Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login The black and grey tones of its sleek carbon-fibre hull make it look slightly ominous, perhaps even military. And its ability to silently sneak up also suggests this might be some sort of stealth weapon.
But the real point of difference with the $750,000, electrically powered, Candela C-8 on which Life & Leisure is cruising Sydney Harbour becomes obvious once it hits 16 knots, or about 30km/h. At that point, this Swedish-built pleasure craft rises on its front and rear foils, and flies above the water with astonishing smoothness and almost no wake. The Candela C-8 is claimed as the first foiling electric boat in Australia, and it could well be the sign of things to come.
After all, electricity offers the cleanest and quietest form of power-boating, and foiling the most efficient. The Candela C-8 flits smoothly across Sydney Harbour. It’s not all upside: a battery increases the upfront price and restricts range, while foils add cost and complexity, and the boat needs to drop back into the water if the swell is too large.
But for, say, a day on Sydney Harbour and surrounds, the Candela makes for a very appealing package. Modern computing power has been the game changer for foils, which is why they are being used for electric ferries and, more prominently, America’s Cup and SailGP racing yachts. Candela claims the C-.