Photography by Silent Yachts
13 November 2019
The pioneer of solar-electric production catamarans has revealed its largest vessel to date, already selling five units ahead of its 2020 launch.
The Silent 80 Tri-Deck is available with a sky lounge on the top deck or a huge 90-square-metre fly deck, which can be designed as an “owner’s deck” with a vast private suite and 360-degree view and a terrace.
There is a saloon of about 60-square-metres on the main deck, benefitting from enormous 10.95-metre beam, with a galley inside, a lounge and a dining area.
The lower deck is fitted with four to six guest cabins and an additional one or two crew cabins. All staterooms offer double or twin berths, and all heads include a separate shower. Alternative layouts are available on request.
“We are happy that our clients like the flagship 80-footer, but we thought we can make another step forward with the new model,” said Michael Köhler, Founder and CEO of Silent Yachts.
“The additional sky lounge is a very convenient space and helps stretch out the period of using the boat. The extra space on top extends social areas on board, while offering new opportunities in terms of layout.”
As there is no actual engine room because the yacht is solar-powered, the Silent 80 Tri-Deck has the largest garage in the category. “There is enough space for a 4.5-metre long tender, an amphibious car and a gyrocopter on floats, which is quite impressive for a yacht under 24-metres length”, commented Michael Köhler.
The interior of the Silent 80 Tri-Deck is completely customizable on the level of superyachts. Since the Silent Yachts’ heritage is based on being green and eco-friendly, the yacht is principally decorated with lightweight and recyclable materials that respect the environment.
The exterior of the Silent 80 Tri-Deck follows the brand’s DNA. The designer Marco Casali gave it clean and timeless lines with huge windows that allow an abundance of natural light into the saloon and guest spaces while providing panoramic views.
Fitted with solar panels, the flybridge adds sportiness to the look thanks to horizontal air grills inspired by supercars but with eco appeal. Both aft and forward outside spaces are spacious to host large, yet intimate, social areas.
The cockpit in the aft has a lounge and a bar, while the front area is perfect for chilling under the sun, as it is equipped with a sea-facing sofa and sunpads.
The vessel is built using vacuum-bagged resin infusion to create a lightweight glass-sandwich composite construction that has sound-and temperature-insulating qualities.
At the same time, the Tri-Deck solution does not affect the performance. The new model will be able to reach 16 knots with the most powerful e-motors combination and make up to 100 nautical miles a day at cruising speed without burning a single litre of fuel.
The yacht uses silent electric propulsion for unlimited range with no noise, fumes or vibration, she is self-sufficient and virtually maintenance-free.
The new Silent 80 Tri-Deck is an oceangoing solar electric catamaran that uses silent electric propulsion for unlimited range without noise or fumes and minimal vibration. It is self-sufficient and virtually maintenance-free.
The catamaran is fitted with a pair of electric engines (80 kW each in a standard version, and up to 250 kW each in the most advanced version).
“This yacht’s mission is not focused on speed. It offers total autonomy with no fuel, fumes, exhausts or noise. The system works quite simple and virtually without any maintenance needed,” said Michael Köhler.
The catamaran is capable of going at six to seven knots in complete silence and with unlimited range passing around 100 nautical miles per day.
With 64 high-efficiency solar panels rated for approximately 25 kilowatt-peak, the Silent 80 Tri-Deck uses maximum power point tracking (MPPT) solar charge regulators and the same lithium batteries as used by Tesla, which provide capacity for all-night cruising, while a 20-kVA inverter provides power for all household appliances.
The energy production and propulsion systems require hardly any maintenance and produce no fumes or noise. Because of that, the operational costs of the vessels are substantially lower, compared to power yachts using traditional propulsion systems.
The Silent 80 Tri-Deck also has a generator but this is only used to recharge the batteries in the rare case when higher speed is required for longer periods or if the weather is bad for several days.
The base price of the new Silent 80 Tri-Deck is 4.92 million euro, depending on options.