THE SERENE HIGH SEAS PICNIC ABOARD THE SUNREEF 80 ECO

By #GBLX68

It was a fantastic Sunday, beautiful perfect March weather in Dubai, ready for the picnic cruise aboard the SUNREEF 80 ECO. The navy blue catamaran, the SUNREEF 80 ECO standing strong and rock solid at the Palms harbour, its beautiful blue stance, its curvaceous twin hulls connected by a bridge deck, the 39 feet giant beam accommodates an expansive fly bridge, as the fluid lines exude a stylish design silhouette, this is the ultimate sea experience to have for the multi-millionaire, approximate $5mn+, options excluded.

The SUNREEF 80 ECO is the perfect symbiosis of beauty, luxury, design, sustainability, innovation, elegance, and architecture expertise. Sunreef has certainly pioneered the craftsmanship of the luxury SUNREEF ECO 80 with their unique innovative technology, fully-autonomous craft, and revolutionary green tech for fuel-free cruising into the tranquility of your sea journey.

Sunreef Yachts founder Francis Lapp said: “The Sunreef 80 Eco is all about responsible sailing and relying on renewable energy. We are now pairing the industry’s most innovative solar power system with hydro generation. On top of that, the yacht will be able to save massive amounts of energy thanks to an air-conditioning system available exclusively on Sunreef Yachts catamarans.”

Francis Lapp is the founder of Sunreef Yachts since 2002, based in Gdansk, Poland. Sunreef Yachts has been designing and manufacturing luxury sailing and power multihulls since 2002.

As I entered the rear (stern) of the 80 ECO, was greeted by the warmth of the crew and beautiful set table with delicious breakfast spread waiting, with fresh fruit juices and coffee. When you are alone, there is pin drop silence, no engine noise, no harshness, no vibrations, just enjoy the lovely tunes of the live pianist.

The entire layout of the 80 ECO is very well designed, modular, very spacious for better placing of the seating area, dining, etc., just like the lavish designed penthouse, but let’s not forget the bar, with plush thick carpeting, well placed soft lighting, and the gentlemen always need a bar with a cigar humidor.  

There are total seven cabins – five guest cabins for double occupancy, and a luxurious master suite, décor with a walk-in dressing, a sofa, a big screen retractable TV, plush soft bed with a large bathroom, for those long showers.

The SUNREEF 80 ECO is truly world class, no wonder, tennis legend Rafael Nadal to F1 stars Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso are proud owners, with other star owners. Infarct, Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso love the SUNREEF 80 ECO as much as F1, they are brand ambassadors for the SUNREEF YACHTS.

The starboard hull comprises of three cabins, including one for the crew, adorned with luxury bedding, marble attired bathrooms and enjoy the sea view through the large windows, all with the night zone offering controlled temperature, peace. The 12.00m beam accommodates an expansive fly bridge, and the aft deck can easily host up to 16 guests. As you enter the spacious main saloon, a very large dining table for 10 guests is placed, set with lovely cutlery and crockery, welcoming comfy L shaped sofa, very comfortable and warm welcome feeling.

The Sunreef 80 Eco has a custom 4-cabin layout with a contemporary, elegant décor and with sports and entertainment in mind for the proud owners. The 80 ECO interiors are designed luxury in mind. The owner can do a complete customization of the interiors, you can choose the fabrics, colors, fixtures, furnishings, and choice of materials from the wide list of options that best suits your personality and tastes, reflecting your own personal space. ECO 80 provides bespoke interior craftsmanship, innovative design and engineering for your sailing lifestyle.

“We take a great step forward with this truly pioneering yacht. Renewable energy is the key element in the design of the Sunreef 80 Eco. Thanks to a revolutionary solar power system, a hydro-generation and performance sail, the Sunreef 80 Eco provides full autonomy, relying on the sun, water and wind.” – Francis Lapp Sunreef, Yachts Founder and President.

Time to feel the freedom and be exposed to the fresh air, I head to the Eco 80’s fly bridge, enjoy the 360-degree view, having an espresso martini and smoking a Partagas, we cruised onto the open Persian Gulf, cruised past the Burl Al Arab, Dubai Eye, later we docked outside the Rixos hotel, enjoyed the pleasant breeze and the panoramic views. Speaking of the bar earlier, an essential furniture, there is a four-seat bar, fully equipped with malts, vodkas, gins, champagne, etc, bordered by a full-beam bank of daybeds, and a circular Jacuzzi can be planned.

The bow benefits from a cozy lounge, well shielded from sun and wind, and with the sunken lounge extended to the foredeck with two separate seating areas. To the aft, the saloon merges with the generous cockpit extended with a large aft platform, as the aft cockpit maximizes the yacht’s 38ft beam, opening to a chilled out large relaxation zone, includes a swim platform, dining table and large daybed.

The areas combined form a universal, open environment where flexibility and freedom reign. While housing the main helm, the 54m² fly bridge is definitely dedicated to leisure with more than enough space for movable furniture, a jacuzzi, fully-equipped wet bar, a barbecue and large sun pads. Once aboard, you will never want to leave and just head towards Cannes. The SUNREEF 80 ECO is the new era in the sustainable luxury eco of green technologies. You can even go for jog, with the treadmills provided, open fresh air. Fantastic.

Let’s go and meet the captain and see his cockpit and understand the electric powered dynamics, at the fly bridge. What seem to be the large touch screens, the captain can control the power to the yacht, docking, etc, while monitoring all on-board functions, from the two 180kW electric motors to lower the aft swim platform. The screens provide all relevant data and information of the main battery bank, stacked with five lithium units of 183 Ah at 600V each, the heart of the system, and can monitor the state of charge, discharge, temperature, voltage, consumption – just a touch of the fingertip, provide in figures or graphs, immediately. The indicators are ergonomically designed to have quick glance of the health of the heart of the SUNREEF 80 ECO.

To power electronics, lighting, and curtains/blinds, etc, with reliable continuous power is very tricky for the electric powered catamaran, provision is made to provide power asap and this the inverters job, when either is being used and other not.

Let’s see the conditions of the two electric motors, just a touch of the fingertip, the captain flips to the page, monitoring the conditions, the readings are perfect. The 475-kW battery compartment is completely air-conditioned are monitored by thermal cameras, to detect any abnormal rise in temperature. The same page, monitoring of pumps, lighting, navigation lights, fresh water, waste water, diesel tanks, and so on continues.

You want to dance and party, sipping on Martinis and Champagne, you can lower the aft swim platform, powered by hydraulics, opening to a full-beam beach club, featured sun loungers and additional sofas, capable of hosting parties for up to 16 people, flanked by two staircases from the main deck, super cool, and voila Jet ski exists, to have a sea blast, onto the water.

As we moved out of the Palms harbor, leaving behind the docked yachts, heading out to the Persian gulf, under motor mode, 5 knots, then cruising speed, about seven knots, as a clear path emerged, 10 knots (18.5 kph), full power, but super silent, smooth, just the waves hitting the hull, having the cigar and sipping on the Espresso Martini. At 10 knots, the consumption is then 30kW per engine, the reading displays, 8hrs of full autonomy, and up to 12 hours on a sunny day, fun, joy with no recharging, bliss, immerse yourself in the serenity, and designed for long offshore navigation.

The Bridge deck connects the two hulls; the inside is the cabin, you will find well interior designed berths (beds), of course fully customizable as per buyers tastes and preferences, including mirrored ceilings, elegant bathrooms, a compact, still roomy enough galley (kitchen), with the top part being the deck, and the entire unit is called the bridge deck. With a completely fresh superstructure concept, the Sunreef 80 eco gains a saloon plan with an outstanding potential for customization. A vast, central lounging space with panoramic view and endless layout possibilities, it opens both onto the bow terrace and cockpit.

The main saloon, equipped with two sofas, 10 guests dining table, and for entertainment, a large screen TV. The four cabins are located on the lower deck can accommodate 10 guests and with crew quarters aft.

The hulls provide impressive space to set up a custom layout including airy, luxurious guest cabins and an opulent master suite with a walk-in dressing, desk, sofa, closets, retractable TV and an immense bathroom. A perfect setting to unwind, relax after a long day in the sun or at work.

To be on safe side, especially when it’s a cloudy day and on long cross country cruise, SUNREEF has made provision for two generators, a safety backup. If the amperage of the batteries drops too low, the generator starts automatically, and it’s high on the decibels, even though it’s ensconced with double walls.

Sunreef Yachts is embracing a greener way to cruise in luxury by harnessing cutting-edge technology and impactful beautiful design, to deliver efficient solar electric yachts with unrivalled performance and range. As being responsible towards the environment, being conscious and to protect the environment, have engineered the 80 ECO for optimal fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, without any compromise to luxury, comfort or style.

Sunreef has done a commendable feat with ground breaking design and modern day superyacht building on their ECO catamaran series with cruising efficiencies.

Nicolas Lapp, R&D Strategy Director/Consultant at Sunreef Yachts says: “With our Eco yachts, we respond to increasing demand for green solutions. We are happy to introduce trend-setting, environmentally friendly crafts such as Eco-yacht “E”. The demand that we observe is high and we are responding to it. “

The 23.8m Sunreef Power Eco 80 has set the ultimate standard for being at the forefront of unmatched sustainable seafaring for years to come. The catamaran is adorned from waterline to bimini roof, elegantly flushed, with 164m2 of state-of-the-art solar panels, weighing 360 kilograms and generating 40 kilowatts of power per hour, and ethically sourced materials used throughout. The Sunreef Power Eco 80 is designed exclusively for pioneers and to be the leader in the green revolution. Using a proprietary solar power system, electric propulsion, cutting-edge batteries and eco build materials, the Eco line offers a 360° sustainable cruising experience.

Sunreef Yachts Eco sail catamarans are equipped with advanced electric engines powered by ultralight, custom-engineered battery banks, offering unrivalled energy efficiency for long, vibration and fume-free navigation. They feature top quality recyclable sails providing solid performance in all conditions, the gold mark in eco-responsible yachting, with fully electric for silent cruising and infinite range.

The twin 180kW electric engines powers the yacht’s wind-free propulsion, and while sailing the advanced hydro generation system adds to the on-board charging systems, by recovering energy from the rotation of the two propellers, producing an output of over 15kWh, but sailing above seven knots. This energy generated is used to power both the propulsion and house appliances.

Thanks to Sunreef Yachts’ proprietary solar power system, the Sunreef 80 Eco can generate up to 45,5kWp. Covering a total area of 164m² solar panels are integrated with various composite structures of the yacht including the mast, boom, superstructure and hull sides.

The luxury catamaran is fitted with a state of the art, ultralight battery bank (30% lighter than the average batteries used in the nautical industry) with a density of less than 5.2kg / kWh for increased weight-efficiency and performance. Sunreef’s patented bespoke ultra-lightweight batteries can last for around 5,000 discharge-charge cycles, giving ten years of usage before replacing, a critical and important feature for energy at night time and during cloudy days.

Sunreef Yachts Eco electric motor yachts offer a wide range of ethically-sourced and eco-responsible finishing materials bringing luxury and sustainability together.

The all-electric Sunreef 80 Eco is a fully-autonomous craft using revolutionary green tech for fuel-free cruising in total silence and luxury. Designed and built to navigate in complete harmony with the elements, the Sunreef 80 Eco is a pioneer in the world of responsible yachting.

The Sunreef 80 Eco generates renewable energy both above and below the water waist line, also generating power from rotation of the propellers while sailing, perfectly created for long offshore silent cruises.

So what is the main source of power, the part or panel, which assists in capturing the solar rays and stores it in the battery bank? The solar panels are the best highlight of the Sunreef 80 Eco and Sunreef’s research dept. has done some amazing revolutionary innovative engineering with the solar panels, the entire yacht industry has commended SUNREEF.

The Sunreef 80 Eco is the world’s first catamaran, to have solar skin, ultra-lightweight composite-integrated solar panels, an innovative tech marvel, and the world’s lightest and toughest solar cells, engineered and produced by the Sunreef engineers. The engineers have installed 1,765sqft (approx. 160sqm) of solar panels (photovoltaic system), delivering up to 45,5kWp, wrapped around the hull topsides and the carbon mast. It is flushed and integrated with the hull sides, superstructure, boom, fly bridge roof and carbon mast, impossible to recognize the seamless and fluid silhouettes, and can easily be replaced if damaged. It resembles a woman attired with a camouflage dress, exuding her beautiful aura.

The exceptional feature of the solar panels are less than a millimeter thick, relatively light at 0.3 lbs per square foot and weigh approx. 1.5kg/sqm, strong, flexible, and very efficient. The durable, high quality solar panels are invented by the Sunreef R & D team and manufactured in-house with a 25-30 year lifespan. The innovative solar panels have welcomed many orders for the same, a trade secret of Sunreef, it has made it a profit centre.  

The philosophy of SUNREEF ECO series is to offer the proud owners who are environment conscious, a holistic approach to green yachting with endless possibilities for customization, harnessing energy from the elements using the latest innovative technologies, providing a truly sustainable cruising experience. With this philosophy in mind, they happily and completely satisfied a new generation of yacht buyers and who endorsed profoundly an agreement with Sunreef’s sustainably-focused mind-set.

Sunreef Yachts celebrated a spectacular double victory during the World Yachts Trophies 2021, with the 70 Sunreef Power voted as Best Motor Catamaran and the Sunreef Yachts Eco Range winning the Green Yacht Trophy.

With the 70 Sunreef Power voted as Best Power Driven Catamaran and the Sunreef Yachts Eco range winning the Eco Green Catamarans Trophy, Sunreef Yachts gains two precious awards, recognizing the shipyard’s expertise and know-how in luxury multihull design. For the highlight of the evening, the luxurious 60 Sunreef Power Otoctone 60 joined the annual Yacht Parade.

The Green Yacht Trophy crowns the success of the Sunreef Yachts Eco Range in the domain of eco boating. The Sunreef Yachts Eco range is a concept of eco-responsible sailing and power luxury catamarans. To create a more sustainable cruising experience, the shipyard combines hi-tech electric propulsion, an in-house produced solar power system, smart energy management and ethically-sourced finishing materials.

Sunreef Yachts Eco won the German Design Award 2022 hosted by the German Design Council. Rewarded the most inspiring designs across various industries worldwide, the jury recognized the Sunreef Yachts Eco solar power system as the best product in the Eco Design category.

The jury of the German Design Awards voted Sunreef Yachts’ in-house engineered solar power system as the best Eco Design in the Excellent Product Design category. The German Design Awards honor the companies contributing to a better future with their innovative spirit. With accolades including the World Yachts Trophy, the UIM Environmental Award and Gustave Trouvé Award, Sunreef Yachts Eco are an avant-gardist range of sustainable catamarans promoting a new philosophy of responsible boating.

Fernando Alonso is the brand ambassador since: September 2021. Two-time Formula 1® World Champion Fernando Alonso commissioned a custom 60 Sunreef Power Eco catamaran with Sunreef Yachts.

Nico Rosberg is brand ambassador since: July 2020. Sustainability entrepreneur and Formula 1® World Champion. Proud owner of the sailing Sunreef 80 and ambassador of the Sunreef Yachts Eco line of sustainable luxury yachts.

The all-electric Sunreef 80 Eco will make her official World premiere at Cannes Yachting Festival 2022. The exclusive solar catamaran will be on display at the Port Canto throughout the show, September 6-11’ 2022.