One of the largest launches in Baltic Yachts’ history, Canova cut quite a profile during sea trials off Finland last week. It was the latest in the series of tests. More important, though, her specialized retractable foil is doing just what her build and design team expected. It is improving onboard comfort “significantly,” Baltic Yachts says, “with markedly less heeling and pitching combined with a lighter helm.”
The shipyard shared the news with followers of its Facebook page. The 142-footer (43.3-meter) is an entirely custom sailing superyacht for a repeat client. As she was nearing launch in April, yacht watchers got their first looks at one of the most important aspects of her customization. Canova is the first yacht to incorporate a retractable foil, the Dynamic Stability System. DSS for short, the foil creates lift to leeward, and therefore also increases the righting moment. In addition, the stronger the wind, the faster Canova can go, and the more the DSS creates lift and stability. Pitching reduction further results. Finally, if the winds die down, the captain can press a button to retract the 29’6”-long (9-meter-long) foil.
In terms of heel reduction, neither Baltic Yachts nor Farr Yacht Design has revealed just how much lower it is. Regardless, the design studio’s vice president, Britton Ward, provided insight during construction. “For a conventional boat of these dimensions, we would anticipate heel angles of 20 to 25 degrees,” he mentioned. “But in this case, with the foil deployed, we see optimal heel angles in the 7- to 15-degree range.”
Baltic Yachts balticyachts.fi
Farr Yacht Design farrdesign.com
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