Clockwisefromabove:
tank-testing for the
Infiniti 100S; the foils on
Maverickare housed
insheathsinthebow;
testing foils at the
Wolfson Unitdifficulty of living for days on end at a 22 to
24-degree angle of heel. We found this especially
tiring and I wanted more comfort in my next
boat.” Canova was sold in 2015 and research into
a larger yacht began almost immediately.
While the basic requirements didn’t change,
the owner specified a whole range of interesting
new features, including a powerful diesel-electric
drivetrain, a sophisticated electrical system that
would incorporate batteries and a shaft generator
to deliver 10 hours of silence, a reduced reliance
on hydraulics and an easy-to-handle sailplan. In
today’s sophisticated world of yacht design these
were not huge demands and he returned to his
trusted friends at Baltic Yachts where, together,
they selected Farr Yacht Design to create the new
carbon-hulled Baltic 142 Custom.
But one aspect, explains her owner, was
to be totally revolutionary. “I had become
interested in the DSS foil that had proven
successful in smaller racing yachts and
I thought it might solve my comfort needs
with its ability to significantly reduce both angle-
of-heel and pitching. Farr were already aware of
the technology and Baltic did not seem averse to
it, so we asked them to investigate whether it
would work for us.”
Henry Hawkins, CEO of Baltic Yachts,
continues the story. “We knew of the technology,”
he says, “and we were enthusiastic to incorporate
it, but because a foil would impact on the yacht’s
whole structure, its layout and its rigging, we
had to make absolutely sure it would work.
Together with Farr, we ran some very advanced
prediction programs and the more we saw, the
more we liked the idea. The only downside was
its perceived complexity and, of course, the
added cost, but not only did the VPPs confirm
that the foil would enhance comfort, they also
indicated that, when deployed, performance
could be improved by between five and 20 per
cent depending on conditions.”
With these exciting findings presented to the
owner, the decision to incorporate the foil was
soon taken and both Welbourn and Kay joined
the Baltic design team as advisers. Down the line,
BAR Systems, which had worked on Ben
Ainslie’s America’s Cup foils, was taken on to
engineer the bearings for the Baltic-designed
DSS drive mechanism, while the construction of
the whole DSS pod was subcontracted to thespecialist French engineering firm Isotop.
Push-button operated, the system will
use a single captive winch to extend the foil
6.5 metres from the yacht’s leeward side, running
on four sets of 25 composite roller-bearings set in
titanium housings. Baltic’s head of research and
development, Roland Kasslin, explains: “This
pod, built as a plug-in cassette, carries a 9 metre
long foil and is incorporated into the yacht’s
mid-sections just below the waterline, where its
position beneath the master cabin will have little
or no impact on useful internal volume.”
The eagerly awaited launch is on schedule for
2019, when we will be able to experience
the efectiveness of this new technology. Baltic
is also examining a proposal for an Infiniti
32 metre DSS-equipped cruiser-racer, while
Welbourn is working on a design for an
18 metre cruising yacht with a DSS foil.
So is this the future for cruising superyachts?
Hawkins’ answer is interesting: “I’m as confident
as anyone can be that the DSS will work well, and
I have a sneaking suspicion that it will change
future designs. As more people examine the
concept there will be new developments and new
possibilities. As for the added cost, well, it should
make a yacht more comfortable to sail and people
are prepared to pay for such luxury.” Overall, I
think that’s a yes.BWatch
32m trimaran
Edmond De
Rothschildfoiling
on her sea trials
boatint.com/foilingA rendering showing
the DSS foil on the in-
build Baltic 142 Custom173