"Magic Carpet e": 30 metre long supermaxi rocket - probably without foils
Sören Gehlhaus
· 13.11.2024
It would fit the name only too well, literally: "Magic Carpet e" - a foiling supermaxi. Nevertheless, it is likely to be a skimming model, if at all, details of which can be found further down in the article. But it would also be in line with Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' ambitious maxi campaigns. The British ex-racing driver is a passionate regatta sailor, this year still on his 100-foot Wally "Magic Carpet 3", a highly decorated Reichel/Pugh design that is over ten years old. As Wallycento, she originally belonged to the Wally Class, which has crumbled noticeably in recent years. Owners bred up their actually cosy racers in order to remain competitive in the open maxi circus. For "Magic Carpet 3", this meant a new aero rig in 2018. There was one constant: Jochen Schümann was always on hand to provide tactical advice to the former CEO of cosmetics company L'Oréal.
Now it's time to shake up the maxi circus with a new design. At Persico Marine in La Spezia, a 30-metre projectile was launched with lines by Guillaume Verdier. The Frenchman is known for his Imocas, three of which were built at Persico, and the 100-footer "Andoo Comanche". In the superyacht sector, the Frenchman was recently active on two hulls with the 47-metre catamaran "Artexplorer".
"Magic Carpet e": High-performance machine, but not a foiler
"Magic Carpet e" was presented in the familiar navy blue colour, but without a constriction at the rear. Verdier favours a delta shape. The mini cockpit and the non-recessed mast are positioned far aft. The genoa rails are clearly located in the rear half of the deck. The A-sails are likely to be recovered via the large hatch with the white rails in front of it. A canting keel would be quite possible, as these were forbidden in the Wally Class and therefore taboo in the original specifications of "Magic Carpet 3". The apparently higher length-to-width ratio of the new flying carpet under sail would also fit in with this. There is no technical data, just another photo of Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones and his wife standing next to a blade of the twin rudder system, which has been raised, mind you.
The foiler cancellation was delivered by shipyard CEO Marcello Persico: "Projects like 'Magic Carpet e' drive us to push boundaries. At a time when it seems that every innovative and fast sailing yacht has to be a foiler, this project proves that there are virtually no limits to the ground-breaking concepts that can be developed for a 'traditional yacht'. "Magic Carpet e" definitely raises the bar in high performance technology to an unprecedented level." Persico Marine, based in Nembro near Bergamo in Lombardy, was the official supplier of the foil arms for the AC75 of the 37th World Cup. America's Cups.
Size limits for foilers
Above a certain size, sailing foilers reach their limits. The 34 metre long Baltic-Bau "Raven" oversized foil arms, but should remain in skimming mode and not take off completely. In flight mode, the loads in the hull and rig increase disproportionately to the increasing sail and wing areas. On the one hand, the underwater wings generate a significantly higher righting moment; on the other hand, high speeds result in strong apparent winds, sharp apparent wind angles and therefore very flatly trimmed sails. This results in high loads on the rig and hull structure. In addition, the lower the take-off weight, the sooner you take off. With a keel - a safety precaution that even "FlyingNikka" - you have to pay even more attention to every gram.
However, "Magic Carpet e" is not only designed for racing, but is also intended to offer an exceptional interior and a high level of comfort. The official unveiling in Saint-Tropez in spring 2025 will reveal just how much. One last speculation is allowed: the "e" in the name could stand for electric sail and propulsion systems. However, the 100-footer is unlikely to manage entirely without diesel generators.
