100% Solar Powered Silent 55 with Sky Sails debuts at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival

 

SILENT-YACHTS introduces the SILENT 55, a 16,70 m (54.8‘) 100% Solar Powered vessel, at her world debut at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival (September 11-16, 2018).

The SILENT 55 is a production cruising catamaran powered by solar energy. The yacht uses silent electric propulsion for unlimited range, with no noise or fumes and minimal vibration, and is self-sufficient as well as virtually maintenance-free.

The SILENT Advantages include unlimited cruising range, ifetime maintenance-free motors, noiseless and fume-less luxury navigation, no heat build-up, safest Marine Propulsion System, 25-year Solar Panels Warranty, and 10-year Battery Banks Warranty.

The SILENT 55 comes in three versions: Cruiser, E-Power, and Hybrid Power.

Cruiser (2×30 kW) equipement offers noiseless cruising without any emissions, with unlimited range. The sound of the waves is like music in your ears and there is nothing disturbing this feeling. No struggling with the sails, no pesky ropes, and no diesel engine. Significantly lower purchasing price and maintenance costs, nearly no maintenance work, operational costs close to nothing and highest level of security and reliability.

The “E-Power” version (2×250 kW) comes with stronger dual e-motors than the “Cruiser” and more powerful batteries banks. This allows double the power and speed of the “Cruiser version”.

With the “Hybrid Power” version (2×220 HP + 2×14 kW), a hybrid of powerful diesel engines together with the electric motors achieve top speeds of 20+ knots.

“Sailor” Version

In addition to the perks of the “Cruiser”, the “Sailor” comes with the added convenience of sails. This is noiseless cruising without any emissions and with unlimited range.

In fair winds, while you are using the sails the batteries are charging. If the wind stops, or if you want to go against headwind, you can continue noiseless driving by switching to the electric propulsion.

Sky Sails

The “Sky Sails” version features a towing kite with full automatic control. The SILENT yachts as well as the Sky Sails Yacht Kite System are adapted to complement each other perfectly, offering noiseless cruising and unlimited range but without any emissions. Conventional sails require a lot of space on the deck as well as maintenance and create shade on the solar panels. The SkySails kite flies in altitudes of between 100 and 150m where the winds are much stronger, so the kite generates up to 25 times more power per square meter.

SILENT-YACHTS was founded by Heike and Michael Köhler, who have spent 5,000 days aboard cruising more than 75,000 miles all around the world. They launched the SOLARWAVE 46, the first fully self-sufficient blue-water catamaran in 2009 after years of testing solar-powered propulsion. Silent Yachts features four models: the new SILENT 55, the SILENT 64, the SILENT 55 VIP Ferry, and the SILENT 79, revealed in August 2018.