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Construction of the solar-powered catamaran SILENT 79 has started

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The Austrian shipyard SILENT-YACHTS has begun construction of the first three 24-meter solar-powered SILENT 79 ocean catamarans at its facility in Marotta, Italy. Based on the design concept of Michael Köhler, founder and CEO of SILENT-YACHTS, the project has been developed by Marco Casali from Too Design and the naval architecture by Enrique Castilla from Insenaval. SILENT 79 will be the flagship of the range.

SILENT 79 could be considered a new step in the evolution of the previous models. Its design, although with a lot of similarities to its smaller brother-in-law, the SILENT 55, will also feature design elements.

«Solar panels require a large surface area. The challenge was to free up as much space as possible while keeping the silhouette of the catamaran as harmonious as possible. I think we succeeded. I tried to create an interesting Italian design: refined and noble. It's a yacht that looks good and at the same time is practical," says Marco Casali.».

The hull of the catamaran will be cast and built using the vacuum infusion method. This will make the fiberglass sandwich lighter and improve its sound and thermal insulation qualities.

The design of the SILENT 79 exterior emphasises straight lines and large windows. On the one hand, the glazing allows a panoramic view of the sea from the cockpit and on the other hand, this also prevents the need for additional artificial lighting. The cockpit on the aft main deck will feature a bar in addition to the standard lounge area. However, the beach club area will be located forward on the main deck.

The layout of each catamaran cabin will differ from owner to owner. In the standard layout, the width of the saloon will be almost 11 meters. Inside there will be a galley, a relaxation area and a dining area. Four to six guest cabins and two crew cabins of two to three persons each will be provided on the lower deck. However, on the first boat under construction, the layout has been changed so that the two aft guest cabins will be the owner's suite with a spacious living room, study and sauna.

All cabins of «green» will be of course finished with recyclable materials. The authors of the project promise minimalist, ergonomic and at the same time luxurious interior design.

Solar panels will occupy the roof above the saloon and cockpit. Additionally, they will be located on the roof of the unglazed captain's bridge that resembles a sports car spoiler. A total of 70 high-efficiency panels capable of generating up to 25kV with the most advanced MPPT type charge controllers («maximum power point tracking», «maximum power point tracking») will be installed on the SILENT 79. Lithium batteries, similar to those used by Tesla, will keep you running at night. The 15kVA voltage inverters will supply electricity for the crew and guests of the yacht.

A generator is to be used only in extreme cases to recharge the batteries when a long distance journey at high speed is required or in cloudy weather for a few days. No generator is needed to cook or run the air conditioning while parked on the SILENT 79.

With absolute silence and without fuel assistance, a catamaran can travel up to 100 nautical miles per day at 6-7 knots. The maximum speed she will be able to reach is 20 knots.

«The boat will be propelled by a pair of electric motors, 50kW each in standard» cruising version or 250kW each in E-Power version. Apart from quiet and emission-free operation, they also feature low vibration levels. On request, the SILENT 79 can also be operated as a hybrid with two 220 hp diesel engines.

In the non-hybrid version, SILENT 79's power system will be as simple and maintenance-free as possible, allowing the catamaran to operate autonomously. This will significantly reduce its cost compared to its diesel counterparts. The base price of the SILENT 79 is 3.4 million euros.

Since the catamaran does not need an engine room, it boasts the largest tender garage in its class. There is enough space for a 4.5 metre boat, an amphibious vehicle and a gyrocopter on floats.

Two of the three catamarans under construction have already found their owners. The first launch of SILENT 79 is scheduled for 2020.

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