Yachting news from Interparus (21.03.23)

Jet skis will receive their own rules in the new version of COLREGs

It's done! Now jet skis will have their own “traffic rules” officially - new changes in COLREGs are already on the way. The new law is aimed at resolving the problems associated with personal vehicles on the water.

The new order will come into effect on March 31. The information is especially relevant for the UK, where the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency (MCA) will have expanded powers to prosecute offenders and those responsible for accidents. This is an important step for the UK, as the number of jet skis and other small watercraft has increased exponentially over the past few years. 

The law prescribes to apply already existing rules of navigation to personal water transport. This will allow violators to be held accountable for dangerous and/or negligent behavior on the water. 

The precedent is important and necessary - hitherto such small-sized vessels and individual means of movement on water were not subject to the rules of COLREGs. Now the situation is changing. And this is good! We hope that similar rules will soon be introduced in other countries as well.

Candela raises $20M investment

Candela made a name for itself a few years ago with its own electric boats and motors. Since then, the company has regularly made headlines with new records or exciting news about its products. Just the other day, it became known that Candela has attracted $20 million in investments for the production of its electric passenger ship.

The company plans to mass-produce P-12 Shuttle boats. Now this boat is considered one of the fastest electric boats with a long range. Of the features of the "Shuttle" - hydrofoils and a complete rejection of classical power sources. By and large, the "Shuttle" is a rethinking of ferries. There are 30 seats on board.

Of the technological features - less electricity consumption due to hydrofoils. According to the company's tests, the P-12 Shuttle uses 80% less electricity than traditional ships. The Stockholm Royal Institute of Technology, during tests of a new electric ferry, indicated that the ship will emit 97.5% less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over its expected lifespan compared to a diesel ship of the same size. According to Candela, the P-12 Shuttle will be able to stay in service for at least 30 years.

At the moment, Candela is negotiating with more than 180 companies and marina administrations that are ready to purchase the Shuttle. Particularly attractive to operators of marinas and ports of electric ferry is its service life, reliability (with an eye to other models of the company) and operating costs. Regarding the latter, the cost of maintaining the P-12 Shuttle on 50% ferries of similar dimensions and capacity due to low power consumption and ease of maintenance.

The first region where the Shuttle will be officially launched will be Stockholm. The ferry will carry passengers between the suburbs of Ekerö and the center of Stockholm. By car, this journey will take at least an hour, and the P-12 Shuttle will reduce the time to 25 minutes. 

Sunreef announces new range of catamarans 

The Polish shipyard Sunreef Yachts recently introduced its new line of hybrid catamarans. The series was named ULTIMA. According to Boat International, the catamarans from the new series are “focused on high performance and will have the ability to be deeply customized for the owner.”

According to the shipyard, the design of the new line "combines comfort, performance and style." Now available for order models 45 and 55 with a length of 13.7 and 16.7 meters, respectively.

Among the main features of the ULTIMA series is a focus on people who love outdoor activities. On board there will be enough space for water toys, diving equipment, fishing. More details are not available at the moment.

Key features include thoughtful storage for toys, diving and fishing gear, and a semi-outdoor dining area aft. The aft deck will be complemented by folding bulwark platforms.

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21.03.2023