Flying Ferries Across English Channel Plus
Seagliders at 180 mph Skimming the Waves
Crossing the English Channel in 40 minutes
UK ferry operator Brittany Ferries is collaborating with Boston startup Regent Craft to develop a zero emissions, electric, super fast ferry that skims above the waves like a hydrofoil. The Seaglider electric ferry is a battery powered craft that is part plane and part ship. It's a regional, electric, ground effect, nautical transport (Regent) vehicle. It could reduce the time it takes to cross the English Channel between Portsmouth, England and Cherbourg, France from 8 hours by conventional ferry to 40 minutes. The Seaglider is being developed to reach speeds of 180 mph, carry up to 150 passengers and is expected to launch in 2028. Smaller versions will launch as soon as 2025.
Awesome New Travel Technology
Seaglider technology is similar to that of a hovercraft and a hydrofoil. It incorporates wing-in-ground effect technology that allows the vehicle to ride on a cushion of high pressure air trapped between the wing and the water. The design and goal is for Seaglider to achieve high speed flight with less power than a traditional aircraft. When leaving and entering ports, it will use foils to move which provide it stability in the open water. With a low speed takeoff, it will use the air cushion to cruise just a few feet above the water.
New Travel Future
Brittany Ferries is an experienced ferry operator with its high speed catamaran Normandie Express. The development of Seaglider is part of the sustainable future of maritime transportation innovation for regional commuters, now under development. Ideal uses of the technology is for regional commutes from big cities like New York or Boston to seaside destinations like Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and for travelling across regional bodies of water between countries like the UK and France.
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