Solar-powered racing might sound about as high-octane as needlework, but if Vripack’s new V20 design concept is anything to go by, the sport has the potential to be much more interesting than it seems.

Vripack V20

Could solar racing really take off in the UK? Vripack has designed the ultra-light foiling V20 to find out how m uch interest there really is (or isn't).



 

Rather than design a concept merely to pique our interest or to show off their technical ability, Vripack has introduced this new 20-foot solar boat concept in a bid to light the touch paper for an international one-design race circuit. Bart Bouwhuis and Marnix Hoekstra, Directors at Vripack, explain (albeit in a rather vague fashion) the thinking behind the new boat: “The V20 is an excellent way to bring our knowledge of solar racing to the world in our typical holistic approach. We don’t simply design boats; we engineer fantasies.”

Well I have personal experience of running (and failing to run) a modest laptop on the strength of solar power here in the UK, so the idea that a boat should be made to move at 30 knots on the strength of nothing but sunlight seems extremely improbable. And yet when you look more closely at the design of the V20, that remarkable 30-knot claim seems far less unlikely…

In addition to extremely lightweight composite construction, the key element is the use of hydrofoils. These are designed to help lift the hull free of the water, thereby limiting drag and making the very most of the limited power. It makes a lot of sense. After all, on a hydrofoil-equipped pedal boat, the power of just one man’s legs is sufficient to register speeds of around 18 knots - and that really is true because I’ve witnessed it.

Solar GP

Vripack V20 - solar grand prix.



 

Of course, whether the perennially meddlesome RYA would allow a popular new race series to develop in the UK without gatecrashing the party is highly dubious. And whether the concept of solar racing itself will ever fully graduate from the minds of engineering idealists to the agendas of thrill-seeking powerboat racers is also a matter for serious dispute. Nonetheless, the V20 series is set to be a reality in 2014, so if you want to get involved at the forefront of the solar racing wave, ignore the doubters and sign yourself up.

For more solar boating news and reviews, see: Solar power: ingenious solutions for boaters.

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.