WHEN THE FORMULA 1 of sailing returned to San Francisco for the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix, the French team had an ace up its sleeve: Candela C-7, the world’s first electric hydrofoil chase boat, which might help them score in the new Impact league.
The 50-foot catamarans of the international sailing league SailGP fly across the water at speeds up to 40 knots.
For the first time the flying catamarans were accompanied by an equally elevated chase boat: a Swedish-made Candela C 7 electric hydrofoil craft, which was used by France SailGP Team’s VIP guests and media to watch the races.
Just like the F50’s, the Candela is built from 100% carbon fiber. The hydrofoils give the C-7 longer range than any other conventional electric craft, allowing Candela C-7 to cruise for close to 2 hours at 25 knots, more than enough to cover the racecourse.
On Team France’s F50 cutting-edge catamaran, multihull expert François Morvan has the demanding and tricky role of flight controller – that is keeping the boat fast and flying at the right height by manually adjusting
dials that control the roll, the differential of the rudders, and average rudder lift.
In the Candela, the controls are managed by computers, much like in other inherently unstable craft, like modern fighter jets. The computers regulate the C-7’s main hydrofoil 100 times per second, much faster than any human could react.
The result is an artificially stable and smooth ride. Not quite the adrenaline rush of the F50’s, but also absent from the spectacular crashes Sail GP is known for.
In the end, the Swedish-made hydrofoil might actually help the French score some points. The newly introduced Impact league tracks the positive actions
that teams take to reduce their overall carbon footprint, helping to accelerate inclusivity in sailing. At the end of the season there will be two podiums; the winner of the Impact League crowned alongside the Season Champion.
Candela’s mission is to speed up the transition to fossil fuel-free lakes and oceans. Candela C-7 is the world’s first electric hydrofoil boat in serial production. Combining long range, high speed and a silent drive train, C-7 is the first electric boat that can outperform fossil fuel powerboats.
