Electric-Powered Silent 60 Catamaran Packs 42 Solar Panels and a Giant Kite Wing
Eco-friendly watercraft seem to be the hottest new thing, and Silent Yachts’ solar-powered mobility alternatives are already becoming popular among boat enthusiasts.
Recently, the Austrian-based builder unveiled its latest addition to its green fleet of catamarans. Dubbed the Silent 60, this watercraft packs some solid solar power and an automatic towing kite.
Recently launched in Thailand, this solar electric catamaran is the next generation of the Silent 64, the brand’s first solar-powered yacht. While the exterior highlights a new hull shape with a long waterline and a reverse bow, its signature features, such as the long window stripes on the sidewall of the hull and a wider window surface, were retained.
It’s an 18-meter-long (59 ft) catamaran powered by two 50 kW electric motors in cruise mode. For additional power, it can switch between another two options: e-power and e-power+.
The most powerful propulsion mode combines 340 kW motors with a 286 kW lithium battery bank, being able to reach from the 6-8 knots cruising speed to a top 20 knots maximum speed.
Designed with 42 solar panels, it’s even greener than its older sibling, being able to ensure a 17 kWp solar power regeneration. Perhaps its most outstanding feature is the kite wing that, according to Silent, does not require a big mast as conventional yachts do.
When not used, the entire kite system can be stored in a dedicated compartment under the front deck. Plus, this fully automatic kite produces up to ten times the power per square meter of a conventional sail. That’s enough juice for a transoceanic range.
In addition to the kite-sail system, the Silent 60 sports an optional hydraulic platform that allows the possibility to upgrade the tender from 3.8 m to 4.2 m in length (12.46 to 13.77 ft).
The yacht is equipped with a storage unit under the bridge deck that can accommodate a tender or a small sailboat and several kayaks. In terms of interior distribution, the yacht has a flexible layout, as it can be equipped with up to five cabins which include the main saloon and four guest cabins.
According to Robb Report, this is the first unit of the eight Silent 60 hulls currently under construction. To date, the company has already received 17 orders for the solar-powered catamaran.
Source: autoevolution
