It reaches high speeds without generators of any kind and has capacity for 12 people
Barcelona is manufacturing the first catamaran with an automated electric sail (wingsailin English) and with zero emissions, promoted by the company Zen Yachts. This is yet another advance in the line of ecological yachts that are gradually becoming established in this elite nautical segment. Famous athletes, businessmen and celebrities are increasingly betting on sustainable yachts, taking into account that many times these recreational boats reach very considerable lengths and are, therefore, important sources of polluting emissions into the atmosphere.
The ZEN50 is called to set a trend, since it is a truly sustainable boat. The author of its design is the naval architect Julien Mélot, specialized in ecological boats, such as the Surya Namaska, the first traditional Indonesian boat powered by solar energy. In the case of this new luxury yacht, it has a huge sail that works automatically, from a touch screen, and also has an ultra-efficient sunroof which obtains the necessary energy for the boat, without the need to have any generator set on board and, therefore, guaranteeing zero emissions.
It has the capacity to accommodate 12 passengers and its price ranges between 1.5 and 2.5 million euros, depending on the version in question.
The automated sail, an OceanWings 3.2, manufactured by Ayro, makes this catamaran the first mass-produced in the world equipped with this innovative element. It was initially developed for Team Oracle to play in the 2010 Copa América and over the last few years it has evolved to make it more effective.
A fully autonomous sail
The fact that the sail is automated does not only mean that it raises and lowers itself, but that it has integrated sensors that read the speed and direction of the wind and, therefore, automatically choose the best angle of attack and the precise tilt to ensure the advance of the boat.
The catamaran has an electric motor, of course. The lithium battery banks offer 160 Kwh and power a silent double electric propulsion motor, capable of reaching 14 knots, working together with the sail.
The manufacturer ensures that, according to the simulations carried out with different states of the sea and meteorological conditions, “the ZEN50 is capable of reaching high performance catamaran speeds continuously without the need to use generator sets & rdquor;. This is precisely the difference with other ships that claim to be sustainable, but that supplement their sources of clean energy with oil-powered generators.
As for the roof of photovoltaic solar panels, it offers a maximum power of 17,000 w, which moves the 16 tons that the catamaran weighs, which means 1 kW per ton of water displaced, thus surpassing the performance of any other yacht of this size.
Just a row of powerful spotlights pointing into the water detracts from the boat’s sustainable vocation, since they are a source of light pollution that harms marine species.
The two hulls of the ship, built in carbon fiber and corecell, are designed to achieve maximum efficiency, and also present high resistance and low weight.
Yacht information and specifications at: https://www.zenyachts.com/zen50
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