Spirit Yachts’ 13m fully electric sailing yacht under construction

Construction of the new 13.4-metre (44-foot) fully electric sailing yacht, the Spirit 44E, has begun at Spirit Yachts’ yard in Suffolk.

Pushing the limits of sustainable yachting, Spirit 44E will be fitted with solar panels and at the owner’s request free of hydrocarbons on-board.

She will feature traditional design elements of other Spirit sailing yachts with low freeboards, long overhangs, flush decks and the yard’s timeless, quality wooden structure.

Two solar panels will be integrated into the aft deck and will colour match the teak, blending with the deck in both aesthetics and alignment.

The panels will charge OceanVolt 48VDC batteries, which will power her Oceanvolt ServoProp15 sail drive. The lightweight electric drive system uses hydro generation via the propeller to regenerate the batteries whilst sailing.

Nigel Stuart, managing director of Spirit Yachts, commented, “Regeneration will depend on sailing speeds but it is realistic to see 1.5kW.  The equivalent energy generated would be boiling a kettle, which is one of the highest power consuming appliances you would find on a yacht, or in your home for that matter.

“With the 44E, we are taking the learnings from the Spirit 111 and applying the same principles to a smaller yacht.  The lack of hydrocarbons and the addition of solar sails will allow us to take a step closer towards creating a completely sustainable yacht.”

Spirit Yachts is working with OneSails GBR (East) to develop a solar solution for the yacht’s sail structure.

John Parker from OneSails GBR (East) explained, “We are exploring the use of the very latest ‘thin cell’ PV panels with the intention of utilising the yacht’s 4T Forte sails and covers as sources of electrical generation.  The work is cutting edge, therefore at this stage a number of the details remain confidential.”

The 4T Forte sails are currently the only sails made from cloth that can be recycled when worn out.

Moving inside, Spirit 44E features a reversible heating/air-conditioning Webasto pump which will heat and cool the yacht using minimal power. All lighting will be LED and a Webasto 4.2 gallon 115v/750W heater will provide hot water.

She will be able to host four guests across two cabins, while a forward twin with ensuite will accommodate the owner’s cabin. A starboard aft cabin will also sleep two guests in twin berths. A fold-down chart table will be built into the forward bulkhead of the guest cabin to maximise space.

Due to launch in early 2020, Spirit 44E's ringframes have recently gone into build.

For more information, visit Spirit Yachts. Sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Yachting Pages delivered direct to your inbox every month.

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