ON COURSE TO A CLEANER FUTURE
Speed combined with sustainability
The E-44 incorporated technological innovation, long-term experience in sail racing and the latest know-how from professionals around the world to create an offshore racing yacht that combines speed and environmental sustainability.
The E-44 was born as the world is searching for solutions to environmental challenges. In order to regain balance with nature, we have focused on minimizing carbon footprint of materials used in construction and fully eliminated the need to use fossil fuels in future operation of the yacht. Clean energy harnessed from wind is playing an increasingly important role in covering global energy needs. The E-44 has taken another step towards cleaner future – it is one of the first racing yachts in the world to replace conventional diesel engine with electric motor powered by batteries and hydrogen fuel cell based smart generators.
Targeting speed, the E-44 has been created from the beginning as a racer in collaboration with the world’s best designers. Latest engineering knowledge has been used for successful performance in offshore regattas. The designers were searching for the highest possible speed and competitive value in shape of the hull and weight distribution. In international ORC regattas the E-44 competes in Class B.
Worldwide collaboration
Project coordinator Mati Sepp
The coordinator of the project is Mati Sepp, a 17-times World and European Championships medalist, X-41 class World Champion in 2010 and the ORC class European Champion in 2018.
Built in Estonia
The E-44 was created based on the long traditions and fast evolution of Estonian offshore sailing, utilizing skills of Estonian producers and engineers.
Environmental sustainability
The mission of E-44 is to prove that competition yachts can be produced and used in an environmentally friendly way so that we would not deplete natural resources meant for future generations, but can produce all the energy we need from renewable sources and that the materials used in yacht construction are not only the best possible for that purpose, but also environmentally friendly.
Recyclable Elium thermoplastic-acrylic resin
Elium thermoplastic-acrylic resins used in the construction of the yacht have been on completely new basis. Developed for wind turbine blades, they have a significantly smaller CO2 footprint than conventional polyester and epoxy resins and are reusable at the end of their life.
E-44 saves 53 tons of CO2 compared to conventional racer yachts.
Progress
July 2020 - October 2020
- Beginning of E-44 project
- Beginning of design project
- Hull mould building
- Deck mould building
November 2020 - January 2021
- Hull mould arrives to yard
- Hull takeout from mould
- Deck mould arrives to yard
February 2021 - April 2021
- Deck takeout from mould
- Designing sails and rig
- Main bulkheads fitting and interior building
- Lifting deck to hull
June 2021 - August 2021
- E-44 transport from yard to Pirita
- Lifting E-44 into water
- Mast lifting
- Electronics configuration
- Sailing from Pirita to Kakumäe
- Blessing ceremony
- World championships
The project was supported by Norway Grants Green ICT programme.
Implementation period of project EU53929 was 15.07.2020 – 31.07.2021 and grant budget € 387 911.
Clean Energy Sailing Team
The first 44 ft racer is named CLEAN ENERGY. The core of Clean Energy Sailing Team is Mati Sepp’s Match Race team that has constantly ranked among top ten in Match Race global rankings in the recent years, reaching as high as 3rd overall.
We should not consume natural resources, but must learn how to produce all required energy from renewable sources instead. Racing yachts can be built and operated in a sustainable way, using materials and solutions that are not only best suited for this purpose, but also environmentally friendly.
Technical Data
