71 foot Tripp Design: Carbon ketch from KM Yachtbuilders - 100 per cent clean

Uske Berndt

· 16.01.2025

Bill Tripp drew a 22 metre long ketch that goes on long journeys without diesel but with a 220 kWh battery bank. The carbon hull will be delivered to KM Yachtbuilders in Makkum in spring 2025.

The deckhouse with solar panels on the roof protects guests from wind and weather. The view is tremendous, even from the vertical hull windows.

Carbon rig de luxe: sail handling is fully electric, the deck remains tidy and the working cockpit is separate from the guest cockpit.

3 Images

Photo: Tripp Design/KM Yachtbuilders

A superyacht entirely without fossil fuels - the 71-foot-long carbon ketch from Tripp Design is intended to show what can be achieved in terms of "sclean drives" is possible. KM Yachtbuilders has them under construction.

Topics in this article

A carbon construction from KM Yachtbuilders
Tripp design for safe and easy sail handling
The mizzen boom lifts the E-tender into the water

A young family placed the order, which presented the team led by designer Bill Tripp with an exciting challenge: a fully autonomous yacht for sailing around the world. The result is a 71-foot pilothouse ketch with five cabins, designed for long-distance voyages without a single drop of fuel. Two 25 kW engines, hydropower, solar energy, plug-in technology and, of course, the wind power the Carbonbau.

A carbon construction from KM Yachtbuilders

At first glance, the choice of building site at KM Yachtbuilders may seem unusual. The shipyard, based in Makkum, is known for its robust Bestevaer line and actually a specialist for aluminium hulls. In the past, the KM quay has also produced GRP formats, primarily in the Dykstra look with the characteristic deckhouse. For the Tripp design, the Dutch company outsourced the production of the carbon fibre hull to Paul Dijkstra Composites in Uitwellingerga, 30 kilometres inland. From spring 2025, KM Yachtbuilders will take over the outfitting and interior outfitting.

Tripp design for safe and easy sail handling

The Tripp Design team focussed on living comfort, creating a 360-degree view from the upper saloon, an aft master stateroom with private companionway and vertical windows that flood the interior with natural light.

Every detail of the handling is also designed for ease of use, including a self-tacking jib and a Code Zero electric furling jib. All lines come together below deck at a special point in front of the steering wheels to keep the deck clean and uncluttered. The custom-built lifting keel, which is adjustable from 12 to 6.2 feet, adapts the yacht to different sailing areas.

The mizzen boom lifts the E-tender into the water

Naturally, there is also an electric tender on board, which is charged from the 220 kWh battery bank of the mother ship. This tender enters the water from the garage via a single-point lift on the mizzen boom. Safety was also a top priority for the family, hence the ketch configuration for low, balanced loads. In addition, the cockpit is well protected and the side decks are non-slip.

Technical data Tripp 71

Type: Ketch
Length: 21.74 m
Width: 5.92 m
Draught: 1.90 - 3.65 m
Displacement: 31 tonnes
Hull material: Prepreg carbon fibre
Rig: Carbon
Construction / Design: Tripp Design
Shipyard: KM Yachtbuilders, 2024/25

This is how the carbon hull is made at Paul Dijkstra Composites:

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