Candela Seven electric foiling speedboat enters series production

The company has announced that the Candela Seven, a 7.7-metre carbon-fibre speedboat, will officially enter series production with the aim of delivering at least 30 boats to customers this year.

This builds on the 10 Candela Sevens delivered in 2019.

The foiling technology developed for the speedboat uses ultrasonic sensors in the boat’s bow to detect the height of waves, feeding the data to a computer that uses software developed for drones to smooth out the ride.

Signals are sent to the boat’s foil so quickly that it can adjust its angle of attack 100 times a second.

The boat’s makers claim the ride is so smooth that it eliminates sea-sickness.

The Candela Seven is no slouch on the water, either, with a top speed of 30 knots. Slow down to 22 knots, and the boat will run for up to 50 nautical miles before needing a recharge.

Candela claims the technology will bring the boat up onto the foils at 17 knots, reducing drag by7 up to 80 per cent compared with a planing boat.

Another advantage is that the Candela Seven needs just 20 kilowatts at 22 knots, while an equivalent planing boat will need around 100 horsepower to maintain the same speed.

Candela says it wants to expand the foiling technology to larger boats up to 60 metres in length.

In Europe, the Candela Seven is priced from around €245,000 meaning it will cost well north of $400,000 once it arrives here.