Echo Yachts 57: World's largest sailing catamaran to be built - with DynaRig

With hull lengths of 57 metres, the aluminium catamaran from Echo Yachts will not only be the largest of its sailing kind, but will also herald a revival of the DynaRig. Spread over two masts, a total of 1660 square metres of sails will stand in the wind and allow efficient long-distance cruising. The raft-based sail system, which unfurls from the centre of the mast to the ends of the yards, offers enormous advantages: As there are no lines or blocks on deck or on the superstructure, it is considered safe. The DynaRig was last installed on the 106.70 metre long "Black Pearl", which was also built by the Dutch Oceanco shipyard with Dykstra Naval Architects over ten years ago. The Dutch company developed the exterior design, layout and parts of the construction for the new Echo Yachts catamaran.

"Black Pearl" and "Maltese Falcon": First two yachts with DynaRig

"Black Pearl" was only the second yacht to sail with a DynaRig after the "Maltese Falcon" (88 metres, Perini Navi), which was launched in 2006. The crew sets up to 15 sails with a maximum of 2900 square metres on the three 70-metre high, freely rotating carbon masts, each with six curved yards. And because all 15 square sails are electrically powered within eight minutes, the engines are not worth it, even for short distances. "Maltese Falcon" and "Black Pearl" both crossed the Atlantic without starting the main engine - not a matter of course for sailors of this size.

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The free-standing, rotating square rig has been marketed as DynaRig by New Zealand mast builders Southern Spars and British composite professionals Magma Structures since the end of 2020. It was invented back in the 1960s by Wilhelm Prölß, when it was still called Dyna-Rigg, short for "dynamic rig". The German naval architect demonstrated his system on a model of a freighter in 1968, but it never took off under sail. Southern Spars is part of the North Technology Group, the parent company of North Sails and Hall Spars, among others.

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Echo Yachts 57: Multihull-experienced shipyard in Western Australia wants to build the largest sailing catamaran in the world

Echo Yachts and Dykstra are being supported in the shipbuilding calculations by One2Three Naval Architects. The Australian designers specialise in aluminium and multihull designs and have already realised the 84-metre-long motor trimaran "White Rabbit" and the associated supply cat "Charley 2" (51 m) with the West Australian shipyard, both with home port Singapore. The extent to which the 57 metre long DynaRig sailing yacht can also be attributed to the obviously multihull-loving owner of these two superyachts is a matter for speculation.