest electric production boats on the market.

It even has the option of a remote anchoring system that lets you jump off onto a beach then drive it out into deeper water before dropping the hook!

Pixii SP800 specifications

LOA: 24ft 6in (7.5m)
Motor: 2 x 25kW
Battery: 1x 150kWh
Top speed: 40 knots
Range: 100nm @ 14 knots
Starting price: £114,000 (inc. VAT)

Persico Zagato 100.2

Performance boat specialist Persico is set to launch its first all-electric superboat this year, called the Persico Zagato 100.2. Designed in collaboration with iconic automotive design house Zagato, the 26ft stunner is built around a revolutionary new steerable electric waterjet pod from Italian start-up Sealence.

Q-Yachts Q30

This Finnish yard was established in 2016 with the idea of developing an elegant electric boat that gave the same swift, silent cruising experience as a high-end sailing boat but without having to worry about sails and crew.

The result is the Q30, a stylish open day boat with striking minimalist looks and a super efficient hull shape that allows it to slip through the water at speeds up to 14 knots, making almost no noise or wake.

It’s powered by a pair of 10kW Torqeedo motors and a relatively meagre 30kWh battery but such is its efficiency that it will cruise for 10 hours at 6 knots or 5 hours at 9 knots.

Q-Yachts Q30 specifications

LOA: 30ft 6in (9.3m)
Beam: 7ft 3in (2.2m)
Motor: 2 x 10kW Torqeedo
Battery: 30-40kWh
Top speed: 14 knots
Range: 60nm @ 6 knots, 21nm @ 14 knots
Starting price: €183,000 (ex. VAT)

Distinctive rebated topsides are a growing trend in small sportsboat design

Rand Source 22

Rand Boats claims its new Rand Source 22 is one of the most affordable electric sportsboats on the market, as well as one of the fastest.

Two electric boat options enable it to cover both these extremes in addition to a range of inboard and outboard petrol and diesel engines of up to 250hp.

When propelled by Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 50 outboard, it will carry a price tag of less than €100,000 but when fitted with Rand’s much more powerful 170kW electric inboard it will be capable of short-burst speeds of up to 50 knots and sustained cruising at 28 knots.

Rand Source 22 specifications

LOA: 22ft (6.7m)
Motor: 170kW
Battery: TBC
Range: TBC
Top speed: 50 knots
Starting price: €63,900

Read more about the Rand Source 22

Ripple Boats 10m Day Cruiser

Hailing from Norway and launched at the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival, Ripple Boats is a new brand founded by Frydenbø Marine and Pascal Technologies.

They have raised over €4million of funding for their start-up venture and their debut model will be a 10m day cruiser developed by Thorup Design.

Key features from the initial renderings include an extendable hard-top bimini with inset glazing, plus the now ubiquitous folding balconies.

Should this debut model prove successful, Ripple Boats have plans to build a wide range of electric boats from 6-11m.

Ripple Boats 10m Day Cruiser specifications

LOA: 32ft 10in (10m)
Beam: 10ft 6in (3.2m)
Motor: 2 x 93kW
Battery: 190 kWh
Range: 45nm
Cruising speed: 25 knots
Starting price: TBC

Only Riva could produce an electric boat that looks as pretty as this

Riva El-Iseo

As its name suggests the El-Iseo is an all-electric version of Riva’s entry-level sportsboat, the gloriously retro 27 Iseo.

The heart of the El-Iseo is a 250kW Parker GVM310 electric motor that spins a Mercury Bravo Three XR sterndrive leg. The prototype is capable of 40 knots, much the same as it delivers with its usual 300hp petrol or diesel engine options.

However, those who have driven the electric version say it’s the acceleration that really stands out. The quoted range figures are one hour at 25 knots or 10 hours at five knots, meaning a range of 25nm at planing speeds or 50nm in displacement mode.

Ferretti Group CEO Alberto Galassi says that they will not start selling the El-Iseo or commit to a price until they have thoroughly tested the prototype and are certain it will deliver the performance, safety and reliability expected of a Riva.

The production model will be packaged with the latest electronics including a smart management system that reduces speed when the battery runs low and collision-avoidance software. “If it is going to be a Riva, it has to be perfect,” said Galassi.

Riva El-Iseo specifications

LOA:  27ft (8.2m)
Motor: 250kW
Battery: 150kWh
Top speed: 40 knots
Range: 50nm
Starting price: TBC

RS Pulse 63

RS Sailing is the first British yard to offer a production ready electric planing RIB in the form of the RS Pulse 63. With a super efficient hull design by Jo Richards, the man behind the hugely successful RS range of sailing dinghies, and styling by superyacht studio Design Unlimited, it looks like a really enticing package.

Power comes from a brand new 40kW RAD propulsion system, that claims to be safer and more efficient than an exposed propeller, linked to a bespoke 46kW Hyperdrive battery pack.

This delivers a top speed of 23 knots and a range of 25-100nm miles depending on speed but can be further increased with the aid of an optional extra 23kWh battery pack.

RS Pulse 63 specifications

LOA: 20ft 8in (6.30m)
Motor: 1 x 40kW
Battery: 46kW
Top speed: 23 knots
Range: 25-100nm @ 20-5 knots
Starting price: £82,800 (inc. VAT)

Watch our sea trial video of the RS Pulse 63

SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E

As the name suggests, this German yard is renowned for its ultra light, high performance carbon fibre craft and it’s these same properties that make the SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E such a compelling electric craft.

This slender, low draught speed machine weighs less than two tonnes all up, including a powerful 360kW Kreisel electric motor and 120kWh battery. Hardly surprising then that it also holds the record for the world’s fastest production electric boat (under 9m) after scorching to a top speed of 50 knots on an Austrian lake in 2018.

Use the power more sparingly and the yard claims a range of 25nm at 22 knots, while a built in 22kW charger delivers a full recharge in just six hours.

SAY Carbon Yachts 29 E specifications

LOA: 29ft (8.85m)
Motor: 1 x 360kW
Battery: 120kWh
Top speed: 52 knots
Range: 25nm @ 22 knots
Starting price: €396,460 (ex. VAT)

Silent 28 Speed

Silent Yachts’ electric-powered Silent 28 Speed grabbed headlines at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival thanks to a claimed top speed of more than 60 knots and an impressive range of 70nm at 30 knots. The secret to its performance is a foil-assisted hull with unique surface-piercing propellers.

Pushed along by twin 100kW eD-QDrive electric motors hooked up to a 100kWh lithium-ion battery bank topped up by built-in solar panels, it demonstrates that serious performance is no longer the preserve of petrol powered boats. No price has been announced.

Silent 28 Speed specifications

LOA: 28ft (8.6m)
Motor: 2 x 100kW
Battery: 100kW
Top speed: >60 knots
Range: 70nm
Starting price: TBC

SpiritBARTech35EF

A marriage of gloriously retro styling and cutting-edge foiling technology, this electric foiler was commissioned as a chase-boat toy by the same European owner that took delivery in early 2020 of Spirit Yachts’ largest and most technologically advanced project to date, the 111ft super-sloop Geist.

She was drawn by Spirit Yachts’ CEO and chief designer Sean McMillan, who admits to taking his principal inspiration from a slightly smaller twice Gold Cup winning hydroplane of mid-1920s America called Baby Bootlegger, which sported a similar near-plumb bow, long varnished foredeck and a two-seat cockpit.

The vessel encompasses a modified electric motor, developed for motorsport, and three integrated foils. The claimed top speed is 30 knots, but the usual fast cruise speed will be in the low 20s, at which the quoted range is 100nm.

This was put to the test on July 17, with the SpiritBARTech35EF setting a new electric boat record for fastest circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, covering 51m in 1hr 56mins at an average speed just shy of 23 knots.

Spirit 35 Foiler specifications

LOA: 35ft (10.6m)
Motor: TBC
Battery: TBC
Top speed: 28 knots
Range: 100nm at 20 knots
Price: Available on application

Read more about the SpiritBARTech35EF

Super Air Nautique GS22E

Based on the petrol-powered GS22 wake surf boat, the Super Air Nautique GS22E is packed with the best features available. These include a hydraulic folding wake tower, custom finishes, a configurable cockpit, and a customizable running surface that can change the characteristics from ski boat to wake surf or wakeboard use via a simple touchscreen at the helm. The boat can even be optioned with an electric stern thruster to make docking a doddle.

As well as being virtually silent underway, this electric boat version can offer up to three hours’ use on a single charge. The huge flat torque curve of the electric power plant perfectly suits tow sports use and onboard telemetry constantly monitors and reports the engine’s performance.

The significant $140,000 premium over the petrol powered version means this model will not be for everyone, however the emissions-free GS22E is the first of its kind and potentially the wake surf boat of the future.

Super Air Nautique GS22E specifications

LOA: 22ft / 6.7m
Motor: 1 x 220kW
Battery: 124kWh
Top speed: 37.5 knots
Range: 2-3hrs usage
Starting price: $312,952

Vita LION

Vita isn’t just a boat-building company, it also hopes to sell off-the-shelf electric drivetrains to other yards. Given the impressive performance and range of its own flagship LION model, this could prove a very smart move.

This elegant 10.5m day boat packs roughly the same amount of battery power as four Tesla 3 models and, thanks to a pair of 150kW electric motors linked to a single Mercury Bravo sterndrive, it goes like one too.

In fact Vita has to limit the amount of torque the motors put out to stop it shredding the gears. Despite this it maxes out at around 35 knots and can cruise for 90 minutes at 22 knots or almost 10 hours at 6-7 knots.

Vita LION specifications

LOA: 32ft 9in (10.5m)
Motor: 2 x 150kW
Battery: 235kWh
Top speed: 35 knots
Range: 33-70nm @ 22-7 knots
Starting price: £750,000 (ex. VAT)

Watch our full sea trial review of the Vita LION

Voltari 260

Typically, the brand new Voltari 260 electric boat is all about going fast. With its high-torque 740hp electric motor juiced by a 142kWh bank of lithium-ion Evereadys, it can slice and dice the waves at an impressive 52 knots.

But when there’s a world record to be broken, it’s worth a compromise or two. So, to claim the gong for covering the longest overseas distance in an electric “vehicle” on a single charge, the Voltari streaked along at a heady… 4.3 knots.

That meant covering the 91-miles between Key Largo, Florida, across the often-boisterous Gulf Stream, to Bimini in the Bahamas in what must have seemed an endless 20 hours. But it got the job done, and on a single charge.

Voltari 260 specifications

LOA: 28ft 11in (8.6m)
Motor: 551kW
Batteries: 142kWh
Top speed: 52 knots
Range: 91 miles @ 4 knots
Starting price: $450,000

Read more about the Voltari 260

X-Shore 1

The big claim for the new X Shore 1 is that it’s the first all-electric 30-knot sportsboat to be priced at under €100,000 ex taxes, making it the cheapest electric planing runabout in Europe.

With an LOA of 21ft 4in (6.5m), it is around 5ft shorter than the original X-Shore Eelex 8000 and €150,000 cheaper. It is powered by a 125kW electric motor with a single 63kWh Kreisel battery (the Eelex has a 225kW motor and two 63kWh batteries) but thanks to the 1’s smaller, lighter hull it boasts the same top speed of 30 knots and a similar range of 20nm at 20 knots or 50nm at 6 knots (the Eelex can do 100nm at low speed).

The X-Shore 1 is available either as an open boat with a half height windscreen or a semi-enclosed Top version with the aid of an extended windscreen, a small hard top and canopies protecting the helm. Unlike the walkaround Eelex, it also has an enclosed foredeck with a cuddy underneath for overnighting.

X Shore has also started branching out into the realm of commercial boats. Based on the Eelex 8000 platform, the first X Shore Pro is being used for school transportation in the Swedish archipelago.

X-Shore 1 specifications

LOA: 21ft 4in (6.5m)
Motor: 125kW
Battery: 63kWh
Top speed: 30 knots
Range: 50nm @ 6 knots
Starting price: <€100,000 (ex. VAT)

Watch our full video tour of the X-Shore 1

ZIN’s waif-like sportsboat has a claimed range of 100nm at 13 knots

Zin Z2R

Seattle-based start-up Zin Electric Boats claims an astonishing range of up to 100nm for its pretty little Z2R sportsboats. Its secret is a super-lightweight all-carbon fibre hull that allows it to plane efficiently at just 13 knots.

As with many of these boats it is powered by Torqeedo’s 55kW electric motor linked to the same company’s 45kWh battery adapted from the BMW i3 electric car.

The first prototype reached a faintly terrifying 48 knots flat out but the production version is being limited to 30 knots to extend the range. Acceleration should still be lightning quick though thanks to the motor’s impressive torque.

Zin Z2R specifications

LOA: 20ft 0in (6.1m)
Motor: 55kW Torqeedo
Battery: 40kWh
Top speed: 30 knots
Range: 100nm @13 knots
Price: $250,000 (ex. VAT)

Zodiac 450 e-jet

French RIB specialist Zodiac is developing an entire range of small, affordable electric RIBs in conjunction with Torqeedo, but in the meantime it has already started building a state-of-the-art electric jet-RIB, predominantly for use as a superyacht tender.

Powered by a 50kW Torqeedo Deep Blue motor with a 40kWh battery from the BMW i3 car driving a low drag water jet, it can reach a max speed of 30 knots.

It also boasts a useful 90 minutes of cruising time at 24 knots, equating to a range of 36nm. High quality Neoprene tubes, retractable seating and hand-sewn quilted seats help justify its price and intended target market.

The new 3.1m and 3.4m eOpen range won’t be quite as quick but will have a range of around 10nm at 12 knots, and with prices from €25,200, they’re more affordable.

Zodiac 450 e-jet specifications

LOA: 14ft 9in (4.5m)
Motor: 50kW Torqeedo Battery 40kWh
Top speed: 30 knots
Range: 36nm @ 24 knots
Price: €140,800 (ex. VAT)

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This article Electric boats: A-Z of the 37 best all-electric models appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The idea of an electric outboard may be nothing new but the RAD40 drive from British start-up RAD Propulsion appears to be far more than just a conventional outboard leg with an electric motor bolted on top.

Every single element of it has been designed from the ground up to maximise the benefits of electric power. The result is a brand new drive system that is not only much cleaner, quieter and more efficient than a petrol outboard engine but also smaller, lighter, cheaper to maintain and even more manoeuvrable.

In its current 40kW guise (equivalent to around 55hp) it’s powerful enough to propel everything from a 25-knot planing RIB to a 10-knot displacement craft but with a larger 160hp RAD120 as well as a portable tiller steered RAD2 already in development, it’s clear that RAD Propulsion has its eyes set on a much wider market.

British ingenuity

The company was founded by naval architecture graduates Richard Daltry and Dan Hook in 2018. Having already successfully built and sold a business making autonomous surface vessels (unmanned drones) for surveying the sea bed or to act as target vessels for naval training, they turned their attention to helping commercial and leisure boats transition to a greener future.

As self-confessed geeks, their vision was for a fully-integrated drive system that maximised the benefits of electrical power, rather than simply swapping the petrol engine for an electric motor.

Working with their development partners RS Electric Boats, they initially proposed a rim-drive motor with the propeller blades mounted on the inside of a revolving cylinder but while it proved very efficient at speeds up to 10 knots, the performance advantage of a more conventional hub drive propeller at higher speeds and the easier manufacturing processes associated with it eventually won out.

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So in 2021 they switched their attention to developing their first electric outboard motor, focussing on every aspect of its design to gain whatever efficiencies and benefits they could.

RAD40: A pancake design

That starts with the motor itself, which uses a 400V axial flux ‘pancake’ design that is not only lighter and more compact than the more common radial motors but also more efficient – a claimed efficiency rating of 96% compared to around 80% for a brushed motor or the mid 90s for a brushless one.

The result is an extremely compact head unit that barely protrudes above the transom, bringing obvious benefits to the boatbuilder and end user. It’s so small and light (less than 100kg) that RAD has been able to reposition the tilting bracket to the front of the unit rather than under the powerhead so that even when fully raised it doesn’t intrude on deck space.

Being so much lower and lighter it also reduces the centre of gravity for tidier handling, although the extra weight of the batteries will more than offset any savings over a petrol engine. The RAD40 also features a state of the art fly-by-wire steering system that is fully integrated into the drive unit with no exposed steering cables or rams.

Thanks to its ‘pancake’ motor the RAD40 head unit is incredibly compact and light

As well as being easier to fit with just a simple electrical relay running from the wheel to the drive unit (plus the two 400V cables and a 12V one), it’s also customisable with variable ratio, end stops, feedback and weighting to suit the size and style of boat.

But perhaps the biggest win is that only the lower part of the drive unit swivels (like Mercury’s new 600hp V12 outboard) allowing the thrust to be vectored through 180 degrees for unparalleled manoeuvrability at low speeds.

With a precise digital throttle control allowing propeller speeds down to 258rpm it should make berthing a doddle, especially when combined with a bow thruster.

Whine-free gears

With no need for a traditional forward and reverse gearbox, RAD has developed its own spiral-cut gears to transfer power from the short vertical shaft to the propeller, all but eliminating the distinctive whine associated with some electric outboard motors.

The lack of any exhaust gases and minimal excess heat has also enabled them to design a much slimmer more hydrodynamic leg with a closed-loop cooling system that relies on the front cavitation plate to act as a heat exchanger.

As well as reducing frictional losses, this means there is no impeller to replace and no corrosive salt water circulating inside the drive.

A two-hour fast charge will restore capacity

In fact, the entire unit is sealed with only a small Gore-Tex vent for pressure equalisation, meaning servicing is limited to changing the anodes once a year and very occasionally refreshing the coolant and gearbox oil.

The final part of the equation is a bespoke propeller with a slimmer torpedo-shaped hub rather than the hollow design of a petrol outboard needed to vent exhaust gases.

With a relatively wide 13in diameter and modestly pitched bronze blades, it is designed to match the almost flat torque characteristics of the motor for strong acceleration and efficiency rather than maximising performance at peak revs.

Other innovations include a wireless kill-cord system called RADtag, a digital throttle with a neutral safety detent and NMEA integration with existing navigation equipment.

Look out for our full test drive of the RAD40-equipped RS Pulse 63, coming soon

Pulse Power

When fitted to the latest RS Pulse 63 this allows for a top speed of 23 knots but also a range of up to 100nm at 5 knots from its 63kWh battery or any variation in between – a built-in display gives a real-time read out of remaining range as well as battery capacity.

Charging takes two hours using a fast charger or eight hours from a standard mains or shorepower socket. Although developed in conjunction with RS Electric Boats, the RAD40 will be available for other boatbuilders and re-engining projects. It shares the same bolt pattern as most petrol outboards and can fit any transom angle from 0-14 degrees.

Retail prices start at £28,000 for the engine with battery packages from £15,000 for a 20kWh rising to £30,000 for 60kWh.

First published in the October 2023 issue of MBY.

This article RAD40 electric outboard first look: British motor bursting with clever ideas appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Spurred on by the Voltari 260, which crossed 79nm from Key Largo to Bimini earlier this year on electric power alone, Candela thought they could do even better with their super-efficient foiling C-8.

After partnering up with battery maker Northvolt, they hooked a Candela C-8 up to a Voltpack mobile battery and a Plug charger.

This allowed them to trickle charge the onshore unit between pit-stops, when the Polestar fast-charger came into play.

Cruising at an average speed of 27 knots (compared to the Voltari’s 4-knot crawl) the Candela electric boat took a 18-minute charging break every 45 minutes.

Even allowing for these interruptions, the average speed over a 24hr period was 17 knots.

Of course the team’s circular route from Stockholm to Tynningö and back doesn’t exactly translate into the kind of boating that most of their customers will do.

But Candela claims that this experiment will be replicable in the real world before long, with DC chargers being installed all across the US, Norway and along the French/Italian Riviera.

But perhaps the most exciting discovery was just how much cheaper electric boating is than the internal combustion alternative.

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Candela estimates that their charging sessions used 685 kWh, which would have cost a grand total of €120, compared to the €1,400 worth of fuel that a conventional boat would have used to do the same journey.

“This feat shows that fast, electric waterborne transport over long distances is viable today, not [in] a distant future” says Gustav Hasselskog, Candela’s CEO and founder, who piloted the Candela C-8 during the record attempt.

“With a relatively modest investment, charging stations could be built to fully electrify marine transport in the Stockholm archipelago.

“For a few hundred million euros, a charging network covering Europe’s coastal passenger transports would become a reality.”

”We don’t have to wait for tomorrow,” he added. “We have the technology to shift towards sustainable marine transport now.”

Looking ahead, Candela are planning to apply their technology to the world of commercial vessels, with the 30-person P-12 Shuttle due to launch next month.

Candela C-8 specifications

Length: 27ft 11in (8.5m)
Beam: 8ft 3in (2.5m)
Draft: 4ft 11in (1.5m)
Weight: 1,600kg
Motor: 45-50kW Candela C-Pod
Battery: 69 kWh
Charging: Type 2 AC charging, DC up to 135 kW
Range: 57 nautical miles at 22 knots
Top speed: 27 knots

This article Candela C-8 sets new world record for electric boat endurance appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

These produce a claimed maximum of 36kWp in bright sunshine, although with many of the solar panels mounted along the sides, that figure will only be achievable if the sun can be persuaded to shine on both sides at the same time.

So it might occasionally be necessary to top up the batteries using the generators. The batteries themselves are ‘ultralight’, with an energy density of around 200Wh per kilogramme, and you can choose between 360kW and 720kW of motive power.

The interior of the Sunreef 80 Power Eco is fully customisable, with Sunreef’s suggested layouts showing the huge deck saloon which is such an alluring benefit of the catamaran configuration, together with a spacious owner’s cabin that wouldn’t look out of place in a conventional monohull of the same length.

Down in the hulls things naturally get a little more constrained, but there shouldn’t be too many complaints from the occupants of the four double ensuite cabins. There is a fairly decent crew cabin shown aft in the starboard hull, and a vanishingly small optional crew space in the bow, while the galley sits aft in the port hull.

Other suggestions include a hot tub aft on the enormous flybridge, non-toxic antifoul paint, natural composite structures, DC air conditioning and a pair of natty wind turbines, while extra propulsion is available from the optional kitesail.

For the full 200-square-metre solar array you’ll need to specify the larger hardtop option. Or if you prefer a more old-fashioned form of renewable energy, Sunreef also does a version of the 80 with a mast and sails.

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Update: The Sunreef 80 Power Eco will be making its US debut at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.

Sunreef 80 Power Eco specifications

LOA: 78ft 1in (23.80m)
Beam: 39ft 4in (12.00m)
Engines: 2x 360kW max
Solar panels: 36kWp max
Batteries: 640kW max
Generators: 2x 150kW
Starting price: Available upon application

This article Sunreef 80 Power Eco to take solar power to the next level at Cannes 2023 appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Due to make its debut as a support vessel at the 2023 World Sailing Championships in the Hague, the H2C Boat has been developed in collaboration with Dutch start-up, H2 Marine Solutions.

Equipped with a Torqeedo Deep Blue 50R outboard motor and a 40kWh Deep Blue battery, it uses a 51 kWh hydrogen fuel cell as a range extender, ensuring a minimum of five hours operating time.

Measuring six metres in length, the H2C Boat is also capable of reaching a top speed of 24 knots, providing what the manufacturers claim is a silent and emissions-free alternative to a conventional coach boat.

A 51 kWh hydrogen fuel cell extends the operating time to at least five hours

Origins of the H2C boat

The project began when Dutch Olympic sailing coach, Jaap Zielhuis, came up with the idea during the 2018 World Championships in Denmark – and since then, several companies have been involved in bringing the project to fruition.

They include Watersportverbond and Torqeedo, as well as distributor, De Stille Boot, the Sailing Innovation Centre, the Delft University of Technology, Intelligent Energy, Hyfly, Koedood Marine Group and the Habbeké Shipyard.

Cleaner sailing events

The development of the H2C Boat forms a part of the broader Zephyr project, which aims to prove the technical viability of a green hydrogen chain in the Dutch maritime sector. 

Founder and MD of De Stille Boot, Marcel Schaap, believes that the use of zero-emissions coach boats at major regattas will form a major element of that…

The H2C Boat could have a big part to play in the future of major sailing regattas

“The presence of hundreds of coach boats at the World Championships showcases the potential of this project in reducing the carbon footprint of sailing events.”

And Torqeedo’s CEO, Fabian Bez, is in full agreement: “Sailing is all about harnessing the power of nature, wind and waves.

“Now, the highest levels of competitive sailing can achieve the range, run time and performance they need in a coach boat – emission-free!”

This article Dutch sailing firm launches hydrogen-powered RIB appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The Silent 62 takes the proven blueprint of the Silent 60 to create the smallest tri-deck catamaran in the range, with three different layout options for the top deck.

The open sky lounge is effectively a flybridge with an enormous carbon-fibre hardtop overhead, but it’s the fully enclosed variants where things get really interesting.

There is a traditional sky lounge featuring an 18m² saloon with a bar, second galley and dinette, separated from an aft terrace by sliding doors, but then there is the owner’s suite version, which is a marvellous concept.

With guests tucked away in their ensuite staterooms in the hulls, the owner can head up to the top deck to their master suite with ensuite bathroom, 360° views and a private aft terrace. That’s superyacht-style luxury on a 62-footer.

Of course Silent Yachts’ raison d’être is electric propulsion, and with the largest 2x340kW motors and a 286kWh battery pack the Silent 62 can cruise at 6-8 knots pretty much non-stop if there is enough sunshine to feed the 17kWp solar panels. Silent estimates that the 62 will have a daily cruising range of 100nm on solar power alone.

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£1730000

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If the weather isn’t playing ball there is always the 150kW diesel generator to fall back on, fed by fuel tanks of up to 1,600 litres. Efficiency is helped by lightweight carbon fibre construction and a reverse bow design, which has been CFD tested.

Other upgrades for the Silent 62 include longer windows in the lower deck and a large bathing platform that can carry a 4.2m tender, such as the brand’s recently launched Silent Tender 400.

Update: The Silent 62 will be attending the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival alongside a new version of the Silent 60 with a new Front Exit layout.

Silent 62 specification

LOA: 62ft 0in (19m)
Beam: 29ft 5in (8.99m)
Engines: Twin 50/200/340kW electric motors
Top speed: 20 knots
Starting price: £2.1m (ex. VAT)

This article Silent 62 3-Deck electric catamaran set for Cannes 2023 debut appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

A development of the existing Frauscher 858 Fantom Air, the new Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air will have a marinized version of the state-of-the-art automotive drive technology planned for the not-yet-launched all-electric Macan.

We are told its installation will include a high-voltage lithium-ion battery bank with a total capacity of around 100kWh. For comparison the conventionally propelled Fantom Air 858 is recommended for between 320-430hp.

At this stage, neither Frauscher or Porsche are hinting at just how quick their new model will be and not giving any clues as to its range at a fast-cruise, but we assume the performance metrics when revealed will be suitably impressive.

They say this 800V installation will be able to use DC fast-charging stations, although AC charging will also be possible.

The German performance car specialist refers to the technology employed as PPE (Premium Platform Electric) and says it is presently exploring how it can be applied to even bigger models of boat and yacht.

Jörg Kerner, vice-president of the Macan product line, says his company aims to be a leader in sustainable mobility and its future ambitions will not be limited to road cars and motor racing.

The avowed intention for the all-electric Macan, he says, is for it to be sportiest model in its mid-range SUV segment and that ambition is the same for the Frauscher x Porsche Fantom Air 850, meaning it must be the sportiest available at its end of the electric boat market.

Like the Austrian boatbuilder’s conventionally propelled 858, the electric version is a Cat C design, has an LOA of 8.67m (28ft 5in) and the same stepped hull, a maximum beam of 2.47m (8ft 1in), and is certified for seven to nine passengers.

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The styling is just as super-sleek but comes with a slightly different deck layout – bathing platform, aft sunpad and pilot and co-pilot seats behind a centre console with bowrider lounge forward.

Whereas the conventionally propelled model has a wraparound windshield and a cuddy cabin comprising flanking sofas and a v-berth in the bow.

Interestingly we are promised that the helm ergonomics, as well upholstery and detailing, for this new model were developed by F A Porsche, which should make the driving experience ultra-special.

The first one is expected to launch next year and Frauscher says the first 25 units will be produced as an exclusive limited edition series.

This article Porsche teams up with Frauscher for 850 Fantom Air electric boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The idea behind the new Cheetah SR630 is that, if you’re not yet ready to commit to full electric propulsion, you can start off with internal combustion, safe in the knowledge that your EV-ready RIB will make converting to an electric boat later on simple and easy.

>Better still, you can enjoy reduced emissions right from day one thanks to the remarkable efficiency of the hull.

EV-ready RIB: low-drag hull

Created in conjunction with RS Electric Boats, the Cheetah R630 uses a highly efficient cathedral hull, which is designed to minimise drag and get up on the plane at low speeds with extraordinary ease.

It also employs the same weight-saving technologies that RS Electric Boats has applied in its Pulse 63, enabling the use of a much smaller engine than you would tend to associate with a 21ft RIB.

The Cheetah SR630 will hit 25 knots with a 50hp outboard

Available with both petrol and diesel outboards and capable of achieving 25 knots with just a single 50hp motor, Jon Partridge, RS Marine Group CEO, is adamant that the new boat makes perfect sense.

“The marine sector has definitely woken up to the fact that we need to make a decisive change, but we understand that some people are reluctant to fully commit to electric.

“So we’re committed to making EV-ready boats that can be easily upgraded when owners feel the time is right for them to make the switch.”

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The new RIB is all about making electric conversion simple

Cheetah Marine and RS Electric joined forces in 2022 in a bid to develop a new generation of electric workboats – and the Cheetah R630 is the first of a new RIB range that will grow significantly over the next few years.

It comes with a flush, self-draining deck and includes plenty of customisation potential. But of course it’s the hull efficiency and the electric compatibility that make the real difference.

While Cheetah Marine has become famous for its tough, seaworthy power cats, it is now intent on ensuring that EV retro-fit simplicity is hardwired into every one of its designs.

As Jon points out: “Battery development is moving at a pace, and charging infrastructure is being embedded across many countries, including the UK, so it won’t be long until electric becomes the preferred choice for many.

“Until that time, we’re doing all we can so that companies looking for new RIBs or catamarans can get one now and rest assured that electric conversion will be straightforward.”

The SR630 is just the first boat in a new EV-ready RIB range from Cheetah Marine

This article Cheetah Marine unveils future-proof “EV-ready” RIB appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

We recently got the chance to take a tour of the Optima E10 prototype at Ocean Village Marina and we were not disappointed. This groundbreaking all-electric boat boasts a range of unique features, setting it apart from the rest of the market.

One of the most striking elements of the Optima E10 is its hull shape. This stabilised monohull design features a slender central hull flanked by even thinner external ones, creating tunnels underneath.

This design enhances efficiency by reducing drag, allowing the boat to achieve fast displacement speeds of approximately 14 to 15 knots. The external riggers also contribute to the boat’s stability, ensuring a comfortable and smooth ride.

Measuring 10m in length (around 33 ft), the Optima E10 is powered solely by electricity. It does not feature a hybrid drive or combustion engine, thus maximising its efficiency. The boat is equipped with two 63kWh Kriesel batteries and a 40kW electric motor from Rad propulsion, equivalent to approximately 54hp.

With this setup, the Optima E10 can cruise comfortably at 10 to 12 knots, with a top speed of 14 to 15 knots. At slower speeds, the boat becomes even more efficient, offering a theoretical cruising range of up to 200 nautical miles at around six knots. Higher speeds of eight to nine knots can still achieve a range of approximately 100 miles, while maximum speed will yield around 50 to 60 miles of range.

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Despite its trimaran hull design, the Optima E10 has a width of approximately 3.5m (11ft 6in), making it suitable for conventional berths. The spacious cockpit features a sunbed and ample seating, with storage compartments throughout the boat for convenience.

The prototype includes one cabin with an electric toilet, while a small galley and wet bar with a fridge and two-burner stove are located on the starboard side.

The current prototype is not the final production version; the company plans to refine the boat further. The expected price for the full-production model with twin 63kWh batteries is around £400,000, However, a single-battery version may be available at a lower price point, albeit with reduced cruising range.

The Optima E10 represents a unique offering in the electric boat market, bridging the gap between smaller, shorter-range sports boats and larger multi-hull catamarans. Its focus on comfort, a spacious cockpit, and a substantial cruising range sets it apart.

Enjoy the tour…

Optima E10 specifications

LOA: 36ft 1in / 11m
Beam: 11ft 6in / 3.5m
Power: 40kW Rad Propulsion electric motor
Batteries: 120kWh Kriesel
Top speed: 15 knots
Cruising range: 200 nautical miles @ 6 knots
Starting price: £400,000

This article Optima E10 yacht tour: Revolutionary electric boat with 200-mile range appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

With its roots in the 19th century, foiling technology is as old as the hills, but in the past five years we’ve noticed an explosion of hydrofoil boats coming onto the market.

In part inspired by the foiling raceboats of the America’s Cup, the popularity of foiling is easy to understand – fuel efficiency gains are substantial, noise is almost eliminated (particularly if your foiling boat also happens to be an electric boat) and they look as cool as a snowman in a freezer!

To help you understand the dizzying array of foiling boats available right now, we’ve put together the following guide to what we think are the most promising designs out there.

6 of the best hydrofoil boats

SEAir foiling RIB

Founded in 2016, French yard SEAir builds foiling RIBs, having been inspired by the speed of foiling racing yachts.

We tested their 5.5m model back in 2018 and since then they have expanded their range to cover superyacht chase boats, commercial and military vessels.

Our tester recorded a top speed of 32 knots, with the foils doing their best work at around 20 knots, but SEAir claims that 42 knots is possible in the right conditions.

Read more about the SEAir foiling RIB

Article continues below…

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A dual helm set-up allows the boat to be piloted from the bow or the cockpit. Photo: Guillaume Plisson

Enata Foiler

Dubai-based Enata Marine added a healthy dose of glamour to the world of foiling boats in 2018 with the launch of its Foiler.

In addition to a superyacht tender-worthy exterior, this 32fter includes a bow window for spectacular views while underway.

A 40-knot top speed and a 190nm range makes this a very appealing option, although the premium price tag of $938,000 may put some off.

Read more about the Enata Foiler

Princess R35

When British boatbuilding giant Princess Yachts got in on the foiling boat game in 2019 with a 35ft carbon-fibre dayboat, we knew that things had really taken off.

While the foil-assisted R35 may not have the spectacular cruising-above-the-waves appeal of some other foiling boats, it is highly efficient, beautifully designed (in collaboration with Pininfarina) and handles like nothing else we’ve ever driven.

In our review, we praised its rare combination of agility, refinement and stability, with spray kept in check impressively at high speeds.

Read more about the Princess R35

The foiling Candela C-8 is the first boat to use Candela’s proprietary C-POD, but bigger craft will follow later

Candela C-8

Swedish firm Candela burst onto the scene in 2021 with its debut, the Candela C-7, which was billed as the world’s first electric foiling boat, but it was the 2022 launch of the Candela C-8 that really moved the game on.

Available with a 69kWh battery, adapted from the Polestar 2 electric car, owners can expect a range of 57nm at 22 knots, more than enough for dayboat use.

The consumption figures are truly staggering, with Candela’s figures suggesting that the C-8 is more than 12x more efficient than an equivalent 300hp outboard powered sportsboat.

Read more about the Candela C-8

The electric Iguana is capable of three knots on the land and 30 knots at sea

Iguana Foiler

Not content with being at the forefront of the amphibious boats market with its caterpillar-track offering, French yard Iguana has set its sights on the world of foiling too.

Announced last year, the Iguana Foiler will be powered by the world’s most powerful electric outboard engine, the 300hp Evoy Storm.

Having tested both the engine and the boat separately, we can’t wait to see the result when they come together with the added advantages of foiling technology. Watch this space…

Read more about the Iguana Foiler

The foils lift up at slow speeds to reduce the draft

Mantaray M24

Another exciting model in the hydrofoil boats pipeline, this 24ft runabout is particularly interesting is its simplicity. Unlike its main foiling rival, the Candela C-7, the Mantaray M24 requires no complicated electronics to ‘fly’.

Instead it uses the builder’s patented mechanical hydrofoil system, which it has trademarked as Dynamic Wing Technology or DWT. The technology is said to be the result of ten years’ development work and uses a retractable T-foil in the bow and H-foil amidships that self-stabilise mechanically.

This allows it to lean naturally into corners and ride serenely over waves without relying on a network of sensors and algorithms to monitor and adjust the foils. If it proves effective this could drastically reduce the cost and complexity of foiling boats, while simultaneously increasing reliability.

Read more about the Mantaray M24

It doesn’t end here, with fascinating one-off projects from Spirit Yachts and BMW on the water, it’s clear that foiling has a huge potential for transforming the world of boating.

Read more about hydrofoil technology

This article Best hydrofoil boats: 6 of the most spectacular foiling motorboats money can buy appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

The new Fletcher F23 bowrider will initially be launched with petrol outboard and sterndrive engines but all-electric options should be ready towards the end of next year. The first demonstrator could be afloat as early as November.

“We are not saying too much at this stage as regards the all-electric solutions,” says creative lead Ed Ahmed. “But what we can say is Fletcher is a performance brand, first and foremost so for us electric solutions will not be about how far we can go. They will be about speed and having fun.

“As of today no other electric boatbuilder is producing what we aim to deliver, which ideally for the Fletcher F23 is up to two hours at full throttle and a maximum speed of 50mph.”

Designed in-house and based on a proven Fletcher deep-vee hull, the new model manages to combine modern snub-nose styling with a hint of retro, thanks to a frameless, tinted wraparound windshield.

At the stern a full width integrated bathing platform, with the outboard engine (or sterndrive) hung off the back of it, extends the waterline length and provides a place for wakeboarders and waterskiers to put on their gear.

This leads forward to a pair of sunbeds divided by a central walkway through to a deep set cockpit. Protected by the long wraparound windscreen and featuring a U-shaped bench aft and two swivelling bucket seats forward, this looks like a very secure and sociable arrangement.

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A hinged centre section of the windscreen swings open to provide walk-through access to the bow lounge with yet more sunken seating.

The hull is rated to take up to a 300hp (225kW) engine, which should give a top speed of around 45 knots. It will be built at a new production facility in Hambridge, Somerset and the construction will include carbon fibre reinforcement to maximise strength and lightness.

Fletcher expects F23 prices to start around £210,000 including VAT, pitching it as a premium British built rival to mass market sportsboats from Europe and America. If the F23 sells as well as expected, Fletcher is already planning to expand the range with a new F20, F26 and F30 already on the drawing board.

Remastered heritage

Fletcher has a long history of building sportsboats in the UK with an estimated 50,000 units sold since the company first started some 60 years ago. Many of today’s boat owners cut their teeth on its iconic range of small speed boats like the Arrowflyte 14, Arrowflash 15 and Arrowstreak 17 during the 80s and early 90s when sales were at their peak.

A flood of cheaper imports from the US and Europe put paid to the British yard’s success in the 2000s but many older boaters still have fond memories of Fletcher’s well regarded hulls and sea-keeping.

Fletcher Boats is hoping to tap into this nostalgic end of the market by offering remastered versions of its heritage models alongside the new F23 model – including the 14 GTO, 15 GTO, 17 GTO, 17 GTS, 19 GTO and 19GTS. These will eventually make the switch to electric boat propulsion too.

As we went to press, the first new Fletchers for almost a decade were in build – one 14, two 15s and one 19 – all with petrol power. For the time being all Fletcher sales will be direct from the factory.

This article Fletcher F23 first look: Iconic British brand to relaunch with first new model in 20 years appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

When I was 70 I celebrated by going on a voyage with my children in my sailing boat. Now I am 80 I am going on a voyage with my grandchildren in a motor boat – a smaller voyage because the grandchildren are smaller (as am I) and a motor boat because after the last voyage my children told me I wasn’t to sail anymore because I was so bad at it!

One of the attractions of sailing is that you bend the elements to your will and use the wind to take you in directions the wind doesn’t want to go. Since this time I am not allowed to use the wind, I thought I would try and use the sun instead.

My last five boats (I know, disgraceful, but the hunt for a boat that will go round Cape Horn and still fit on a roof rack is a long one) have all been designed by Nigel Irens.

What Nigel is good at (apart from once reciting Marriott Edgar’s poem ‘The Lion and Albert’ in unison with me as we rounded Land’s End at midnight) is drawing slippery boats that move through the water without fuss, so use less energy. Ellen Macarthur found this to be true, and so have I.

Article continues below…

Nigel Irens classic boat tour: Beautiful wooden river launch with an electric motor

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Slippery when wet

His latest creation is a 26ft (8m) motor launch called Clara. He is building a series of these – well, Rodney, Charlie and Aelfi are building them out of computer-cut marine ply – in Totnes.

They weigh less than a tonne and when powered by a modest petrol outboard can double their theoretical hull speed of 6.83 knots. Because of their uniquely efficient hull shape, they are also well suited to being driven by an electric outboard, in my case an ePropulsion Navy 6 (equivalent to 9.9hp).

An electric outboard? Hold on, you said you were using the sun. Be patient and all will become clear. My version of Clara has a canvas canopy. On this canopy are four flexible photo-voltaic panels, which use sunlight to produce a peak power output of 1kW of electricity that helps charge the batteries.

Faraday starts to take shape from pre-cut pieces of marine ply at the workshop in Totnes. Plywood was chosen as it is lighter and more sustainable than GRP

She is called Faraday, after the man who invented the electric motor. Also because, like the owner of an electric car, I worry about how ‘far a day’ she can go.

Look at the photos and you might also notice that the two sides of Faraday are different colours. Of course they are. She’s an electric boat. She has a positive side and a negative side. Do try and keep up!

My stipulation to Nigel was that my boat should have enough battery capacity to travel 70 miles at 7 knots so there are four big batteries, weighing 350kg and storing 36kWh between them.

A fine entry is key to Nigel Irens’ slippery hull design

These sit in the bilge to balance the weight of the solar panels on the roof – though these only weigh 21kg and the canopy is simply canvas on a light carbon fibre frame. I also set a more ambitious goal – to produce enough energy from the solar roof to push the boat along on sunny days without draining the batteries at all.

Initial calculations suggested that she would max out at 8.5 knots but using only 3kW she would happily go at seven knots – the speed of a fast sailing boat and with the same amiable sounds of wind and water rather than the angry hornet buzz of a petrol outboard.

On a fine day the solar panels should also produce 1kW of power. With nine hours of daylight that’s 9kW hours, enough for three hours of 3kW motoring. Could it really be that easy?

Red on port side and black on starboard side represent the positive and negative colours of its electric drivetrain

To put the theory to the test, we planned a shakedown voyage. This needed to be ambitious enough to test Faraday but not so ambitious as to test the grandchildren – with any luck it might actually be fun.

The plan was to travel from Tewkesbury to Stratford-upon-Avon over four days during the Easter holidays. The crew would comprise a timeshare collection of children, grandchildren and me.

Water music

When the time came, the Avon was in flood and we had to delay our planned departure date. Tewkesbury Marina, like most boat-related places, was staffed by an optimist and a pessimist. The pessimist said it would be at least a week before we could set off. The optimist said we could go the following afternoon. We went the next afternoon.

Like many boaters, I usually enjoy having a horizon on one quarter and a coastline on the other, or even a horizon all around, but with children onboard having a riverbank on either side keeps the pulse rate down and provides lots of stuff to watch and do.

Lightweight canvas canopy also carries solar panels

The paddles in the locks can be worked by young and old alike, and winding the winch handles and releasing a small tsunami into the lock is very satisfying – as is the moment when the lock is full, pressure above and below the gate is the same, and even a young child can move a huge chunk of Victorian engineering to open the way to the next stretch of river. The same small person can often instinctively steer the boat better than his supposedly experienced grandfather.

The other joy of river cruising is that you can stop in pretty towns and stay in pubs with bed-sized beds (as opposed to boat-sized bunks); we enjoyed the Angel Inn in Pershore, followed by a morning walk to the abbey, which displayed a sign saying ‘Total Silence – organ tuning in process’.

In the middle of the aisle was a brand new organ console with an Italian musician at the keyboard. He pressed a key and a small batsqueak was emitted by a high-up pipe. He nodded knowingly, said ‘Si’ and repeated the process, much to the amusement of us all.

Working the locks is all part of the fun for Richard and his crew of grandchildren

Silent light

Evesham on the eve of Good Friday provided us with a great Italian meal, during which the younger grandchildren fell asleep face down in their pizzas as if on a primary school stag weekend.

And Stratford was as exciting as Hong Kong harbour, with hundreds of novices spending their first day on the water rowing backwards in rented skiffs while we dodged silently between them. If Shakespeare had been sitting on the bank, The Comedy of Errors would have been re-written then and there.

Four days after setting off from Tewksebury, we tied up opposite the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, where 30 years ago I had appeared on stage in front of a depressingly small audience.

We had covered 44 miles and been through 18 locks. We met one other boat, and only hit it a glancing blow. We crashed into a small tree. We averaged 4 knots, which is all you are allowed to go on the river, and, most satisfyingly of all, we set off with the batteries 100% full and arrived 44 miles later with the batteries still 100% full.

The 48 hours of daylight had produced enough electricity for the 12 hours of travel without recourse to shore power. Daylight – free, abundant daylight – had taken us all the way there, topping up the batteries as we went.

While we went about our business, Faraday went about hers so quietly and efficiently that nobody ever needed to raise their voice. The grandchildren didn’t really notice this quietness but they did notice that waterbirds came to investigate rather than flying away.

No need for binos on a silent electric boat as the wildlife come to you

They were also bright enough to grasp the daylight/electricity/power/no emissions equation. They come from a generation that is understandably obsessed with saving the planet and they enjoy Faraday being a tiny contributor to that cause.

What would I change about her? Hardly anything. I have known Nigel for years and he understands the relationship between water and floating objects as well as anyone since Archimedes. She feels right.

All I am going to do is remove the chemical loo I put in one of the lockers. Nobody used it, and I don’t think anybody ever will. As grown-ups have said for generations, you should have been before we set off.

Shakedown cruise complete and theory successfully proven, Faraday then travelled by trailer to her home mooring in Devon, where she now sits waiting for more adventures.

During the summer she and I will venture out on sunny days to Dartmouth, Newton Ferrers and possibly Plymouth. Because if the sun shines we now know there is no limit to how far a day Faraday can go.

First published in the July 2023 issue of MBY.

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This article Richard Stilgoe: “What I learned from my solar-powered boat’s shakedown cruise” appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

German newcomer Alva Yachts is building what is claimed to be the first zero-emissions supercat. Unlike existing solar-powered motor catamarans that rely on diesel-powered generators to boost speed and range, the Alva Ocean Eco 90 H2 will carry no fossil fuels whatsoever.

For the few occasions when neither the extensive solar panels nor the battery pack can cope with the demand of the yacht’s electric motors and hotel loads, it will use hydrogen-powered fuel cells to generate electricity while emitting nothing but water. It also boasts a pair of automated wingsails to increase cruising speeds and range yet further.

Remarkably, this isn’t some futuristic pipedream but a real electric boat that is already in build at Alva’s production facility in Turkey, with an expected launch date of late 2024.

Safety in numbers

Central to the Alva Ocean Eco 90 H2’s ability to cope without an internal combustion engine is the fact that it doesn’t rely on any one source of power.

When the sun is shining, the 200m2 of photovoltaic panels integrated into the flybridge hardtop and coachroof generate enough electrical energy (up to 40kWp) to power the yacht’s two electric motors at 3-4 knots and run all the ship’s systems (air con included).

For faster cruising speeds or cloudier conditions, a vast 500kWh reserve of lithium ion batteries (10 x the power of a standard Tesla 3 car battery) should still give a cruising range of at least 50nm at 5-7 knots.

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Flat out, the twin 480kW electric motors are capable of up to 12 knots, but this does come at the cost of a considerably reduced range. Only when demand exceeds the combined output of both the solar panels and the battery pack will the hydrogen fuel cells kick in.

These are being supplied by EODev, which has real-world experience of using hydrogen fuel cells to propel boats thanks to Energy Observer, the experimental catamaran that has already cruised around the world using a combination of solar and hydrogen power.

The Alva Ocean Eco 90 H2 will use EODev’s latest REX H2 fuel cells, which have been developed jointly with Toyota for use in marine applications. These work by passing hydrogen through a fuel cell that uses a platinum catalyst anode to split the hydrogen into positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons.

A computer decides which power source to use

A polymer electrolyte membrane allows the positive ions to flow directly through to the cathode while the negatively charged electrons have to travel round an external circuit to the anode where they recombine with oxygen to create water (H2O), electricity and a small amount of heat. Each of these fuel cells develops up to 70kW and can be stacked to deliver more power.

Alva hasn’t yet confirmed how many of these fuel cells or how much hydrogen the yacht will carry, or what cruising range this will allow, but we do know the hydrogen will be stored in high-pressure tanks to minimise the amount of space required. Refuelling is likely to take place from specially adapted road tankers at a pre-arranged dockside location.

Wings not sails

The addition of wingsails to the Alva Ocean Eco 90 H2 are not considered a strict necessity but will deliver faster cruising speeds and/or reduced power consumption even in light winds. Unlike conventional sails, these are semi-rigid double-skinned wing-shaped structures that require no additional rigging and no previous sailing knowledge to operate.

Going Eco doesn’t mean skimping on luxuries

Consisting of two independently rotating sections to adjust the angle of attack and camber of the wing, they work by creating high pressure on one side and low pressure on the other as the wind flows past them, helping drive the yacht forwards regardless of where the wind is coming from.

The beauty of wingsails, in this case a pair of Ayro Oceanwings, is that the whole system can be automated. Sensors on the wings measure the wind speed and direction, a computer analyses the data then instructs the motors to adjust the wings accordingly.

This makes them more efficient than conventional sails (Ayro claims double the performance) but also far less hassle. They can also be raised, lowered and reefed at the touch of a button when the winds are too weak or strong to deploy them.

Guests can relax in the palatial main deck saloon

Computer says yes

Controlling all these systems is Alva Connect, the yard’s in-house software that continuously monitors the ship’s power requirements and seamlessly juggles the four different power sources (solar, battery, fuel cell and wing sails). The captain selects the speed and heading and the computer works out the rest, leaving guests to revel in the carbon-free, near-silent progress.

The first Alva Ocean Eco 90 H2 is being fitted out for both private and commercial use as a fully coded charter yacht. Based in the Med, it will feature a lavish owners’ suite with a study, walk-in wardrobe and bathroom, and three further double guest cabins, all with their own ensuites.

The exact price of the build remains confidential but a standard Alva Ocean 90 with a solar electric drivetrain and diesel range-extenders starts at around €7 million ex taxes.

Alva Ocean Eco 90 specifications

LOA: 90ft 1in (27.50m)
Beam: 35ft 9in (13.98m)
Draft: 3ft 10in (1.2m)
Displacement: 85 tonnes (light)
Motors: 2 x 480kW electric
Battery: 500kWh lithium ion
Solar panels: 40kWp
Fuel cell: 70kW hydrogen
Wingsails: Ayro Oceanwings
Max speed: 12 knots
Range: Unlimited @ 3-4 knots

This article Alva Ocean Eco 90 H2: The 90ft superyacht that uses no fossil fuels at all appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

Created on the basis of BAR’s America’s Cup simulation and design expertise, the SpiritBARTech35EF is a purpose-built electric boat with a trio of active retractable foils to help minimise drag.

Fabricated from solid titanium, those foils comprise a single T-foil rudder aft for controlling the pitch and yaw. They also include twin legs and single bar forward, with port and starboard aileron-style trim tabs to control roll.

They are a development of various active systems developed by BAR Technologies over the past decade, including Sir Ben Ainslie’s extreme-foiling America’s Cup racers and the foil-assisted Princess R35 sportsboat, which was unveiled in 2018.

Game-changing performance?

With a beam of just 7ft 6in (2.3m), the SpiritBARTech35EF uses a relatively narrow design and a modified deep-vee hull with a fine entry, a single step amidships and a flattened off transom.

Rising from the water at around 14 knots, the flying attitude is adjusted automatically via an IMU that takes inputs from various ride sensors.

Designed to power over swells of up to 5ft (1.5m) in height, she is reportedly capable of a top speed of 30 knots, alongside a range of 100Nm at a cruising speed of 22 knots.

However, with the foils retracted for displacement speed cruising in shoal waters or berthing, the normal draught should be little more than a foot (0.3m).

Modern tech – classical design

Above the water line, the Spirit Yachts’ design is sleek but powerfully classical. Built from cold-moulded wood with a carbon fibre reinforced shell, the structure of the new 35ft electric flyer weighs just a tonne.

The hull’s ring frames and planking are made from Alaskan yellow cedar and the topsides use a decorative layer of African sipo finished with a stunning high-gloss lacquer.

On the inside, owners are able to open up an intimate six-seat cockpit or to close it off with elegant cowls for a more sporting two-seat spider-style experience.

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Karen Underwood of Spirit Yachts said: “Our collaboration with BAR Technologies is the epitome of the modern classic ethos on which Spirit Yachts was founded.

“Beautiful, clean, classic lines and sustainable timber construction, married with forward-thinking technology from BAR. The 35EF is an exciting new opportunity for anyone looking for a stand-out performance yacht with serious style.”

The future of electric foilers?

This limited edition electric flyer will be the first in a series of boats BAR Technologies will design in its bid to create a greener generation of leisure yachts – and John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies, is excited about what the new electric flyer represents:

“It is a proud moment for us to bring this beautiful boat to market. We firmly believe that the future of this sector will be defined by developments in the sustainability and efficiency of vessels. In particular, we recognise that there are new hull forms that can be designed to achieve this and we want to be at the forefront of this development.”

SpiritBARTech35EF specifications

LOA: 34ft 5in / 10.5m
Beam: 7ft7in / 2.3m
Displacement: 2,400kg / 5,291lbs
Top speed: 28 knots / 32mph
Range: 100nm @ 22 knots
Price: “Reassuringly expensive”

This article Spirit Yachts launches spectacular long-range electric flying boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.

At 43ft 2in with a beam of 14ft 10in, the ICON is certainly a sizeable platform, but it uses hydrofoils to elevate the hull and to help reduce energy demands.

In this case, that energy is supplied by six 42kWh batteries from the BMW i3. Coupled with a pair of 100 kW electric motors, that ought to deliver a claimed range of more than 50 nautical miles at 24 knots and a maximum speed of 30 knots.

BMW electric boat: living space

As you might expect, Tyde is claiming “silent cruising without vibrations, jolts or wave impact” but what really hits home about the new BMW boat is its internal design.

The body of the watercraft comprises a flat hull with a prism-like deck shape and a full-beam space toward the stern. That’s all wrapped in an elevated “origami” superstructure, built from glass for extraordinary all-round views and easy standing headroom.

While privacy doesn’t seem to be a strength, style certainly is. In addition to its prismatic windows and roof surfaces, the body that supports the glass walls uses a two-tone turquoise colour scheme that is inspired by the colours of the sea.

BMW-style helm station

The helm station looks equally well considered. Centrally located with a dash arrangement very much in the modern BMW style, all functions are combined into a single 32-inch touchscreen display.

Again, that digital interface has the look and feel of the BMW iDrive operating system. And in addition to essential functions like range information and weather reports, the lights and ambient temperature can also be arranged by voice control.

ICON party zone

Designed as “a social meeting place” the ICON features artfully designed furniture, formed from metal sheets with a grainy surface to help reflect sunlight onto the floor “like waves on the sea”. 

The 360° rotating seats can be easily arranged for sociable gatherings and the tablet infotainment system enables you to organise your tunes from anywhere on the boat.

That music is delivered via a Dolby Atmos system and apparently, Hollywood composer, Hans Zimmer, is the man behind the ICON’s exclusive on board soundtrack.

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According to its builders, the job of the new BMW-inspired ICON electric boat is now to “inspire CO2 -free mobility at sea – without environmental pollution, without noise, but with maximum comfort”.

It’s likely that its style and deck layout will split opinion. But as a zero-emissions day boating platform with premium automotive credibility, the new ICON electric boat is going to be very tough to ignore.

This article BMW launches new ICON electric boat appeared first on Motor Boat & Yachting.