Find out more about a stylish new foiling craft that represents a fusion of maritime, automotive and aviation expertise and, its designers claim, offers sportscar performance on the water.
Created out of a desire to design the future of inland water transportation, the Italian Futur-E is a high-performance vessel intended to replace limo tenders on large ships, transporting passengers to and from the shore. With a cutting-edge design by Centrostiledesign, the Futur-E’s most striking feature is its innovative foiling system, which offers responsive control and high levels of ride comfort. Powered by a choice of electric or ICE outboard (both from Mercury Marine), the Futur-E has recently undergone testing, with the next project milestone to partner with a shipyard to produce the boat in series. Read on for more on this remarkable-looking vessel…
The Futur-E’s structure is built from carbon fiber – but in a bid to improve the boat’s eco credentials, this fiber is 100% recycled, as are the craft’s structural foam reinforcements. The foils and rudders are also manufactured from carbon fiber.
The foils lift the Futur-E’s hull out of the water. This reduces wave creation and creates a smooth ride that is not only more comfortable for passengers but also more efficient. This reduces the amount of energy required to power the craft, and enables the Futur-E to travel on rougher waters with reduced drag.
The Futur-E combines technologies from the boating, aviation and automotive sectors, and sports an integrated kinematic system akin to Formula 1 suspension. Using electrohydraulic actuators, the vessel’s foils move independently under the control of a single control unit, equipped with a gyroscope.
As the Futur-E’s speed increases, the foils start to lift the craft out of the water. At 8kts, the vessel enters ‘foil-assisted’ mode, and at 16kts it goes into ‘full foiling’ mode.
In extreme conditions, the foils can be retracted.
The craft’s design means there are no openings on the inside of the hull, so maintenance can be performed even when the Futur-E is on the water.
An advanced gyro system monitors the boat’s performance at different speeds, processing large amounts of force data for each foil. Independent control of the foil makes it possible to offer highly responsive operational control. The integrated kinematic system is able to simultaneously manage the cant of the foils and the rake.
The craft features 12V solar panels and a solar charger.
The combination of electric propulsion system and foils means the amount of noise generated during navigation is greatly reduced.
