Spirit Yachts goes all-electric for Southampton Boat Show
Yacht designer and builder Spirit Yachts will be displaying two electric drive sailing yachts at this year’s Southampton International Boat Show from 16-25 September 2022.
As part of Spirit Yachts’ drive to lower the carbon footprint of its yachts, the company will be exhibiting a new Spirit 44CR (cruiser racer) and a Spirit 30.
The newly launched 44ft (13.4m) Spirit 44CR has a lightweight (65kg) Oceanvolt ServoProp15 sail drive, which is powered by a battery bank of eight 7.2kWh batteries totalling 57.6kWh in capacity. Weather dependent, the yacht has a range of 53nm at 6 knots. The electric drive system uses hydro generation via the pitch propeller to regenerate the batteries whilst sailing.
Regeneration is boosted by Solbian solar panels integrated into the aft deck. The panels can be colour-customised to suit the yacht and have the capacity to regenerate 430W in total. The total regeneration capability of the Spirit 44CR depends on weather conditions, but Spirit says test sails have seen 1.5kW at 8 knots of sailing speed.
The Spirit 44CR also has OneSails’ 4T Forte sails, which are reportedly the only sails on the market that can be stripped of hardware and recycled at commercial recycling plants.
Spirit Yachts’ second electric drive yacht at the show is the Spirit 30. It has a Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 FP electric drive system powered by lithium-ion batteries and a Torqeedo 650W battery charger, giving a range of 16nm at 5 knots. The batteries are recharged by hydro propulsion, shore power or via solar panels mounted over the cockpit cover.
The Spirit 30 was constructed from responsibly sourced sapele ringframes and Douglas fir planking. In a first for Spirit Yachts, the hull is made watertight using sustainable flax material laid on the timber and sealed using Pro-Set bio-resin.
At 9.15m long with a light displacement of 1.7 tonnes, the Spirit 30 has options for a fixed or lifting keel and rudder. The yacht can also easily be transported on a road trailer, adding to its versatility.
“The 44CR and 30 represent the future of sailing yachts: electric drive, low energy consumption, silent manoeuvring, and they are made from sustainable and recyclable materials,” says Spirit Yachts managing director Karen Underwood. “Not only do both yachts offer a more eco-friendly proposition, their elegant, classic lines turn heads wherever they go and they are a joy to sail.”
Spirit Yachts will be at marina berths M346 and M350 during the 2022 Southampton Boat Show, which is held at Mayflower Park, Southampton.
