German shipbuilder Lloyd Werft has presented a new sailing catamaran concept in collaboration with Stay Sea Design.
Named Albatross, the concept has been designed to harness wind, solar and sea water in order to reduce its CO2 footprint and energy consumption by 40 per cent, according to the yard.
To achieve this, the design will use rigid wing sail technology which delivers approximately 1,200kW of propulsion power that can propel the yacht to speeds in the region of seven knots. When not in use, they can discreetly fold away. Albatross will also be fitted with 1,150 square metres of photovoltaic solar panels and five vertical wind turbines.
The concept has been envisioned with an impressive beam of 29 metres and a gross tonnage of 10,000 GT. Onboard highlights include an impressive aft deck infinity swimming pool that sits laterally across the main deck and a beach club located close to the twin swim platforms. Inside, the yacht is home to a large gym, a beautiful spa, several saloons and dining areas to host events.
A total of 14 guests can be accommodated on board, while an impressive crew of 40 have been conceived for the yacht's design, although there is a maximum of 46 berths. The yard has paid increased attention to crew spaces, saying "The days of squeezing crew into multiple berth cabins are an image from the past that can be easily avoided. These areas are vital for crew welfare, mental health and happiness. With the right planning during the design phases, it can be accomplished with minimal cost."
Albatross carries four tenders (two 11-metre electric tenders, one eight-metre electric RIB and a conventional eight-metre diesel RIB) and four Jet Skis in two separate tender garages. Each garage, one in each hull, is fitted with a crane and two rapid charging units. Between both hulls is a wave breaker arrangement with a hydraulic flap that creates a moon pool effect, which in turn reduces the impact of swell to ensure that the launching, boarding and recovery of tenders is one of the safest procedures for the owner, guests and crew.
Guests joining the vessel from above have the option of a helicopter landing pad on the top deck, which caters for conventional helicopters but is equipped with fast charging units anticipating future electric-driven models.
Lloyd Werft and Stay Sea have split the yacht's operations modes into two setups: anchor mode and sailing mode. When in anchor mode, energy is generated by six methanol fuel cells of 200kW each, assisted by the wind and solar fuel generators with a 4MW lithium-ion battery storage. If methanol is unavailable due to geographic restrictions or otherwise, power can be generated via one of the two installed 1,000kW shaft generators attached to each gearbox of the main drive application.
In sailing mode, propulsion is generated by four main engines coupled in pairs to two gearboxes incorporating a PTO / PTI hybrid system for a 1,000kW generator/ motor attached to a controllable pitch propeller system.
“Anything is possible with the right amount of thought and investigation,” said Friedrich Norden, head of projects and sales at Lloyd Werft.