VPLP Design Seaffinity Revealed as Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trimaran of the Future

Folks, the ship you have before you is a concept from VPLP design, a French team with an innate ability to design boats and yachts of any kind. From monohull to trimarans and everything in between, if it floats, VPLP probably knows a thing or two about it.

The Seaffinity, as I mentioned, is a conceptual design, and one that takes its inspiration from a very common occurrence at sea, seagulls. Why this bird? Well, there’s really no mention as to why exactly, but looking closely at the bird in flight, you can easily understand the resemblance in shape.

However, it’s this sort of winged design that makes trimarans so sought after. A few things happen when you develop or build a trimaran. The first is that of yielding an efficient design that is known to increase fuel efficiency by up to 40%.

This is achieved in part because a trimaran hull design has a smaller surface area that touches water, depending on the ship’s size of course. Less contact means less drag meaning less fuel needed to move the ship.

Speaking of fuel, what will make the Seaffinity so appealing to would-be clients is that it’s designed to include a hybrid engine that operates on electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell. If coupled with a few solar panels, owners will be looking at some very reduced costs.

Now, as you can clearly see there’s also a set of sails on the Seaffinity. This feature alone ensures a near-zero cost to operate the ship. Beyond cost, sails also ensure a quiet experience, and one that is, again, more beneficial to the environment than your classic diesel engines.

Another aspect that benefits from a trimaran design is space, and lots of it. With the addition of the smaller exterior hulls, designers can extend deck space over a much larger surface area. This space is then loaded with rooms, activities, features, and luxuries worthy of the millionaire or billionaire lifestyle.

As for the interior of this yacht, VPLP have not yet revealed any ideas. Why? Well, this aspect is usually left to the eventual owner, after all, they’ll be the ones living aboard the ship. But, a few spaces can be seen in the images in the gallery.

The ship does come in with a length of 45 meters (147.6 feet) and beam of 16.8 meters (55 feet). This creates space that should be more than enough for about ten folks to live lavishly, including crew members. One clear area is the aft beach deck that wraps around the rear of the ship, and the massive aft space on the main deck.

The main deck features a wrap-around style revealing space large enough for alfresco dining, dancing, and lounging all at once. The beach deck also offers access into the main hull of the ship where sleeping and/or living quarters could be present. Hydraulic platforms that unfold from the side hulls are also in place to be used for diving activities or just to have a private dinner with your plus one.

The main deck, on the other hand, seems to be a space meant for socializing as it looks to be set up as one large hall. Of course, owner’s will be able to use this space to include a theater room, bar, lounges, maybe even a spa and gym center.

Now, this vessel has just been revealed to the world, so a price hasn’t been set yet. But in the end, if someone does commission this ship, be sure that they’ll be paying in the tens of millions of dollars for it. After all, hydrogen, eco-friendly, luxury, and exclusive lifestyle, are all things that cost a pretty penny.