Ferrari Hypersail: The world’s most radical offshore racer?

Enzo Ferrari was never one to take the easy route. When he founded Scuderia Ferrari in 1929, he did not do so because it was sensible – but because he believed in something greater than reason. What began as a small racing team in Maranello grew into one of the most iconic motorsport dynasties in history. Dozens of Formula 1 world championships, victories at Le Mans, Spa and Monza – all built on the foundation of a single principle that continues to shape the brand’s DNA to this day: “Dare to do the difficult things to create something new.” It is precisely this spirit that lives on in the Hypersail project.

What happens when Ferrari applies its motorsport expertise – honed over decades – to the world of sailing, with money being virtually no object? The answer is a 30-metre offshore racer that completely blurs the lines between a racing yacht and a floating technology laboratory. Just as the Scuderia once redefined Formula 1, Project Hypersail is now set to revolutionise sailing. This time, however, not with an internal combustion engine and a leap second, but by consistently eschewing fossil fuels.

Visual parallels from the world of Ferrari

The foiling monohull relies on a clever combination of solar and wind power, as well as the crew’s muscle power. At its heart is a newly developed energy management concept that supplies all on-board systems with electricity – making it completely self-sufficient, even under the most extreme offshore conditions. Hypersail is far more than just a project. The 30-metre carbon-fibre vessel, optimised aerodynamically and hydrodynamically by Guillaume Verdier – the ‘magician of fast lines’ (Issue 6/25) – has long been under construction and will soon be ready for its first hours of flight.

By removing the hull from the mould, the team recently completed the first phase of this ambitious project. Ferrari’s Head of Design, Flavio Manzoni, working in close collaboration with designer Verdier, ensured that the origins of this foiling sailing machine are unmistakable. If you look closely, you’ll spot a number of parallels with the world of Rosso Corsa – that red colour so closely associated with the Ferrari brand.

The streamlined silhouette of this record-breaker is reminiscent of the proportions of the Ferrari Monza SP1/SP2, whilst the deckhouse incorporates design elements from the Le Mans-winning 499P. The livery combines ‘Grigio Hypersail’ – the natural grey hue of the carbon fibre hull – with ‘Giallo Fly’, a shade of yellow with historical significance that first appeared on the 275 GTB. The yellow on the superstructure, foils and hull lines echoes the colour scheme of the legendary 512 BB and creates an emotional connection to Ferrari’s DNA.

A team of experts coordinates the wide range of innovations

The project is now entering a new phase, focusing on the installation of technical systems, their validation and functional integration – accompanied by continuous performance optimisation. Professional sailor and exceptional athlete Enrico Voltolini is the head of this extraordinary offshore racing project. He works closely with Ferrari’s Head of Vehicle Engineering and Hypersail’s Chief Technology Officer, Matteo Lanzavecchia. Also on board is technical team leader Marco Ribigini. Together, this enthusiastic trio is coordinating one of the world’s most challenging one-off developments in modern boatbuilding.

Simulations were carried out prior to construction

Before the first carbon fibre mats could be impregnated with resin, the project underwent an intensive validation process, as CTO Matteo Lanzavecchia explains. “We tested the boat over many months in a complex digital simulation. During this lengthy simulation and validation phase, which involved up to 13 hours of computing time per day, we modelled the foiler’s behaviour under real ocean conditions: wind patterns, sea state patterns, energy flows, actuator dynamics and system failure scenarios,” said the expert from Maranello. This simulation was not an academic exercise, but formed the basis for every design decision – from the positioning of the solar panels and the sizing of the batteries to the design of the winches.

The Ferrari Hypersail project is redefining technological and performance benchmarks in one of the world’s most challenging environments. Four different types of wings act as performance boosters for this exceptional boat, which is just under 30 metres long: an elevator on the rudder, rotating T-foils on the curved arms, and a horizontal wing at the end of the keel bulb. This, in turn, is attached to a canting keel – a feature previously unseen on fully foiling sailboats of this size. When both foil arms are folded down – which can provide stability not only during tacks and jibes but also in strong winds – the carbon-fibre speedster reaches a maximum width of 20 metres. With this mixture of dynamic lift aids – both daring and extreme – the Hypersail team led by Guillaume Verdier is breaking new ground.

Two-way technology transfer

There are many ways in which technology has been transferred from the world of sports cars. Over more than 20 years of development work, Ferrari’s engineers have built up in-depth expertise in the field of active chassis control. The new Luce electric car, for example, features four independent electric motors that precisely control each individual tyre in all three degrees of freedom – vertical movement, rotation and roll. It is precisely this control expertise that is now being applied to the Foiler. This unit, featuring two integrated electric motors rated for 800 volts, has been adapted for the Hypersail and fitted at a 90-degree angle. On the one hand, the electric motor drives the propeller, which is used exclusively for manoeuvring in harbour. Once the boat is flying on the foils, it is no longer required. Furthermore, the same shaft powers a high-pressure pump that supplies the entire hydraulic system for foil control and the trim system.

The aerodynamics experts from Maranello also played their part. Whilst the F80 supercar prioritises maximum downforce, the Luce focuses on minimal drag. The simulation methodology developed by Ferrari for both vehicles was applied directly to the Hypersail’s foil geometries.

In Part 2 of the Ferrari Hypersail article, we reveal how the patented “Winch-by-Wire” system works, converting muscle power directly into electrical energy, storing it centrally and deploying it as and when required. And we explain what the key advantage of this innovation is.