Sailing Yacht Zero sea trials #04: Smart sail tech takes centre stage

The preparation for the sea trials of Sailing Yacht Zero continue with aplomb. Due to favourable weather conditions, the team hit a major milestone as the rigging crew began fitting sails to the vessel. The dock-tuning of the rigs and installation of the booms is also underway, while the main and mizzen sails are being readied for the hoist.

The sails serve a deeper purpose though. They’re key in hydrogeneration — converting motion through the water directly into stored electricity — which is one of the main energy sources for Sailing Yacht Zero.

Because of that, the team paid specific attention to reliability. They selected a proven slab-reefing system instead of in-boom furling to ensure mechanical issues never disrupt power generation. Effectively, the team cannot afford to have an issue with a mainsail being damaged, which would restrict the boat from sailing efficiently.

Of course, technological innovation is never far away when discussing Zero. What truly sets this project apart is its advanced data architecture. Fibre optics are embedded throughout the rig, tracking structural loads and giving the team in-depth insight into how the vessel is sailing.

On top of this, Sailing Yacht Zero also uses a LiDAR system that scans the sails in real time. Machine learning models then process this data to give the crew precise trim targets for any wind speed or angle. As the team prepares for initial sea trials, the ongoing fine-tuning of this high-tech sail package will be key to maximising energy output on the water.

Check back next week for more updates on the sea trial process.