Luxury automobile manufacturer Ferrari has unveiled the energy management concept behind its breakthrough 30-metre foiling yacht known as Ferrari Hypersail. The ocean-racing monohull is currently under construction in Pisa, Italy, with an anticipated launch date of late 2026.
Once delivered in 2027, Ferrari Hypersail will be the first of its size to be entirely self-sufficient, operating on renewable sources such as solar and wind, as well as crew-generated energy. The manufacturer has now shed light on its first-of-a-kind energy concept – developed by the Hypersail Tech Team in Maranello – which has been conceived to ensure maximum efficiency for self-sufficiency during long-distance sailing.
Above deck
Core to the energy concept is a new Winch by Wire system, which "reimagines" traditional winch systems by directly transforming human-generated power into above-deck movements. The system converts the power generated by the crew's muscular strength into electrical power, which is then redistributed to the various functions of the yacht's sail plan.
The core advantage for grinders [the operators of the yacht's winches] is the ability to maintain a constant and efficient cadence, with the system reducing any effort escalation as found with conventional systems. The Winch by Wire is designed to ensure a consistent power output from both the system's efficiency and human performance, allowing a single crew member to manage loads of up to nine tonnes.
Electricity generated by the pedestals – using the same electric motors from Ferrari's Purosangue and F80 suspension systems – is fed into the onboard grid to power sail winches and hydraulic pumps in real time. The same approach has been used on the newly unveiled Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale, where the mechanical action of gear-shifting is converted into an electronic signal.
Below deck
Below-deck movements, including the operations for flight control, are managed exclusively through renewable energy sources, with two identical 800V high-voltage batteries distributing the energy flow accordingly. The installed systems are responsible for overseeing the electronics, control stability and ride height on the foils, with reliability guaranteed by applying testing processes borrowed from the automotive sector.
To govern and adjust the appendages, Hypersail engineers developed an active Flight Controller system that manages hydraulic flow across two surface operating modes: slow movements (including the adjustments of the foil arms and canting keel) and fast movements (such as the rapid and continuous movements of the flaps).
The yacht features 100 square metres of solar panels, which have been integrated into the deck and hull sides – a position that was determined through an advanced study of solar exposure. The panels themselves are walkable and feature a specific grip, technical fastening systems, clips and treatments for easy crew movement. At the stern, wind turbines can be removed and configured according to sailing needs.
“Hypersail is the first foiling monohull for ocean racing to achieve complete energy autonomy,” explained Marco Guglielmo Ribigini, Ferrari Hypersail's technical team leader. “Thanks to an electrical system that ensures the ideal balance between efficiency and performance, alongside innovative solutions such as Winch by Wire, all onboard adjustments are powered entirely by energy generated while underway.”
The project
French naval architect Guillaume Verdier is at the helm of the Hypersail design, alongside Ferrari's Tech Team, guided by Matteo Lanzavecchia and Marco Guglielmo Ribigini, the Ferrari Design Studio, led by Flavio Manzoni, and technical partner Boero Yachting Coatings. According to the manufacturer, the collaborating teams worked closely to translate aerodynamic, hydrodynamic and structural constraints into aesthetic opportunities for the yacht's design.
As such, the foiling yacht features a streamlined silhouette inspired by the proportions of the Ferrari Monza SP1/SP2 and a coachroof designed with similarities to the architecture of the Ferrari 499P Hypercar – all developed directly by the Ferrari Design Studio and designed to ensure maximum technical efficiency.
In terms of the yacht's livery, the Design Studio sought to bridge Hypersail’s "vanguard" design with the brand’s aesthetic heritage, selecting Boero Yacht Coating's Nuovo Giallo Fly shade of yellow to adorn the yacht's profile. The colour is steeped in narrative legacy, which Ferrari notes to historically represent its "second soul", with the original inspiration from Fiamma Breschi – a friend of Enzo Ferrari and widow of racing driver Luigi Musso, who was famed for his yellow helmet.
The bright yellow shade will adorn the yacht's cabin, foils and hull lines, following the stylistic codes of the most celebrated Ferrari cars, strongly expressing the brand’s DNA and echoing the colour separation of the classic 1970s Ferrari 512 BB (Berlinetta Boxer). The pops of yellow stand out against the yacht's grey carbon fibre hull, which is flush in a new colour named Grigio Hypersail – an expression of the material’s lightweight nature and performance.
The yacht introduces an "innovative canting keel" to provide support for one of the foils, allowing the Hypersail to stabilise flight on three contact points, with support also offered through a foil on the rudder or two lateral foils. All power required to run the control and motion system for the foils, keel and rudder, as well as the full suite of on-board computers and instruments, must be generated autonomously while under sail.
The Ferrari Hypersail is currently undergoing mechanical, hydraulic and electrical system installations, in preparation for her launch and sea trials later this year.
BOAT International sat down with the Hypersail team to learn more about the build last year.
Read More/Exclusive interview: Why is Ferrari building a sailing yacht?