Has the Eagle landed?

After witnessing the 2013 America’s Cup and a conversation with Team New Zealand designer Pete Melvin, there was someone who wanted to turn his 90-foot Gunboat into a foiler with a wing. But after a feasibility study revealed it would make sense to start from the ground up with a new boat, what has been born is the Eagle Class 53.

The primary problem with adding foils and wings to anything that large is the heightened level of skill needed to utilize them. Going for a sail shouldn’t require a full crew of professional sailors, and that has been the premise of this project.

To what degree it fulfills that objective when launched this fall will be determined, particularly when the boat is forecasted to reach speeds between 25 to 35 knots in light wind. Critical to the concept has been automation to maintain level flight.

Unlike other previous foiling catamarans that were more picnic boat than performance cruiser, the EC 53 is delivering 6ft 3-inch headroom, full length double beds at 6ft 5-inches, main saloon with bar, sink, refrigerator, ice-maker, microwave, and furniture.

No mention if storage for helmets and body armour will be needed, but there will be seatbelts while foiling and oversized escape hatches in both hulls. We suggest also adding gimbal stabilizers for the drink holders.

For additional details… click here.