Axel May, edited by Gauthier Delomez
modified to
2:29 p.m., December 11, 2022
While the Paris Boat Show ended this weekend, Europe 1 shines the spotlight on a maritime innovation: an electric catamaran capable of flying. It is the work of the MerConcept company, founded by navigator François Gabart. Europe 1 was able to try this revolutionary catamaran.
A motor catamaran is not trivial. Even less when it is electric. And it’s downright extraordinary when it is able to “fly” above the water. On the occasion of the Paris Boat Show which ended this weekend, Europe 1 was able to try this catamaran designed by MerConcept, the company founded by navigator François Gabart.
In the water, this modest-sized blue boat, 12 meters long, with its two catamaran-style hulls, goes unnoticed. It has no mast, since it is equipped with electric motors! But at a certain speed, thanks to its appendages, the foils, it rises above the waves, giving the impression of flying.
The double advantage of this boat
The advantage is twofold, explains Antoine Carraz, director of the maritime mobility department of MerConcept: “There are two very interesting concepts. First, electric motorization, to say that we have a carbon-free motorization. The second concept, c is to say that when the boat floats, there is resistance created by the water. And when we get free of this resistance, we will save energy. To go at the same speed, we will therefore need less energy when flying than when floating.”
The fact of being above the waves also avoids the slap-buttock effect that one feels on board a classic motorboat. After this prototype ordered by a wealthy private client, launched in the spring, the Breton company MerConcerpt has other ideas, in particular a foil ferry. To be continued…