Motorboat coordinator Florian Dräger is delighted with how well the electric boats work in regattas. Photo: Katrin Heidemann
The Travemünde Week focusses on sustainability. This includes the test use of two electric inflatable boats from the Swedish company RIB Unlimited to reduce fuel consumption. The boats are proving their worth as regatta support boats and can certainly hold their own.
The electric boats are whisper-quiet, environmentally friendly and emission-free when racing. The motors are so quiet that you have to listen twice to realise that they are running, says Florian Dräger, motorboat coordinator at the Travemünde Week. “With the electric motors, it almost feels like sailing on the inflatable boats because they are so quiet and you can hear the waves. Even at a speed of 20 knots, you can still make phone calls without any problems,” reports the TW volunteer.
Dräger and other TW volunteers collected two boats directly from RIB Unlimited in Sweden and also spoke to the designer Olle Niemer on site. “During the TW, we have regular contact with the Swedish company, which provides us with the boats for testing, and give feedback. It’s a very good dialogue and a reliable partnership with RIB Unlimited,” says Dräger. The Spanish company Volta Yachts arranged the contact.
On the one hand, a 6-metre RIB equipped with a 50 hp motor and a 25.9 kWh lithium battery will be on the water during the Travemünde Week. There is also an 8-metre RIB with two motors and correspondingly two batteries in use. The scepticism that the range and speed of the boats might not be sufficient was unfounded. “If you go slowly, the charge is enough for a good 75 nautical miles, and at around 20 knots we can manage around 25 nautical miles with the small boat. The large boat sometimes still has 60 per cent on the charge indicator when it returns to the harbour. And the boats are also fast with their 50 hp, or twice 50 hp, because they are extremely light. We reach a good 29 knots. We recharge the batteries completely overnight without any problems. It’s also possible to recharge them during the day when we’re taking a break anyway,” says Dräger. The positive impressions are shared by Thorsten Sperl. As a member of the jury, he has tested the boats in continuous use on the track and is impressed by their handling characteristics: “The boats have good acceleration, a tight turning circle and a good water position. As they are very lightweight, they are equipped with a water ballast that allows the boat’s position to be perfectly controlled.
In continuous use on the regatta course, the e-boats have also demonstrated their capabilities to the jury. Photo: segel-bilder.de