5 CANDELA C-8 TAKES FLIGHT
Candela’s eagerly awaited new C-8 electric foiler has taken to the water for the first time and flown on its foils exactly as expected.
The result of 16 months of intensive development, its maiden flight did not disappoint. Once the prescribed take-off speed of 16 knots was reached, the stepped hull broke free from the icy waters off Lindingö, where the Swedish builder is based. It then flew across the sea at its anticipated cruising speed of 20 knots with minimal noise or wake and zero emissions.
At that speed early test results confirm that it will be able to deliver the claimed 50nm range from the standard 44kwh lithium-ion battery bank. Top speed for short bursts is 30 knots.
The numbers are impressive given that the C-8 is a considerably bigger, more practical boat than the original lightweight C-7. They also provide a ringing endorsement of the new torpedo-shaped retractable C-pod drive system with contra-rotating props that was specifically developed for this boat.
The key to the C-8’s range and performance is the computer controlled foiling system that drastically reduces drag and flies above the waves delivering an eerily smooth ride.
A typical planing hull runs with a 4:1 lift-todrag ratio, whereas Candela claims its actively stabilised C-8 has a 20:1 lift advantage, more than any other e-foiler yet built.
Unlike the open C-7, the C-8 features a small cuddy cabin in the bow and has been designed to be mass-produced in fibreglass like a conventional sportsboat. The company plans to build 400 of them a year by 2024, and if pre-launch sales are anything to go by, it will need to. C-8 deliveries, with or without the optional hardtop, are due to start this summer.