Finn Lough, a luxury lakeside resort in Northern Ireland, will become one of the first hospitality destinations in Europe to offer its guests journeys via electric hydrofoiling vessel, after it introduces a catamaran designed and built by New Zealand-based marine technology company Vessev into service.
The vessel that will be introduced is a nine-metre catamaran that will fly above the water on carbon-fibre hydrofoils, producing minimal wake, noise and environmental impact.
Vessev said the vessel's all-electric propulsion and foiling technology will reduce energy costs by up to 90 per cent.
The catamaran belongs to a series developed by Vessev. The first example, named Kermadec, has been in regular operation in New Zealand's Auckland Harbour since early this year.
Because of the use of hydrofoils, the vessel’s hull can remain 50 cm above the surface of the water while underway, thus allowing the vessel itself to attain high transit speeds without being affected by waves even in bad weather. This then ensures a much more comfortable ride and little to no fatigue on the occupants.
The foils can also be fully retracted, and these combined with the vessel’s compact size will allow it to berth at existing marinas without the need for additional custom infrastructure. The vessel is also trailer-transportable for greater flexibility with regards to deployment.
The new catamaran is scheduled to arrive at Finn Lough in 2026.