VESSEL REVIEW | Kapuchino & Shampan – Hydrofoil boats for Russian Black Sea tour operator

Russian shipbuilder Paritet-Tsentr has completed construction of two new high-speed sightseeing vessels for operation on domestic routes in the Black Sea.

Kapuchino (Капучино; “Cappuccino”) and Shampan (Шампань; “Champagne”) belong to the Project L370 series of sightseeing vessels, each of which can transport up to 20 passengers at speeds in excess of 29 knots thanks to a hydrofoil fitted on the bow and two Yamaha 147kW (197hp) petrol outboard engines.

First two vessels in a growing fleet

The builder intends to deliver another eight units from the same series within this year. The inaugural customer of the Project L370 is shipowner Mashpromlizing, while Ilya Muromets will operate them under lease.

The all-aluminium vessels each have a length of 11.3 metres (37 feet), a beam of 4.1 metres (13 feet), a draught of only 0.53 metre (1.74 feet), and a depth of 0.97 metre (3.18 feet). The helm station is situated aft of the bow cabin where the passengers are seated. This configuration provides enhanced visibility for the helm operator.

Surrounding the helm operator's seat are additional seats for passengers who wish to view the surroundings without any obstructions.

The boats also each feature a three- by two-metre (9.8- by 6.6-foot) transparent polymer panel on the hull bottom to allow passengers to observe underwater environments and marine life from inside the bow cabin.

Efficient design elements for reduced environmental impact

As the hydrofoil enables each vessel’s hull to be raised above the surface of the water while underway, resistance is significantly reduced. The same high transit speeds can therefore be achieved even with less fuel consumed, making the vessels more environment-friendly and more economical to operate than their counterparts with traditional monohulls.

Design work on the Project L370 sightseeing vessels was completed by Russian naval architecture firm Forss Technology in compliance with Russian Maritime Register of Shipping class rules.