Design and Construction
The Windelo 54 measures just over 53 feet overall, with more than 26 feet of beam and a light displacement near 28,200 pounds. Its daggerboards provide a draft range from 3.44 to 7.71 feet.
Its defining construction feature is the composite sandwich. The hulls and deck use basalt fibers and a PET/PVC foam core, with basalt made from volcanic rock and foam made from recycled plastic bottles, rather than conventional fiberglass. At the end of the boat’s life, the basalt can be remelted and rewoven.
The builder says basalt production requires no additives and cuts carbon emissions by a factor of 10 compared with fiberglass. Once internal manufacturing and local supply are included, the yard estimates that the boat’s total carbon impact is 47 percent lower.
Visually, the 54 has narrow but tall hulls, noticeably reversed bows, and imposing, all-vertical nacelle windows. One show boat appeared in a gray livery.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The 54 has a sloop rig with a square-top, full-batten mainsail and a self-tacking jib. For offwind sailing, it carries a 190-square-meter gennaker.
Twin wheels provide good sightlines from the helm. A central winch handles the mainsail, while side winches serve the headsail sheets near the steering.
During testing, with the self-tacking jib set and the daggerboards down, the boat sailed close to 35 degrees off the breeze. Under gennaker, it reached 8 knots or better in only 11 knots of true wind. The day before one magazine’s test, it had reportedly been clocked at 17.5 knots. The builder says 20 knots under sail is not utopian.
Under power, the pair of 48-volt, 20-kilowatt shaft-drive electric motors produced 8.2 knots at wide-open throttle and a cruising speed of around 6 knots.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The layout is the boat’s other signature feature. A forward cockpit provides shelter from the elements and can be sealed off from the interior with a waterproof sliding door in boisterous conditions. Open, modular living areas, sliding side windows, and aft doors blur the boundary between inside and out while providing a 360-degree view of the sea.
To starboard, the long U-shaped galley gives the cook somewhere to brace in a seaway. Opposite, the table seats 10, with a pilot berth outboard. Forward is a desk-style navigation station with a screen for charts and onboard systems.
On the boat sailed, the owner’s stateroom occupied the port hull and had an athwartship berth aft. The starboard hull contained two guest staterooms with fore-and-aft bunks, with a washer and dryer between them. Abundant, substantial storage and smooth circulation complete the spacious owner’s-suite concept.
The maximum configuration is four cabins plus a skipper, category A, twelve persons.
Energy and Equipment
Hybrid-electric propulsion is central to the Windelo 54. Its two electric motors draw from a 1,120 Ah, 48V lithium battery bank with 53.8 kWh of capacity. The bank is supplied by 5,880 watts of solar panels on the cabin and Bimini tops, 400 watts of wind generation, and hydrogeneration that engages at 8 knots or faster. At those speeds, the feathering Gori propellers spin to feed power back into the battery bank, with output shown on a cockpit display.
A Fischer-Panda 18-kilowatt diesel generator backs up the renewable sources. When motoring for four hours at 6 knots, the generator tops up the battery bank in just over an hour and provides roughly 1,100 miles of generator-assisted range.
The house system powers the windlass, induction stove, oven, watermaker, and air conditioning. The builder claims the solar installation alone produces 18 kWh, leaving an 8 kWh surplus over the stated daily draw of about 10 kWh at anchor.
The Verdict
The Windelo 54 is a considered answer to what a low-impact blue-water catamaran can look like. It combines a genuinely recyclable basalt composite structure with an energy loop that can use sun, wind, and the boat’s motion to power both propulsion and domestic equipment.
Its layout gives up some conventional private-cabin arrangement in favor of an open living deck with wide views. Its daggerboards and narrow hulls give it real upwind and offwind legs. The hybrid system is sophisticated, though its long-term operation remains dependent on the diesel generator and the health of the battery bank.
Pros
- Recyclable basalt/PET structure with a substantial claimed reduction in carbon impact
- Self-generating electrical system using hydrogeneration, solar, and wind input
- Ability to sail as close as 35 degrees off the breeze, with strong offwind pace under gennaker
- Open, modular interior with a sheltered forward cockpit and 360-degree views
Cons
- Complex hybrid system that depends on diesel-generator backup
- Narrow, tall hulls and daggerboards require attentive handling and storage
