Simply Abu Dhabi XXXV

P ure solar-powered luxury – that is the yachting promise that Austrian company Silent Yachts provides. With a growing range of yacht models to its name, and even a VIP ferry, the progressive company prides itself on being the first to develop oceangoing production yachts that are fully solar sustainable and powered by solar energy. Even a sailing yacht requires a diesel engine to leave the marina or bay, and diesel power is also required when the wind is too weak to be used for sailing, or if it is blowing from the wrong direction. Silent Yachts can be driven for hours at around six to eight knots, and even the whole night at a reduced speed without need to start the generator. And depending upon the motor configuration, some models can accelerate to a top speed of up to 20 knots for a limited period of time. Whether at anchor or when cruising up to 20-30miles per day, life aboard continues without the need to engage the generator – not even for household appliances, such as when cooking, running the air conditioning, or switching on lights. Now, after years of meticulous development, Silent Yachts is soon to be launching its first Silent 80. Scheduled for delivery in April 2020, and currently under construction in Ancona, Italy, the Silent 80 is the brand’s largest solar-powered electric catamaran to date. With interiors designed by Marco Casali and naval architecture by Insenaval, it’s nearing superyacht territory. A flexible design means models of the Silent 80 can be built with either four or six guest cabins, depending on the owner’s requirements, with additional quarters for crew. Also available with the option of a retractable fly roof, the compact 24m yacht can accommodate a tender inside the port hull and jet skis inside the starboard hull. Even more impressively, it can carry a gyrocopter on floats on the hydraulic stern platform, making it a day cruiser with an explorer edge. The sunshine yacht Taking the fuel out of yachting, and putting the pleasure back into cruising, Silent Yachts offers a world of solar powered luxury that puts both the owner and the environment first. b y J u l i a Z a l t z m a n