Sunreef Undergoes Building Phase of All-Electric 80 Eco Luxury Catamaran

March 11, 2021 was the day Sunreef announced they have begun building a third all-electric catamaran, the 80 Eco. The team has already launched two vessels from this family, but the 80 is the largest of the bunch. Time to get acquainted.

If you don’t know anything about Sunreef, they’ve been around since 2002, with their first ship, the 74 CHE, seeing its launch in 2003. Since then, the team, led by Founder and CEO Francis Lapp, has come to be responsible for over 140 yachts worldwide. Some of those vessels use combustion for power, others like the 80 Eco, rely on an array of features to harness energy from the world around.

The main architecture this crew normally follows is that of a catamaran design, and the 80 is no exception. A split hull such as this is usually meant for vessels that cruise calm waters, but the 80, along with other Sunreefs, are meant to take the beating of transoceanic travel. A length of 23.87 meters (78.3 feet) renders the 80 its name.

What makes the vessel so special is that it’s an all-electric ship. To top it all off, it even has autonomous capabilities. Because it’s meant to be fully electric, be sure to find a huge battery array. A lithium battery pack, nearly the size of the wheelhouse, is hidden underneath the main deck. It’s here that electrical energy is to be stored and accessed.

But where are you going to get all that energy to recharge such a massive battery and ensure you’ll keep going? Simple, solar panels. Engineered and produced in-house, the 80 is covered in a solar skin consisting of some of the world’s lightest solar cells. Where can you find them? On nearly every inch of the ship’s surface. Hull sides, superstructure, and even the carbon mast, are all covered in the skin; 150 square meters (1,614 square feet) in total, delivers 34 kWp of energy.

However, that’s not all the power-producing facilities the 80 includes. To give you a hint, Francis Lapp has this to add, “The Sunreef 80 Eco is all about responsible sailing and relying on renewable energy. We are now pairing the industry’s most innovative solar power system with hydro generation. On top of that, the yacht will be able to save massive amounts of energy thanks to an air conditioning system available exclusively on Sunreef Yachts catamarans.”

When no wind is available, the catamaran will be powered by two 180 kW (241 hp) electric motors. While under sail, the 80 will recover energy from propeller rotations through its hydro generation system. Energy captured through this system will be able to generate 15 kWh of power if you’re sailing above a seven-knot speed. More energy will be generated by the wind turbines found aft.

One thing to remember is that the 80 is a luxury vessel. Aboard, you’ll be able to find furnishings like the interior aboard the 60 Eco. Why? Well, just look at it. What more could you want? Wood flooring balanced by velvet and upholstery and accented by LED lighting found in the floor will invite you to just lay around and do nothing. Semi-precious metals and a white-wall interior balances the near-black exterior.

Even though the 80 doesn’t allow for the largest rooms on the market, the level of taste and luxury will help you quickly forget about the size of the rooms. The bathrooms too, seem to bring their own signature design and help offer a soft tone for your half-asleep eyes to look at; gun-metal grey.

Personally, I don’t even care what the interior looks like. The fact that this vessel, and its family members, can travel using only power harnessed from the world around, is just mind-blowing.

via GIPHY