Constructed in lightweight carbon fibre at the company’s Tuzla shipyard, Turkish yacht builder VISIONF Yachts has delivered its second 24-meter all-electric catamaran, the VisionF E-Cat 80, Gloriamaris.
Designed as an adventure and family yacht, it features a kids’ room, jacuzzi and safe activity areas for younger guests. Twin 180 kW electric motors and 63 solar panels enable long-range, low-impact cruising with minimal generator use.
Semi-custom sustainable catamaran
As a semi-custom platform, the E-Cat 80 allows for extensive personalisation – this yacht features a dedicated music room on the flybridge, complete with piano and harp.
The owner sets sails for the Red Sea this winter. To boost energy autonomy, the owner requested additional solar panels, reducing generator use even further and extending fully electric cruising time.
“I expect to use this boat as an adventure boat,” says owner Gregg Hamann, who previously cruised on a 50ft sailing catamaran. “Summers in the Med, winters in the Red, that’s the goal. Beyond that, I’m hoping to take it further afield, to the Indian Ocean. One reason I got a bigger boat is because I want to travel to very remote parts of the world, and this should be the platform that makes it happen.”
Spacious interior, supreme comfort
With a beam of 10.92 metres and a length of 23.97 metres, the E-Cat 80 offers generous interior volumes accommodating up to ten guests. The exterior design is by Marco Casali from TOO Design.
Depending on the owner’s preferences, the yacht can be configured with 4-6 staterooms, suiting private cruising, family travel or charter operations.
Above deck, the open flybridge provides four distinct seating areas with options for a jacuzzi, outdoor cinema, massage seating and expansive loungers.
A 15 sq. m tender garage adds practical functionality, equipped with a hydraulic stern hatch, electric winch, secure tie-downs, freshwater shower, waterproof lighting and a 230 VAC outlet. It accommodates an extensive selection of water toys while ensuring safe and efficient launch and retrieval.
Eco catamaran performance
Powered by twin Danfoss 180 kW electric motors, the E-Cat 80 delivers superb manoeuvrability, responsive handling and smooth cruising at 6-8 knots. Its 63 high-output solar panels generate up to 25.2 kW/h, feeding a powerful battery system that enables long periods of fully electric navigation.
For higher-speed passages and extended power needs, twin 150 kW generators and a 5-ton fuel reserve provide reassurance, delivering up to 3,500 nm range when required.
“I’ve spent most of my life on the water, and one of the things that always distressed me about cruising, fishing or diving is the carbon footprint,” says Hamann. “On a conventional boat, you can easily spend more than a thousand dollars a day on fuel. The ability to harness solar power and spend time in port or at anchor without running engines has always been very appealing to me. Combined with the lack of noise and diesel fumes, it makes a significant difference.”
While acknowledging that solar-electric yachts involve certain operational trade-offs, with top speed being the most notable, Hamann finds the balance more than acceptable. “If I want to go somewhere at 20 knots, that’s not going to be possible with this boat,” he says. “But for me, the fuel savings and the ability to travel with minimal impact are worth giving up some speed. If I can cross from one part of the world to another at six or seven knots without burning tens of thousands of gallons of diesel, that’s a win-win.”
VISIONF Yachts now has eight models currently in production: the fully electric VISIONF E-Cat 62 and 80, the aluminum 80, 82, 101 and 120, the Superfast 46 and the VISIONF 155.
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