Silent Yachts has reached another important milestone in its exciting journey. The company has launched the very first solar electric catamaran at its own shipyard in Fano, Italy, which has been acquired in spring 2022. The first launch is a Silent 60 series yacht.
“We are happy that our Italian shipyard performs really well. It was the right decision to purchase and develop it in a way that is in line with our corporate long-term strategy,” said Michael Köhler, Founder and CEO of Silent Yachts.
The new Silent 60 carries 42 solar panels for 16 kWp of solar energy to power two electric motors of 2 x 250 kW. Backed up by a battery capacity of up to 210 kWh, she will be able to cruise efficiently with zero emissions solely on solar power for up to 100 nautical miles a day for weeks.
The Silent 60 has four bright guest cabins on the lower deck (the series allows up to six cabins + one crew cabin), including a spacious master suite in the bow. There are numerous social areas on board, including an airy main salon, an aft cockpit, a cosy bow area and a flybridge. The yacht has high headroom throughout, up to 2.32m in the main salon.
Thanks to a draft of under 1m the Silent 60 can access shallow bays, a crucial consideration for cruising grounds in the Caribbean and South East Asia. Two swimming platforms in the stern can be extended on owner’s request to carry a pair of electric jet skis. The lifting hydraulic platform between the two platforms can carry a 4-metre tender.
The Silent 60 is designed to go everywhere as a true bluewater cruising yacht. The solar-electric system is configured to power all the on-board systems without the need of fossil fuels.
“The Silent Yachts catamarans are built to last and they are reliable ocean going vessels,” underlines Michael Köhler. “They require virtually no maintenance especially compared to yachts with traditional combustion engines. In addition, warranties for batteries and solar panels are for 8 and 25 years respectively.”
Featuring a high-performance hull form with a long waterline and reverse bow, the yacht has a cruising speed of 6-8 knots, but can reach up to 18 knots if needed with the most powerful engine setting available (2 x 340 kW). The recently launched SILENT 60 is equipped with 2 x 250 kW engines for the maximum speed of 14 knots.
Silent Yachts keeps its Italian shipyard busy. Several more Silent 60 series yachts will be delivered in 2023, including the first Silent 62 3-deck.
“In Fano, in the area of 22,000 square metres, we have five more production sites that are fully equipped for the construction and fitting out of our boats,” explained Köhler. “After an initial start-up and restructuring phase, the growth was exponential. We tripled the number of employees by the end of 2022 and we invested heavily in infrastructure and machinery.”
As part of the Fano shipyard, Silent Yachts established the dedicated Centre for Research & Development of new technologies in order to attract more highly qualified talents from the marine industry and to ensure its leadership position in the field of eco-sustainable luxury yachts, without compromises. The shipyard develops a strong network of suppliers and contractors, with a focus on collaborations with local companies. It has also become an affiliate of the Confindustria (General Confederation of Italian Industry) in December 2022.
“This month, we additionally start manufacturing the new Silent Tender series in Fano as well.” Köhler added.