Xquisite Yachts, the South African company, is now building its new hybrid 60 power catamaran, designed to cruise the oceans of the world, in Portugal. The first two hulls have already been sold, and the first will be delivered next year.
Xquisite worked with Dixon Yacht Design for two years to develop the new 60, with solar/electric/diesel propulsion. The 60 follows the successful debut of the company’s 40 power cat, also designed by Dixon, at the Miami show in February. Xquisite was founded in 2014 to build sail and power cats “for adventurers who wish to explore our oceans without giving up their lifestyle.”
An elegant cruising yacht, the 60 has three staterooms with en suite heads for six guests. If the owner wants a crew, there’s a crew cabin aft with a separate entrance from the cockpit, with a head and shower. If the owner doesn’t want a crew, this area becomes a large utility room, with a washer and dryer and a tool cabinet, but there’s still a fold-down bunk over the workbench for a temporary crew or extra guest.
Standard diesel power comes from twin 550-hp Volvo IPS700 pod drives, but the advanced hybrid propulsion system starts with an E-motion variable-speed generator working with a lithium battery pack and electric engines. An immense array of solar panels on top of the T-top and a separate Bimini aft charges the batteries when the sun is out. At anchor, the generator can charge the batteries in less than an hour.
The boat can operate under silent electric power, with no fossil-fuel emissions, at slow speeds around a harbor or an anchorage. The captain can switch to diesel power for more speed at any time. The diesels also charge the batteries.
We’ll be following the production and launching of the Xquisite 60 for more details.
Specs.: LOA: 60’8”; Beam: 26’8”; Draft: 3’9”; Disp.: 83,775 lbs.; Fuel: NA; Water: 264 gals.; Power: 2×550-hp Volvo IPS700 pod drives.
Read more at http://xquisiteyachts.com and see the video below:
