Taking inspiration from the sea and its myriad creatures is prevalent beneath the nautical industry and similarly, Italian shipyard Rossinavi has just showcased its new concept called Sea Cat 40. This is a new fully electric catamaran concept- the first one conceived by the brand. The boat’s concept is inspired by phytoplankton, the marine algae that play a fundamental role in the food chain and that live in the oceans’ upper layers where they are able to convert sunlight into energy for their survival. At night, the energy accumulated during the day is released, making phytoplankton bioluminescent.
A lot of that is absorbed into the new concept. The Sea Cat 40 is designed to absorb sunlight during the daylight hours and transform it into energy, making full use of the photovoltaics’ capabilities. The catamaran can store and harness clean energy with its advanced technology solar panels being installed on an area of 135 sqm.
The panels produce up to 250kWh- enough to supply the electric consumption of 5 to 6 average American households as well as the electric consumption of a marina. The energy is then transferred from the boat to the living area. This enables a noiseless cruising experience and is more environmentally friendly.
In the case of trans-Atlantic crossings, the catamaran can travel for 20 days, covering a distance of 3,850 nm at a speed of 8kn. There is also AI and centralized control system which allows it to maintain the battery status between 40% and 80% so as to preserve the battery and make it last longer. Ocean crossing with Sea Cat also looks at minimizing its environmental impact as the catamaran can be programmed to navigate 80% in full-electric mode, using only 20% of diesel-electric support. On return trips of 80 nm, for example, the catamaran can operate in a full-electric mode.
Italian naval architect Fulvio De Simoni has developed the exterior and interior architecture of Sea Cat 40. There are wide-open spaces, 5 guest bedrooms, one of which is the ship owners, and 4 crew cabins for a total of 7 staff members. Other distinctive features include an aluminum hull and more green energy features.