The 43.3-metre motoryacht Baltic 142 Custom from Finnish shipyard Baltic Yachts is currently preparing for her launch in the coming spring. According to Boat International, the vessel is already equipped with «box» for retractable foils that will play the role of a dynamic stabilization system. The nine-meter-wide foils themselves will be delivered into the dock after the New Year. At that time they will be installed under the owner's cabin in the middle of the hull.
So as not to waste time, the correctness of the system has been tested on fake hydrofoils.
This innovative system has been developed in cooperation with GordonKay from Infiniti Performance Yachts. Also contributing to the creation of the foils were the engineers of the America's Cup «» from BAR Technologies, who are currently working with INEOS, the British team participating in the 36th Cup.
The system is not surprising when it comes to small sailboats. But for larger superyachts it has never been attempted before. To cope with foils of this size and the anticipated 140 tons load on the leeward bearings when they are deployed, an electric Harken winch with a lifting capacity of 20 tons has been fitted. This will allow the foils to be safely unfolded at the push of a button in any situation. It is expected that the speed of Baltic 142 Custom will increase by 5-20% depending on weather conditions.
According to Gordon Kay, foil technology has been taken to a new level with the Baltic 142 Custom project.
Britton Ward , vice president of Farr Yacht Design, which is responsible for the boat's naval architecture and exterior, also added that the vessel will be able to sail at wind speed. And this is not a figure of speech.
The creators expect that Baltic 142 Custom will be able to accelerate to the same speed as a true wind.
Not only the foils will be retractable, the keel will be retractable. Thanks to it, the draft of the boat will vary from 3.8 to 6.5 meters.
In no wind conditions she will be driven by the Visedo or Cummins propulsion systems. Also on board are two electric generators and a lithium-ion battery that will allow the boat to sail in quiet mode for a long time.
A special feature of the sailing equipment, however, will be that, unlike small sports yachts, the mainsail on the Baltic 142 Custom will be «square» gaff rather than«triangular» bermuda.
In addition to the master stateroom, there will be one VIP cabin and one guest cabin forward for passengers. A further three cabins aft are dedicated to the crew. All interiors on the boat were designed by Lucio Micheletti together with Baltic Yachts designers.
Although the covered cockpit of the Baltic 142 Custom is glazed, its windows will be fitted with an electric lift. Letting the wind roam freely in this shaded seating area or, alternatively, shutting it out will be possible simply by pushing a button.
