Baltic 142 ‘Canova’: Gliding through the blue with minimal heel thanks to its foils

​By fitting a DSS foil that travels horizontally through the water, the owner of the 43-metre-long ‘Canova’ aimed to reduce heel. A detailed yacht profile highlights all the finer points of Baltic Yachts’ fast carbon cruiser. This exceptional vessel is now listed for sale.

The most immediate confirmation of the creation of a timeless design comes from its encounter with history. Thus, the newly delivered ‘Canova’ sits quite naturally in front of the Amsterdam Maritime Museum, a 17th-century Baroque building. The 43.30-metre vessel appears neither out of place nor obsequious; even its size seems to fade into the background thanks to the design by the Milanese architect Lucio Micheletti The carefully considered proportions and the moderate freeboard height – extremely clean lines that conceal a wealth of complex technologies.

To get an idea of its dimensions, one need only glance into the open hatch behind the bow. Down in the sail locker, Mattia Belleri stands next to two drums taller than a man. The Italian has been the ‘Canova’s’ captain for many years and was also commissioned by the owner this time to oversee the project management. Just like her predecessor – which was seven metres shorter and also named after the Italian Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova – the owner once again had the Baltic Yachts’ shipyards in northern Finland manufactured. From carbon, of course. Even the two-metre-high wheels next to Belleri are made from this lightweight, high-performance fibre. The headsails – even the large, bulbous ones – wrap around their rims at the touch of a button on the display. But this is only possible because the triangular-shaped Code Zero has four corners and clew points to make it easier to roll up, Belleri reveals. The crew hoist the gennaker just behind the stem. The absence of a bowsprit once again highlights the yacht’s primary cruising design, albeit an extremely ambitious one. This is because the Farr designers have positioned the 54-metre-long carbon mast from Rondal far aft and almost centrally above the keel.

​Foredeck with plenty of headsail options

As with the offshore racers in the IMOCA class, this provides a range of propulsion options: the storm jib, which is attached to the innermost stay via cleats, can be operated via the self-tacking sheets, just like the stay sail in front of it; the minimally overlapping genoa is furled by Belleri from 15 knots. The flat headsails are made from North Sails’ 3Di fibres, as is the furling boom mainsail. The flared leech required a pair of backstays extending to the masthead, which the crew can, however, operate like a fixed backstay from the very first reef. Performance, safety and efficiency go hand in hand in the bow section, which is just over nine metres long. The headsail drums rely on a hydraulic drive to enable stopping. The majority of the on-board systems, however, are electrically powered, such as the bow thruster, which is conveniently located under a cover at our feet for easy maintenance. The two anchors are lowered into the hull just as deep within it and are also operated electrically. The steel chains, each 140 metres long and 16 millimetres thick, run through pipes right up to just before the mast, so that they do not adversely affect the trim whilst under sail.

This unusual route is indicative of the ‘Canova’ owner’s ambitions in fast sailing. “I’d bet that 99 per cent of yachts of this size only fly gennakers or Code Zeros during regattas and with 30 crew on board,” says Belleri, as we find ourselves back on the teak deck and look towards the bow along the forestay. The skipper confirms: “The owner is a keen sailor and wants to make use of his entire range of sails. That’s his prerogative. I’m not going to say no just because the boss is cooking and there are only five of us.” However, surfing the world’s oceans with an over-rigged sail plan and a slightly understaffed crew is only possible thanks to an unconventional aid – for a yacht of this size – the foil.

​​A foil acts as a ‘heeling killer’ for the ‘Canova’

The nine-metre-long side wing, weighing 1.4 tonnes, combines the superyacht ethos of comfort and safety with the promised performance. When fully extended to a length of 6.40 metres on the leeward side, the lateral carbon centreboard generates a righting moment of 140 tonnes and reduces pitching by up to 40 per cent and the angle of heel by 34 per cent, which corresponds to approximately twelve degrees. Baltic calculates that 33 tonnes of additional keel ballast would have been required to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in heel without the foil. When fully stowed, a stub protrudes from each porthole in the hull, which immediately releases any line dragging through the water.

“We knew it would generate lift and reduce both list and drag, but we hadn’t expected such a significant reduction in pitching,” says DSS inventor Gordon Kay, describing his stroke of research luck and explaining why the foil runs directly beneath the owner’s cabin – indeed, even beneath the bed. Kay developed the Dynamic Stability System (DSS) together with Hugh Welbourn and had it patented over ten years ago. Under the Infiniti Yachts brand, the British team have so far fielded regatta boats up to 14 metres in length at the starting line, which, like the ‘Canova’, do not lift out of the water completely. Kay has demonstrated with a formula that the DSS is even more effective on larger yachts. This is because the dynamic lift force increases in proportion to the square of the on-flow velocity, which depends very heavily on the waterline length. The 30-metre-long ‘Wild Oats XI’ provided proof of this as early as 2013, when it won the classic Sydney-Hobart offshore race with a DSS foil protruding two metres from the hull.

​Increased performance thanks to the side arm

For the owner of the ‘Canova’, any increase in hull speed above 16 knots is a bonus. Following the stopover in Amsterdam, Captain Belleri reported a 25-knot run in the Bay of Biscay. He attributes a gain of four to five knots to the foil. This is remarkable in that crews usually take it easy on transits and rely on conservative sail settings. A twin display, which rises from the aft coaming and is clearly visible from the titanium steering wheels positioned well out to the sides, provides information on the boat’s speed and angle of heel. In addition, the running decks are unusually wide, and the stern extends to the maximum hull width of nine metres behind the twin-rudder system.

Baltic did not tackle the integration of the foil into a superyacht – one that, moreover, spends much of the year at sea – on its own. Alongside Infiniti Yachts, the Finnish firm assembled a team of experts comprising engineers and composite specialists. Farr Yacht Design adapted its calculations, as the wing protrudes from a section of the hull that is subject to high structural stress. To this end, the design firm from the US East Coast – which specialises in racing yachts – was in constant communication with the Swiss composites manufacturer Gurit. Gurit determined the laminate structure of the outlet stiffeners, the wing and its watertight cassette using finite element analysis. BAR Technologies, the technical team behind the British America’s Cup challenger INEOS, manufactured 25 solid composite bearings. To save time, Baltic tested the fit and the retraction mechanism using a dummy. Captain Belleri noted during the first test runs that the original, laminated by Isotop in France, can still be extended at speeds of up to 17 knots.

The 20-tonne pulling force of the captive carbon winch is transmitted via lines and pulleys to the rollers, which ultimately move the wing – a system designed with safety and simplicity in mind. This is also a key consideration for Gordon Kay: “We knew that ‘Canova’ would disappear once it was delivered and that we wouldn’t simply be able to fly to Palma for repairs.” And should the DSS foil break – which has not yet happened to Kay – there is still the lift keel, which extends to a depth of 6.50 metres, complete with a fin and trim tabs made of polished duplex stainless steel. The foil complements the gleaming APM keel perfectly. “With the keel fully raised, we could even sail with a draught of 3.80 metres, for example in the Bahamas or the Pacific,” says project manager Mattia Belleri enthusiastically. Shortly afterwards, he has once again gone below deck and is showing – in true captain’s style – the hidden details.

Feather-light Nomex interior fittings

This time, it’s the access hatch to the wing box between the owner’s bed and the coffee table, where two pouffes are stored. When needed, they can be moved into the bathroom – which measures almost eight square metres – adjoined at the front by a sauna. The highlight: only the concave teak seat needs to be removed to access the bath underneath – made, of course, from carbon fibre. Even in the interior, it’s hard to take your eyes off the ever-present technical refinements. For instance, a tilting mechanism has been fitted into the owner’s bed, which eliminates the last traces of heel during night-time passages. This is not a novelty in itself, but in combination with the foil running underneath, it does make things a little more complicated. The built-in cupboards are based on Nomex-carbon frames, adorned with wafer-thin teak veneer. In the owner’s cabin and the guest areas, the walls are ‘only’ two metres high. The reason for this is a 1.10-metre-high void beneath the deck, which made the installation of skylights impossible and complicated ventilation. Among other things, this is where the eight Kaptiv winches are housed; these are accessible via a deck hatch and were manufactured by Rondal from CFRP for the first time. The owner rejected the standard aluminium version due to the additional weight of 200 kilograms.

​A separate deck just for the winches

Large hull windows, the light-coloured panelled ceilings, a still life by Georges Braque and an illustration of the Column of St Mark – which Lucio Micheletti wrapped in blue for the Biennale – all serve to distract from the cabin’s ceiling. Passing further art prints and the lower deck, the owner enters the reading and entertainment area on the port side, which features a fixed TV and, thanks to a sofa bed, a sliding partition and access to the day toilet, doubles as the third guest cabin. Opposite, on the starboard side, is the standard guest cabin with two single beds; right at the bow is a five-metre-wide VIP suite, which, on vessels of comparable size, is reserved for the owner. When sailing, and coming from the cockpit, guests and the owner use the day toilet in the aft crew area. The quality of the fit-out and choice of materials are second only to the guest areas in front of the engine room, with the exception of the cork flooring. Lucio Micheletti, the interior and exterior designer of the ‘Canovas’, compares the crew lounge to a piazza. Spacious cabins for up to six people radiate out in a star-shaped pattern from the navigation niche and galley.

Traveller track on a carbon fibre bulkhead

The owner approached Baltic with a preliminary layout he had commissioned himself. Belleri explains: “We want to be globetrotters and travel with fewer guests than crew members. A high degree of autonomy was very important to us.” In addition to the standard equipment, the head chef has access to a glass chiller, a vacuum sealer and a high-speed commercial dishwasher. The ironing corner on the starboard side, with its daybed, provides a further sleeping option. Spanning the two rudder blades are a laundry room with two washing machines and a cold store. In between, steps made of clear-coat carbon fibre lead to the two helm stations, directly and without detouring round the mainsheet.

For the sake of passenger safety, the roof option was chosen. To withstand a mainsheet load of 24 tonnes, Baltic installed the traveller rail on a carbon-fibre bulkhead that extends from the hull down to the edge of the superstructure. An equally demanding feat of composite engineering was required for a hardtop bimini measuring almost five metres in length, which hovers above the cockpit entirely without supports. Side-sliding windows create the impression of an extended saloon, but the unmistakable distinction between outside and inside is highlighted by a Chagall painting on the port side and an Eames lounge chair just before the companionway. Micheletti points out that, in rough seas, the leather reading area is held in place by four carbon fittings, which he would have preferred to be rounder and larger, but which Baltic designed in an oval shape to optimise weight.

​The High School of Diesel-Electric Engineering

Vision Systems from France supplied electrically dimmable windows and skylights for the eight-metre-long saloon. These provide strong UV protection for people, wood and art, and prevent the helmsman from being dazzled in the dark. “It was important to us to keep the heat out as much as possible. After all, the air conditioning is the biggest energy consumer,” explains Belleri. Alongside the Eames armchair, there is a B&G display and a throttle lever for controlling the Danfoss Editron electric motor. The 420-kilowatt electric motor, with switchable power transmission and 16 inverters, is water-cooled and rotates in the engine room amidships, directly above the controllable-pitch propeller, which can rotate through 340 degrees.

Through energy recovery, the “Canova” was already generating an average of 25 kilowatts of green energy whilst planing at speeds of 17 to 20 knots. Danfoss Editron supplied the complete electric propulsion system, based on a direct current distribution system. This also includes the efficient control of the electric winches and the two bespoke Cummins diesel generators, which Baltic housed in soundproofed CFRP enclosures. In addition, the Danish-Finnish supplier of hybrid systems developed two DC converters for the Akasol battery banks, each with a capacity of 180 kilowatt-hours.

​Everything for the ‘Canova’ autonomy

The mother ship’s range is extended by the seven-metre-long custom tender, which features an additional 1,000-litre PVC fuel tank. Due to the high tension of the forestay, the hatch to the forward garage is structurally part of the deck and closes hydraulically. The davits, on the other hand, are operated manually, including the one at the stern for the 4.60-metre-long crew tender. The RIB is hoisted vertically because the owner wanted to keep the transom small. The use of manual power saves 1.6 tonnes in weight compared to hydraulic cranes, and of course energy too. Even when lowering the tender, energy is recovered via the winches – an idea that Belleri, a qualified engineer, proposed to Baltic.

Originally, the captain and owner wanted to do without fossil fuels altogether, but solar panels on the roof would only have been just enough, and this would have caused problems with classification. Wind turbines were also under consideration, but they would have been too obtrusive on deck and would have required a 60-metre-long cable for mounting on the mast. “In ideal wind conditions, we’ll cross the Atlantic without using generators,” Belleri said confidently when plans for a round-the-world voyage were still in their infancy. Now, seven years after the yacht’s maiden launch, the owner has decided to sell the “Canova”. The London-based brokers at Edmiston are listing this exceptional vessel for 29.8 million euros. For this price, buyers get a bespoke carbon-fibre design, built to the highest standards, featuring a now well-proven foil system that combines comfort and power.

​​​This article first appeared in BOOTE EXCLUSIV 5/2020 and has been updated for this online version.

Technical Specifications for ‘Canova’

• ​Length: 43.30 m
• Length at the waterline: 41.60 m
• Width: 9.00 m
• Draught: 3.80–6.50 m
• Material: carbon sandwich
• Displacement: 146.5 t
• Rig: Rondal
• Sails: North Sails
• Sail area (close-hauled): 960 square metres
• Instruments: B&G
• Electric motor: Danfoss Editron
• Engine power: 420 kW
• Generators: Cummins
• Design: Farr Yacht Design
• Exterior design: Lucio Micheletti
• Interior design: Lucio Micheletti
• Shipyard: Baltic Yachts, 2019
• Price: €29.8 million (excl. VAT) via Edmiston

Book recommendations

Yacht design focuses on the design and construction principles underlying successful sailing yachts. It showcases leading yacht designers and their designs, supplemented by historical and modern examples. For the article on ‘Canova’, the illustrated book provides, above all, the appropriate context for understanding the lines, aesthetics and development of extraordinary yacht concepts.

Stress-free sailing covers the practical procedures on board when manoeuvres have to be carried out with a small crew or alone. Step-by-step explanations, photos, illustrations and supplementary videos show how to safely navigate a sailing boat in different wind and current conditions. In this way, the guide complements the design perspective with a practical one.