Superyacht R77 with innovative sailing equipment

For any yacht aimed at sailing in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the shortest route between the oceans, as you know, is the Panama Canal.

Superyacht R77 with innovative sailing equipment - Mathis Ruhl

Though Panama Canal Is a very strange and mysterious place with its own rules, alternative ways to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean are unpredictable Cape Horn, or no less dangerous Northwest Passageso it is of paramount importance to both commercial shipping and conventional cruisers.

This shipping channel connects the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean with the Gulf of Panama in the Pacific Ocean. Its length is 82 kilometers, width - 150 meters, while the width of the lock chambers is 33 meters, and the depth reaches 12 meters.

Accordingly, there is a certain list of restrictions for ships entering the Panama Canal. The canal allows ships of different types - from small yachts to huge container ships, and the maximum size of a ship that can pass through the Panama Canal has become the de facto standard in shipbuilding, receiving the name Panamax.

There is also a limit for the height of the vessel from the waterline to the top of the mast, which is 62.5 m, so very large sailing yachts are faced with the limitation of the height of the sail rig.

Superyacht R77 with innovative sailing equipment - Mathis Ruhl

New R77 sailing superyacht concept with innovative sailing solution designed by naval architect Mathis Ruhl, was born, so to speak, precisely from the analysis of the specific requirements listed below:

Sufficient sailing area for full sailing in average wind conditions, with a mast height within 62.5 meters
Fully automated and safe maneuvers and emergency release capability
Aerodynamic efficiency for all apparent wind angles
Efficient mast configuration and low topside

Naturally, none of the existing solutions for sailing equipment meets all these requirements. Hence the need to start from scratch, avoiding all previous concepts. Fortunately, the result was a breakthrough for the team of architects, namely patented sail rig configuration.

Superyacht R77 with innovative sailing equipment - Mathis Ruhl

Superyacht R77 with innovative sailing equipment - Mathis Ruhl

This new concept requires a specific deck plan, so the second challenge was to design the layout and superstructure to match it. Following the principle "Form and function", the architects took advantage of the innovative installation to create a completely new design for the mega-sailboat.

The new concept borrows technology commonly used on biplanes. In this project, it is two masts mounted on rotating platforms, while the paired masts are connected by horizontal beams. The hull shape of the superyacht is designed to provide an overall performance, together with a wide deck and vertical freeboards, providing good upwind performance as well as generous deck space.

Superyacht R77 with innovative sailing equipment - Mathis Ruhl

The curved superstructure includes the main saloon and master stateroom, while guest cabins are located below deck level, next to the galley and crew area. The aft deck houses the swimming pool, storage for tenders and toys is hidden under the bow deck.

Mathis Rule, believes that this design will also be of interest to commercial shipbuilding companies, which can use wind energy instead of fuel, in order to save and preserve the environment.