Baltic 111 Raven: new hydrofoil sailing yacht

"Raven" hovering over the water

Over the past few years, the ranks of sailing boats of various sizes have been significantly replenished with foils - foil technology is rapidly developing and is used on all kinds of yachts. Many famous shipyards produce foil versions of their yachts, and many of them take part in regattas. Baltic Yachts is one of these shipyards. 

By the way, we have already talked about the interesting yacht Baltic 111 Raven in our Telegram channel here, here and here. In fact, the Baltic 111 Raven is much more interesting than it might seem at first glance. And there are several reasons for this.

Firstly, Raven is one of the lightest sailing yachts of its size available today. Secondly, the foils themselves (hydrofoils) and “almost endless power potential” (as the shipyard itself talks about the yacht). Thirdly, the level of luxury on board also left competitors far behind.

Some reviewers call the new 34-meter yacht “a monster soaring above the surface of the water.” But the word “monster” is used here rather in the sense of “beast”. Indeed, modest weight, small displacement, foils - all this will allow Raven to develop very serious speeds. The yacht is currently undergoing sea trials, without the use of hydrofoils for now. But even so, the “raven” was able to reach a speed of 20 knots in displacement mode!

Technical features of Baltic 111 Raven

Let's start with elements that are more or less traditional for racing yachts. The mast from Southern Spars is made of carbon, there is a full set of headsails - Code Zero, asymmetrical spinnaker, gennaker. The yacht is controlled from the cockpit; all the necessary winches are located as close as possible to the helm station. Raven has a nose, which is interesting inverse. 

Regarding displacement, engineers made every effort to reduce this figure as much as possible. As a result, Raven has a displacement of 55 tons, instead of the usual 75-100 tons for carbon yachts of this length. Interestingly, this result was achieved thanks to an amazing approach to designing the yacht.

Weight was saved on literally every detail. So, instead of conventional steel brackets, special carbon variations were used. This helped save 100 grams per bracket. Lightweight hoses were used instead of steel hydraulic lines. Thanks to this trick, we managed to save as much as 160 kg.

The hull and deck are also made of carbon. Some non-standard parts were created by the shipyard using its own 3D printing technology. According to the shipyard, the yacht “may have become lighter, but it is not inferior in comfort and luxury to other superyachts.”

Internal structure and decoration of Baltic 111 Raven

There are two salons inside – aft and bow. The bow saloon houses the galley and dining area, while the aft section of the yacht houses a large master cabin. At the bow of the yacht there are also two guest cabins with two berths each. Among the interesting things to highlight are the spacious quarters for the crew, which are not inferior in size to the space for guests to relax. 

The deck is finished in rattan, and the “bare” carbon elements literally attract the eye. In addition, the use of carbon in this form made it possible to reduce the amount of putty and paint to a minimum. Interestingly, some of the furniture is also made of carbon, in particular carbon pipes. The yacht's structural bulkheads are made of carbon fiber and have a Nomex core inside.

The yacht is intended for day cruises, but the owners also intend to make high-speed and long-distance sailings. 

Future plans for the Baltic 111 Raven

After sea trials, Raven will go to the final stage of development at the shipyard. Finishing a yacht of this level will take about 12-18 months. At the moment, some of the characteristics of the yacht are part of a non-disclosure agreement, but it is already clear that in the near future we will have more than one or two records that Raven will easily break.

However, immediate plans include a test program for various sails, hull strength tests and a number of other checks. Interestingly, these tests will involve a crew consisting of experienced racers who have taken part in the America's Cup, Ocean Race and SailGP.

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03.11.2023