Sailboats “powered,” robots adjusting sails. Where are we going?

We had already told you – sparking a discussion about “is it sailing or is it not sailing?” – of the new BD56, designed by the Spanish shipyard BD Yachts, the so-called “SUV of the sea.” A “16-meter superyacht” that sails, but is also capable of motor gliding.

And it will do so through a special installation of the engines. Designers were faced with the difficulty of finding the right solution, in terms of motorization, to facilitate gliding. High-trust propellers would have been needed, but none existed with folding blades, and their friction would have held back sailing. Retractable propellers were also studied but this was a complex and expensive solution. So, in the end, BD Yachts opted, as you see in the initial rendering, for some classic outboard motors “hidden” in the transom, in a ventilated and large space to accommodate them once hoisted for sailing. With two 350-horsepower outboards, the boat can reach 21 knots. And goodbye engine room.

SAILING WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO GO? NO THANKS
Motor sailboats, easy sailing to the nth degree, electric winches that cock and leave, where is sailing going? Is this the end of the dear old “sea dog”? Let us make some considerations. It has been a few months (it was the end of 2015) since we first introduced you to Harken and Jeanneau’s AST (Assisted Sail Trim) system, which can adjust the boat’s sails by itself. And it was immediate controversy: “But how! Now even those who are not capable will go on the boat!” The doubt was indeed understandable and legitimate…. Instead, we have now had the opportunity to try the AST aboard the new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 519, and we can say it: things are not quite like that; in fact, in some ways you need to be even more prepared. In fact, AST only works well if the sails are adjusted correctly before activating it. In short, one always has to have the “handle” and have the sensitivity in sail adjustment proper to a randist or a good tailer.

We have been talking about easy sailing for many years: first it was because of the self-tacking jib, then came electric winches even on medium-sized boats. But with Assisted Sail Trim, the concept of easy sailing takes a big leap forward. is that right? Isn’t that right? The debate promises to be heated and features on one side the “purists,” those enthusiasts who maintain a concept of sailing from another time, when one not only had to know how to sail, but had to be prepared to toil. On the other hand, there are those who use the boat mostly as a family, perhaps are not too athletic and especially struggle to find a willing crew. Let’s face it, how many times have you spent Sunday at the dock because the friends you were supposed to go out boating with had stood you up? However, everyone can be certain of one thing: no matter how technological the sailboat may become, at the heart of it all will always be the skills of the sailor in each of us.