The ZEN50 has been designed from the ground up to be a true blue-water, zero-emission, comfortable fast cruiser.

Hydrodynamically, there is no doubt the ZEN50 hulls have been designed akin to those of performance/racing catamarans. No compromise on water resistance has been made. The lightweight reverse bow hulls are sharp as knives and ensure minimal drag while the clearance wing deck – water line is exceptionally high. To maintain great comfort and habitability in the hulls, a chine has been incorporated on the inboard side of the hulls, offering the best of both worlds. The hulls are designed to be built in light composite materials and feature a crash proof design with crash boxes forward/aft and watertight keels in case of accidental impact.

The electric propulsion train is made of the best and most efficient components on the market and uses keel protected saildrives for higher efficiency & compactness.

In order to maximize the solar energy harvest, the ZEN50 boasts a vast solar roof whose footprint is about the same as that of the vessel’s deck. Indeed, elegant roof forms follow energy capture function while also incorporating a rain water recovery system doubling as a gigantic top deck for sun lounging, functions, yoga and other leisurely activities (preferably outside the hottest hours of the day). Energy storage is taken care of with a high energy density large capacity battery bank with high level of redundancy.

The ZEN50 checks the two fundamentals of a true solar boat with a minimized energy consumption thanks to ultra-efficient lightweight hulls and propulsion train on the one hand and a maximized solar roof area for solar energy harvest on the other.

In addition to those unique features, the ZEN50 is the first production leisure craft in history to boast a fully automated semi-rigid wingsail. This “OW32” wingsail is an absolute game changer as it does not require any specific sailing skills thanks to its fully automated and touch screen controlled operation. The OW32 is designed and manufactured by Ayro, a spin-off of the world class yacht design and naval architecture bureau VPLP. It is an offspring of the Oracle wingsail that changed the course of sailing history forever during the America’s Cup of 2010 in Valencia and its overwhelming victory over the conventionally rigged multi-hull Alinghi.

Special attention has been paid to the user experience: Unequaled volumes above deck for a vessel this size, seamless interaction with the environment with great access to the sea, multiple lounge spaces on the main deck and flybridge, easy to launch yet lightweight electrical tender, full suite of diving gear and compressor. The ZEN50 also offers up to 4 guests double cabins, 2 individual crew cabins, 2 convertible tables into beds and 5 heads.

The ZEN50 has been designed from a blank slate by Award Winning Solar Boat Designer Julien Mélot. Julien is an Engineer in Electro-Mechanics and a Naval Architect who is passionate about merging renewable energy technologies and marine design. He has spent over a decade designing and building electric, solar & hydrogen boats. Julien received multiple acknowledgments for his work and designs, among others, the Awesome Foundation, Singapore Chapter, prize for a full solar trimaran design, the Solar Impulse and Efficient Solution labels for his solar-powered plastic collector catamaran “PlakMan 28”, the first Gustave Trouve Electric Boat Award in the 8+m category for his full solar cruising catamaran “Aquanima 40” and the list goes on. Julien has also managed the build of the first ever true hybrid tug boats with 4 units of escort tug boats successfully delivered to Svitzer Australia capable of cruising 2 hours with all engines off purely relying on a large Li-Ion battery bank. He has also designed and implemented the first auxiliary solar energy system on a large ferry in Singapore. With this long and unique experience in the field, Julien is considered an authority in the field and is often invited to talk at world class conferences (e.g. Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo; ADB’s Asia Clean Energy Forum; YARE “Green Agenda” Captain’s Forum) and contribute to world class yachting magazines (e.g. World of Yachts). For the ZEN50 design, Julien has received support from the famous naval architecture and yacht design bureau “VPLP” to optimize hull shapes, simulate multiple sailing scenarios and validate technical choices and design orientations.

Solar boats come in all shapes, forms and technical specifications. A true solar boat is a boat that is powered only from the sun and has therefore no need for either shore charging or the usage of an onboard genset (except for emergency situations of course) to cruise indefinitely at reasonable speeds. The solar energy harvested between dusk and dawn should be sufficient for the propulsion as well as all the hotel loads. In other words, a real solar boat does not hide a powerful genset and a large diesel tank and is energetically self-contained. Boats equipped with solar panels and large gensets are de facto hybrid diesel-solar-electric boats which is a different category and is not as eco-friendly.

The implementation of a wingsail on a solar-electric yacht represents the epitome of renewable energy usage for yacht propulsion. Often indeed, when there is no sun, there is wind, or there is both. Adding a wingsail reduces slightly the energy harvested due to the shade of the wing (by an estimated 20% factor when the sail is raised) but it offers a remarkable boost as soon as the wind speed reaches 6 knots and above. This allows the ZEN50 to sail consistently at high speeds while lowering the energy usage for propulsion and requiring no specific sailing skills. The sail offers more safety for open ocean passages as it allows the ZEN50 to increase speed as a front approaches and escape from adverse weather conditions while also offering more comfort by reducing the roll motion when in use. Furthermore, a wingsail does not require any stays or ropes and is fully automated.

As explained in the design philosophy above, the ZEN50 is as much of a true solar boat as it gets. Its ratio of solar power / displacement is by far the highest available on the market. The addition of the wingsail does not make this fact any less true.

On solar energy only, the ZEN50 has a continuous - this is 24/7 - of 5 knots with clear or lightly overcast skies, calm seas and normal hotel loads.

For day trips and no special attention paid to the energy remaining in the battery pack when coming back to berth, this speed goes up to 7 knots.

With the wingsail, clear to lightly overcast skies, calm seas, light to medium winds and normal hotel loads, the cruising speed varies between 6 and 9 knots - mostly depending on the wind.

With stronger winds, Force 4 to 6, the ZEN50 cruises at between 8 and 12 knots.

The top speed with strong winds and maximum electrical propulsive power is around 14 knots.

The estimated Atlantic crossing time is between 15 and 20 days. The ZEN50 is designed for unrestricted sailing and special attention has been paid to the safety of its passengers making it a very safe vessel while retaining its uncompromised zero-emission unique characteristics.

The ZEN50 has a true “infinite range at a continuous speed over 5 knots”. This vessel does not require recharging or refueling stops and can sail indefinitely while offering comfort and safety to its crew, produce its own water and offer a lot of fun and limitless adventure experience.

At higher speeds, the hulls displace greater quantities of water and similarly to cars, the resistance to the forward motion - surge - increases exponentially with the speed - exactly with the square value of the speed. Therefore, the range of the ZEN50 follows an exponential curve along the speed values. Translating these graphs into energy consumption and with calm seas and moderate solar irradiance, a 10-knot speed can be sustained for approximately 2 hours while an 8-knot speed can be kept for 10+ hours, 7-knot for 18+ hours, 6-knot for 30+ hours and 5-knot indefinitely.

First of all, let us deconstruct the “no sun” myth. Unless we enter a volcanic eruption apocalypse, the only sure thing about tomorrow is that the sun will rise. From this point, we can look at various scenarios relevant to the “no sun” question:

- Sailing in polar regions during winter: No one would want to do that unless forced to and this is not recommended to do with a solar boat. It is akin to consciously going cruising on a sailing yacht in an area where you know beforehand there will be no wind.

- Night: The battery bank is dimensioned to store sufficient energy to sail way past a long night at cruising speeds defined in the ZEN50 user manual, including the use of all required navigation equipment and hotel loads (fridges, freezers, air conditioning, etc.).

- Heavily overcast skies: It is important to understand that solar panels do not require direct sunlight to produce electrical power. Rather, it is the photons (light) in the UV’s that create an electrical current when they hit the photovoltaic wafers. It follows then that even with overcast skies, there is a residual power production, the magnitude of which depending on the thickness - opacity - of the cloud cover.

- In conclusion, during day time, there is never “no power production” from the solar roof, rather a possibly reduced one.

An interesting fact to note is that a thin cloud cover actually disperses the UV’s more homogenously than a clear sky and it is not rare to witness the solar roof producing 10 to 15% more power in those conditions than its rating.

The ZEN50, whether with or without wingsail is akin to a motor boat. Evidently, it is recommended - and often mandatory - to have a skipper certification or to hire a certified captain to sail any boat, be it engine or sail powered.

However, operating the wingsail does not require any “sailing” experience, as in no skills related to managing the sails of a sailing yacht. The ZEN50 takes care of everything wingsail related and all you have to do is move a cursor on a screen to request more or less power from the wingsail.

This choice is to be based both on your intended operation profile and budget. If you intend to cruise around the world across oceans and want to do so without having to use a genset ever, we recommend the wingsail.

If you, however, intend to use your ZEN50 as a coastal cruiser, for afternoons or weekends at sea at medium speeds or high speeds between multiple stops but without long open sea passages, the wingsail becomes optional. It would allow higher speeds but would add a cost of approximately USD 480,000 / EUR 425,000.

Lastly, if you cannot afford the wingsail but really want to sail around the world with the ZEN50, then the use of a small heavy duty genset onboard is inevitable and you should be comfortable with the fact that sometimes, you will have to fire up your genset. Note that thanks to its ultra-efficient design, the ZEN50 only requires a 20 kW genset to offer safe ocean passages.

The ZEN50 makes no compromise when it comes to:

- Zero-emissions

- Infinite range

- Continuous sailing at safe and enjoyable speeds

Hybrid solar electric vessels are fantastic and offer great speeds in a wide range of environments whilst being less eco-friendly than actual zero-emission vessels.

In conclusion, there is no “perfect” boat. Or rather, each vessel is perfect for its intended purpose as long as its limitations and characteristics are well understood by its owner.

You know it’s true if you believe that the first unit under production is not equipped with any genset whatsoever and will not have a single drop of fossil fuel. It is as simple as that. For those who intend to sail around the world or undertake long open sea passages, the wingsail replaces the genset to give a boost and save energy when solar irradiance is low or non existant.

The answer is more complex than it seems but the common basic explanation for both type of turbines is that they create drag - either aerodynamic or hydrodynamic - and therefore act as brakes and slow down the vessel in adverse conditions - wind and/or current.

The wingsail is far more efficient than wind turbines. Best in class wind turbines are offered as an option and can be a useful addition when at anchorage / mooring / alongside or when the wind angle is between 90 and 270°. To be consistent with the understanding that wind turbines are helpful but not in all conditions, the optional wind turbines of the ZEN50 have a portable design.

The same logic applies to hydro-turbines - or hydro-generators. It would make no sense to use them while motoring - as energy losses would be greater than gains - but they are a good addition when mostly powered by the wingsail or at a mooring with (very) strong currents. Like the wind turbines, the ZEN50 option list contains high end, portable, hydro-generators for those who deem them important.

While this is a good idea to maximize the solar harvest from every surface of the boat, it also comes with multiple disadvantages:

- It increases drastically the complexity of build and therefore the cost of the vessel, raising the entry barrier for new eco-sailors

- It increases the complexity and the risk of failure of the electrical installation. The solar cells are more exposed than on a solar roof and their replacement is costly and complex.

- It renders almost impossible the upgrade of the solar cells when they become obsolete (large areas of the boat would have to be scraped off and re-built)

- It increases the overall weight of the vessel, therefore its energy consumption, therefore its need for more solar cells while providing little output. Vertical cells will indeed capture substantially less solar energy than horizontal cells will. In addition, it is inevitable that part of those cells - half or more to be exact - will at any time be shaded and therefore produce nothing or close to nothing, being extra weight to be carried.

Because they are lighter and offer greater freedom of forms, a very welcomed flexibility when it comes to shape the hulls for the highest possible efficiency without any constructive compromise.

Special attention has been paid since the early design stage to minimize the carbon footprint of the ZEN50 fabrication by optimizing the structure layout, selecting the most advanced carbon fiber and choosing, whenever sensible and possible, sustainable materials - e.g. cork decking, bamboo indoor lining, etc. By optimizing the structure and reducing the weight, less materials go into the fabrication of the ZEN50 and naturally, the carbon bill lessens.

However, it is honest to say that the overall carbon footprint of the ZEN50 fabrication will be only slightly lower or similar to any other performance carbon catamaran this size with the addition of a battery bank similar to that of a large electrical car. The exact numbers are compiled as the construction of the first unit goes and will be made public once the build is complete.

It is ZEN Yachts commitment to improve on the fabrication footprint of our yachts until reaching net zero before 2030.

Yes, using mostly basalt fiber - close to Kevlar in mechanical properties but 100% carbon neutral if procured from the right supplier - in conjunction with water-based resin and recycled core or organic core.

The ZEN50 is built in Spain in an ISO certified boatyard with highly skilled labor.

The ZEN50 requires substantially less maintenance than any vessel with diesel engines, be it direct drives or generators. It also requires less regular bilge cleaning thanks to the complete absence of fuel onboard. Gone are the choked tanks and fuel pumps, the regular oil and filter changes, the issues with exhaust pipes. Solar panels, wingsail, electric motors and batteries are all maintenance-free and accessible from anywhere for troubleshooting and over the air upgrades.

Standard factory warranty terms, e.g. 8 years warranty on the hull structure, 10 years on the solar panels, 8 years on the batteries.

The first ZEN50 is estimated to be launched in summer 2024. Make sure to join our online community and subscribe to our newsletter to be kept closely informed on all details of the build and the exact date of launch and sea trials. As a ZEN50 online community member, you will also have the opportunity to book one of the first slots to join the sea trials of the first unit.

Yes you can order a ZEN50!

In order to secure your spot on the production line, you will be asked to pay a refundable EUR 25,000 reservation deposit. In the next 3 following months, a non-refundable design and specification deposit of EUR 25,000 will be requested to finalize your custom boat layout, materials and specification. Once those are approved, the contract can be signed and the first instalment is paid to ZEN.

The ZEN purchase contracts are structured in such a way that instalments cover the value created and you as our Client, retain ownership of whatever portion of the vessel that has been built, equipment purchased, etc. We also offer an optional financial cover with the paid-up amounts being escrowed throughout the production of the yacht.

Currently, the total lead delivery time from first contact to delivery is estimated around 16 months.

Our Charter division is currently preparing packages to support you in your ZEN eco-yacht ownership and will be ready to assist by Q3 2023.

Yes, through our ZEN Ownership Programme, our ZEN Charter division will ensure constant income is generated through the charter and management of your ZEN yacht whenever you are not using it and there is a charter demand.

Yes, ZEN will start taking orders for the ZEN65 Hydrogen starting 2024.

When designing our yachts, we focus on sizing the structural layout and creating a highly efficient hull, reducing the energy needed to propel our ZEN yachts. Attention goes all the way to details such as optimising cable lengths on board to minimise use of material and weight.

Instead of heavy fiberglass, we’re using carbon for our hulls. Whenever sensible and possible, sustainable materials - e.g. cork decking, bamboo indoor lining, basalt fiber etc. For the future, we are actively exploring alternative battery technologies to reduce the environmental, social and safety risks associated with lithium-ion batteries.

We are working to build our own shipyard, which will aim to be carbon negative over time – meaning it will offset more carbon emissions than it produces. We plan to build the yard using sustainable and upcycled materials with the aim of showing a new industrial model is possible if thought through carefully from the first napkin sketches.

As an integral part of and decision factors in our procurement policy and process, we take the environmental footprint of our suppliers and logistics into account, and we choose the greenest alternative whenever possible.

As employees of ZEN we agree to behave in certain ways, this goes from the coffee we drink in the office to the transport we use to commute to work.

Ranging from toxic discharges, to noise, CO2 or waste disposal, marine pollution is putting unsustainable pressure on the most vital ecosystems of our planet.

We envision a world where humans could roam the oceans of our blue planet on safe and reliable boats, yachts or large vessels that are solely powered by the sun and wind and are driven by conscious skippers, aware of their important responsibility in preserving life on Earth.