Hydrofoils may be best known to surfers for inciting frothing rage at local lineups, but the technology has been applied for a much greener pursuit. Swedish electric boat manufacturer Candela recently broke the record for longest distance driven by an electric boat in a day. The challenge was carried out by the Candela C-8, an electric, hydrofoiling boat powered by a battery from electric car company Polestar.
The C-8 covered around 483 miles in 24 hours, blowing past the previous record of 79 nautical miles in 20 hours. The record was completed by making a loop between Stockholm, Sweden, and the island of Tynningö, with breaks in between to charge at a mobile battery storage system set up on a dock. The boat’s top speed was 27 knots, with an average during the run of 17, due to time spent charging.
Part of the C-8’s success stems from its ability to reduce energy usage by 80 percent using multiple hydrofoils. While foils are nothing new in boat design, applying the technology to an electric watercraft extends its range two to three times longer than traditional electric boats.
“This feat shows that fast, electric waterborne transport over long distances is viable today, not a distant future,” said Gustav Hasselskog, Candela’s CEO and founder, who piloted the C-8 during the record attempt.
