Navier’s Quanta-R Foiling Yacht Can Cruise for 700 Nautical Miles
Navier has announced that it had modified its electric foiling platform to run with a hybrid diesel-electric engine. The 30-foot Quanta-R will have a 700-mile-plus range, according to the company, in seas up to 4.1 feet. The foiling boat will be built on Navier’s Pioneer hull, which Robb Report has tested over the last three years in multiple forms, including the first production model last week at FLIBS.
“Most 30-foot gas boats top out around 400 nautical miles,” Sampriti Bhattacharyya, CEO of Navier, told Robb Report. “The Quanta-R goes 700 nautical miles at a cruise speed of 20 knots. It’s super stable, has the range so you can do things like offshore fishing or long-distance cruising. It fundamentally changes what everyday boaters can do.” The Navier founder said it would appeal to boaters who want a sustainable alternative to a fully electric boat.
Navier has designed its foiling boats with the same triple foils and electric powerplants, but the Quanta-R involved a redesign of the weight-sensitive hull for balance and stability. The company also redesigned its foils so the boat can run above six-foot seas.
The Kairo design, with its rear open cabin, is the second configuration from the electric builder.
Navier
The builder, based in Alameda, Calif., has been busy designing other iterations including the Kairo, a limited-edition Pioneer Edition that combines a closed forward section of the cabin with a more stylish, sporty rear-facing area. It will be delivered to the first owner in March. Last summer, Navier unveiled an Oscar de la Renta interior in the Hamptons aboard a white-hulled Pioneer. It had interior decor from the designer as well as other luxe brands. Navier is also introducing an Open Version as an alternative to the cabin version for areas like South Florida.
At FLIBS, Navier unveiled a more option-heavy Pioneer 2 edition, with advanced software, Starlink, the ability to control the boat from cell-phone app, a sunbed, joystick control and cameras, and designer interiors. It will retail for $875,000.
The Navier team took me out for a spin away from the show on its first production boat, owned by Rich Ross. Compared to the prototypes I’d tested two years ago in San Francisco, the cabin was beautifully finished, with the rear electric motors looking like stylized outboards rather than the clunky prototype boxes I saw two years ago.
Navier will launch an open version for sunny areas like South Florida where center consoles are common.
Navier
Ross, who has owned everything from superyachts to multiple small boats, has become Navier’s lead brand ambassador—and contributed multiple ideas to make the first N30 more boater-friendly with specific details such as cupholders, a lavatory and ergonomic screen. He likens the experience to several Teslas he’s owned.
Up on foils, riding six feet above the water, the Navier prompts other boaters to point and wave as we glide by, moving up to the top speed of 30 knots. Ross, who uses his Navier to cruise around his home on Hilton Head, South Carolina, is used to the response. “I’ve enjoyed all my vessels,” said Ross, as he pulled away from the dock. “But this is absolutely the most fun I’ve had on a boat.”
