The relatively recently launched 142ft Canova is the first foil-assisted superyacht to hit the oceans and it is taking the industry by storm!
The Farr Design yacht was launched in late 2019 from Baltic Yachts and was commissioned by a long-term yacht owner who was looking for the ultimate sailing superyacht that would offer comfort and speed with limited noise and pollution.
Using Hugh Welbourn’s Dynamic Stability Systems (DSS) foil, which has already proved itself on smaller yachts such as the Infiniti 46 and 36, it took some innovative thinking to transfer this technology onto a much larger, cruising yacht. The orange arm of carbon fibre that extends out to leeward keeps the yacht a lot more upright and therefore enables much more comfortable cruising for the owner and his guests while remaining uncompromising on speed and functionality. Baltic wanted to make the mechanisms to operate the foil as easy to use as possible, it is controlled using a system of rope pulleys that lead to a Harken captive winch which pulls the foil in and out at up to 17 knots of yacht speed.
Speed and performance are not affected, with Canova clocking 25 knots and can hit the early 20s pretty quickly. Her light wind performance is also impressive with speeds of 14 knots achieved in just 9 knots of breeze.
Canova’s technological excellence doesn’t end there. She also boasts a state-of-the-art lifting keel allowing her to explore shallow waters. Whilst underway, water flow can turn the prop to generate energy and charge the lithium battery bank. Even the rigging isn’t conventional – the carbon Rondal mast and boom has electric in-boom furling and Carbonlink rigging. The sail options include a quadrilateral, twin-clewed headsail, developed with Infiniti Yachts to complement the DSS system and has a wide performance range.
Let’s not forget that this is a superyacht and so manages to house a 1.5 tonne limo guest tender below the foredeck as well as a 4.6m crew tender that gets stowed in the lazarette under the aft deck. The guest cockpit has an extended hard bimini on the same level as the decksaloon meaning that guests have a huge amount of protected space to enjoy their surroundings. The styling by Lucion Micheletti throughout the interior is particularly tasteful and allows natural light to play the biggest part of the overall design.
There are some big ideas on Canova and so with her ground-breaking technology being put into action so superbly she is an inspiration to many sailing superyacht designers, and we are sure to see other yachts emerging with similar technologies in her wake. It is unsurprising and well deserved therefore, that Canova won Sailing Superyacht of the Year in 2020 at the World Superyacht Awards; congratulations to the whole team.