Spirit Yachts and BAR Technologies just launched their classic, retro-styled 35-foot foiling boat with a range of 100 nm at its cruising speed of 22 knots. The companies say that is the longest range for an electric boat yet. Top speed is 30 knots.
Spirit built the new SpiritBARTech35EF at its yard in Ipswich, UK, while BAR used its America’s Cup experience to design the hull and develop both the foiling technology and electric powertrain. (BAR worked with Sir Ben Ainslie’s foiling America’s Cup boats.)
The 35 has a narrow, 7’ 6” beam and a modified deep-V hull with a fine entry, a single step amidships and flattened sections aft. It starts to “fly” at 14 knots and then computers adjust the attitude automatically with input from a series of sensors.
The foils are made from solid titanium. The boat has a single T-rudder foil aft to control pitch and yaw. Twin legs and a single bar are forward; trim tabs are port and starboard to control roll.
The sleek runabout, with a design that echoes the rum runners of almost a century ago, is built with cold-molded wood with a carbon-fiber shell. Hull frames and planking are made with Alaskan yellow cedar; the topsides have a layer of African sipo with a high-gloss lacquer finish. The boat weighs just 5,291 pounds. It seats six people in the cockpit, although it can be refigured as a two-seat racer.
Draft is just 2’ 4” with the foils retracted, so it can navigate shallow water or serve as a head-turning picnic boat. It’s being built as a limited-edition project. Read more at http://sirityachts.com and see the video below:
