The new Candela 7 all-electric foiling boat from a Swedish builder seems like a breakthrough on several fronts. First, it has a 30-knot top speed, unusual for an all-electric boat. Second, it has a range of more than 50-nm at 22 knots, also unusual for an electric boat. And the foils, controlled by a custom-designed flight controller with more than 90,000 lines of code, provide a smooth and stable ride, even in less than ideal sea conditions. (See the Candela in action in the video below.)
Candela has been in business in Stockholm since 2014, and it’s been working on the 25-foot Candela 7 for the past two years, fine-tuning the foils and the ride. The company displayed the boat at the Düsseldorf show this past January, where it got a lot of attention. Since then, Candela has delivered boats to 12 owners in six countries. It plans to make 30 more this year.
And Candela just made a deal with Denison Yachting, the highly regarded American dealer with 22 offices across the country, to sell the Candela 7 in the U.S. “We look forward to getting American customers on the boat,” says Gustav Hasselskog, the Candela founder and CEO. “Once you’ve flown above the waves silently, it’s hard to go back to planing boats.”
The Candela 7 comes in as a lightweight. It’s made of carbon fiber and weighs just 2,860 pounds. It’s powered by a 55kW electric motor. The foils deploy when the boat hits about 17 knots, and they lift the hull above the water so that it has almost no resistance or drag.
For shallow water, the foils can be retracted fully into the hull and the motor can be tilted up so the boat draws only 1’ 3”.
For its part, Denison regards the Candela 7 as a technological leap forward. “Not only is owning a Candela Hydrofoiling Electric Boat fun,” says Tony Smith of Denison, “but it’s also a statement about embracing innovation and looking to the future.”
Specs.: LOA: 25’0”; Beam: 7’10”; Draft: 1’3” in shallow-water mode, 1’8” when foiling, and 3’11” with foils extended; Disp.: 2,860 lbs.; Power: 1x55kW electric.
