The Vripack V20 Solar Racer is a one-design solar-powered boat ideal for racing and radical-minded megayacht owners. The boat seen in this video, your first look at the completed project, is currently competing in a solar-boat race in The Netherlands, in fact.
Initially intended for the international race circuit, the V20 Solar Racer increasingly inspired the Vripack team to think about it as a megayacht tender, too. A major reason is the elimination of the need to carry fuel for it. As the name states, the Vripack V20 Solar Racer has solar cells. They feed lithium-ion batteries. The batteries, in turn, power an electric motor connected to the prop. Vripack says the boat is capable of a 19-mph (30-kph) speed. The boat also reportedly can run solely on solar power and simultaneously recharge the batteries. Imagine the convenience of stowing and going: no tanks to top off, and no dedicated gasoline fueling onboard, either.
The V20 Solar Racer measures 19 feet (5.8 meters). Beam is 7’6” (2.3 meters), and draft is just five inches (0.15 meter). It’s a Hydro Foiling WIG vessel—equipped with adjustable foils, a.k.a. wings. These create lift and raise the hull out of the water, reducing drag and increasing speed. The “WIG” part of the model name refers to the Wing in Ground effect. It pertains to the shape of the deck. Akin to an airplane, the V20 Solar Racer has a further reduction in drag and increase in lift at a specific height above the water.
The video is just a quick teaser, but it does show the V20 Solar Racer to be a capable performer, doing exactly what was intended.
If you’d like more information from Vripack about the model, please fill out our contact form.
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