VIDEO: World’s first 165ft ‘suspended’ catamaran

Servo Yachts has unveiled the Martini 7.0, a 165-foot catamaran yacht with a suspended design that aims to combat motion sickness.

The Martini 7.0 incorporates marine stabilisation techniques that are said to allow the yacht to glide more smoothly through the water, avoiding the kinds of motion that typically cause passengers to become seasick. The company’s electric suspension technology reacts in real-time to the sea’s movement, while the dual hulls manage and absorb the roll, pitch and heave motions induced by the ocean.

Servo Yachts’ Martini 7.0 was designed in conjunction with Shuttleworth Design, an award-winning, UK-based design consultancy. The technology has been in development for over eight years and the Martini 7.0 is the next generation of a series of smaller prototype vessels, ranging from 17ft to 45ft, that have been developed and tested in San Francisco Bay. The company says a variety of solutions have been explored and tested, including the Martini 6.0, a concept for a 150-foot high-speed catamaran yacht.

See the 37ft Martini 1.5 prototype in operation:

Servo Yachts was founded by David Hall, founder of Velodyne Lidar, where he invented the 3D lidar vision system that prompted the development of autonomous vehicles, lidar companies and advanced robotics.

Hall comments: “Growing up, I spent my summers on my grandfather’s boat, where I developed a deep appreciation for marine travel. My grandfather, who was an engineer and scientist, encouraged my pursuit of invention and the sciences, which led me to spend more than 35 years in the field trying to combine mechanical and electrical engineering fundamentals to create solutions to problems we once thought were unsolvable.

“With the Martini 7.0, I believe we have found a way to solve seasickness and significantly improve the sailing experience so that everyone can enjoy traveling on the ocean. I am very excited for Servo Yachts to continue to push the boundaries of marine technology and transform ocean travel. Ideas for better ways to do things are always out there floating around, and it’s up to us to find a way to make it happen.”

According to the United States National Library of Medicine, one in three people are considered highly susceptible to motion sickness. However, almost everyone will become motion sick if exposed to intense movement.

The Martini 7.0’s unique suspension system connects the main cabin to two dynamic hulls, which adjust to the height and angle of the waves. Servo Yachts says the design causes less drag than traditional yachts, resulting in a remarkably efficient vessel that is not only safe and comfortable, but faster in rough conditions.

A new configuration was designed to maximise accommodation space on the Martini 7.0. The two hulls have been connected by four articulating mechanisms positioned at each corner of the suspended deck, which houses the main accommodation. A combination of pneumatic and electric rams adjust in real-time to keep the deck in a level position to control and safely absorb the roll, pitch and heave motions induced by the sea. The patented suspension technology enables up to 12ft of vertical travel in each hull. The result is said to be a vessel that can move at high speed through an ocean swell with virtually no motion in the suspended deck where the crew and guests are located.

The Martini 7.0’s suspension system adjusts to feedback received in real-time based on a computer-automated electro-mechanical system. This technology is an active method and Servo Yachts says it’s more effective than current passive marine stabilisation devices which take more time to react to the motion of the sea. The Martini 7.0’s system requires very little power and no warm-up time or complex vacuum systems, making it the most immediate, effective and safe option available.

As well as providing total stabilisation, the system also has the ability to sync the motion of the suspended deck with another moving target, including when docking alongside a larger ship or recovering a smaller vessel at sea.

Orion Shuttleworth, managing director and owner of Shuttleworth Design, says: “We are proud to work with David at Servo Yachts to design a new generation of seagoing vessels. It is exciting how his suspension technology can be applied to any type of marine craft for the advantage of many industries. We will see these on superyachts, day and work boats, ferries, navy transport craft, offshore transfer and Coast Guard search and rescue vessels, and more.”