Rupert Holmes is set to unveil a new catamaran with an innovative wingsail and a vast solar array for sustainable cruising, the Zen 50
It's not every day you see a boat with wingsail rigs, but Zero Emission Nautic has gone further than most with its Zen50,Because of the desire to use as much surface area as possible for solar panels, plus an innovative wingsail rig that has its origins in America’s Cup technology.
This boat might be easy to dismiss as one that’s not a ‘proper’ yacht, but the history of yacht design tells us shapes that were once considered unacceptable are often eventually adopted into the mainstream. This boat may yet be more representative of the future of cruising yachts than many of us are comfortable with right now!
The collapsible OceanWings wingsail concept was originally developed for Team Oracle in the 2010 America’s Cup. Since then it has been further developed and automated by French raceboat design office VPLP.
Wanting to push the boundaries of what is possible for a cruising yacht is what really makes this design stand out from others on the market today?
See it’s specification
Zen50 specifications
LOA: 15.70m / 51ft 6in
Beam: 8.40m / 27ft 7in
Draught: 1.30m / 4ft 4in
Displacement: 16,000kg / 35,280lb
Price: from approx US$2,000,000
Builder: zenyachts.com
So what do you think of this innovation?
Media Gallery