Nuvolari Lenard Unveils ‘Truly Green’ 100m Megasailer

100m Vento was presented by Nuvolari Lenard at the Venice Boat Show 2021 and promises to be a manifesto for environmental protection, appealing to owners looking for authentically green large yacht designs. 

Her eco credentials have been achieved by adopting virtuous behaviour and simultaneously combining the knowledge, technologies and material that are already known about. The founders of the Venetian studio, Carlo Nuvolari and Dan Lenard, have shown their commitment to environmental protection in yacht design before, notably with the recent 14m Hybrid water taxi, Thunder.

The development of the distinctly larger concept, Vento, heralds a return to basics while also building on decades of experience in yacht design. Having worked on celebrated projects with the likes of Oceanco, Perini Navi, CRN and Ferretti, Nuvolari Lenard has moved to break the mould with this radical new concept. 

Vento integrates all the parameters of pure sailing with the needs of today’s superyacht owner. She represents a move away from ‘sail assisted superyachts’ to be an authentic and elegant 100m sailing vessel, using wind as its natural propulsion force. 

“Being environmentally conscious has to become a way of being, as well as a way of thinking,” explains Carlo Nuvolari. “There’s nothing stopping us from thinking about a truly green large yacht. It’s not difficult to achieve major results, you just have to stop being traditionalist and take a risk, going back to the basics: building a sailing yacht that really uses sails and is really efficient.”

The focus on sustainability has certainly not hindered Nuvolari Lenard from developing a yacht with both performance and the sporty, muscular design in keeping with the studio’s philosophy. Vento boasts a powerful, aggressive profile that gives her a unique character. 

Her reverse bow gives Vento a strong personality while allowing the waterline length to be extended to the maximum, increasing stability and performance when sailing. Her hull has reduced drag and lower power requirements for a given speed, translating into huge benefits when using sails or the motor. Attention has been paid to ensuring the superyacht is lightweight by selecting aluminium as the main material for her built with advanced composite superstructures and masts. A light and long hull with have less residual resistance, forming smaller waves to benefit the coastline, which is increasingly exposed to motion generated by larger, fast boats. 

Nuvolari Lenard enlisted the support of Omer Wing-Sail to develop a unique wing sail which offers greater efficiency than traditional rigs, matching the efficient hull. The wing sail will require less sail area for the same performance, and this triggers a positive spiral. By reducing the amount of sail there will be less heeling force and therefore less keel weight will be required to right the boat. In simple terms, this means less displacement. The retractable keel will make it possible to go from a draught of 5.5m to 9m. Vento’s carbon masts will measure 64m and will support a total sail area of 2100 square metres. 

The 100m sailing yacht will welcome her guests with spacious interiors after a careful study of volumes and flow. Her six cabins will consist of four VIP, one super VIP and the large master suite forward of the main deck, with a private terrace. The outdoor spaces are also extensive and varied, including a fly bridge, spa, beach club and all the luxurious extras one would expect on a superyacht of this size. 

Nuvolari Lenard is in contact with a leading propulsion company to equip Vento with a hybrid diesel-electric system with variable speed generators and variable pitch propellers that allows for many operating options, achieving maximum efficiency and minimum specific consumption. 

Vento aims to be a revolutionary concept that forces us to change our mindset by moving away from classifying efficient design solely in terms of electric motors and batteries. The concept speaks to a market that is sensitive to environmental issues and concerned about the future of the marine ecosystem, sailing as much as possible and moving slowly to avoid generating dangerous wave motion. Above all else, this is about regaining control of sailing time. Vento represents a new way of thinking about sailing superyachts.