Naval architects Mathis Ruhl Architecture Navale have developed a revolutionary concept for the sailing superyacht R77. The vessel was designed for a clearly defined customer objective: to create a large sailing vessel capable of passing through the Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The passage height for ships in the Panama Canal is 57.91 meters, in exceptional cases 62.5 meters, provided the passage is made in low water. This imposes restrictions on the height of masts for sailing yachts.
The result is a revolutionary spars configuration which Mathis Ruhl Architecture Navale has even patented. The deck layouts had to be adapted accordingly.
Mathis Rule himself thinks that the design could be especially interesting for commercial applications, where wind power could be used instead of environmentally unfriendly and expensive fuel.