The Hypersail, the 100-foot monohull fitted with Ferrari foils and aiming to smash all ocean records, had its livery unveiled at the flagship store in Milan.
by Niccolò Volpati
“The only limits are nature and the technology available today”, says Enrico Voltolini, project leader of Ferrari Hypersail. The figures that define this futuristic project are 20, 30 and 40: 20 metres in beam, 40 metres in height and 30 metres in length. It will set sail in 2027 to break all existing ocean records. To do so, it will require both performance and endurance.
The project partners are NORTH SAILS for the sails, HARKEN for the electric winches, RE FRASCHINI for the foils and CARIBONI for the systems that power them.
Hypersail is designed to reach 50 knots, but above all to sail at 40 knots over long distances. The development of the project, led by the Ferrari Tech Team, the Ferrari Design Studio and naval architect Guillaume Verdier, focused on hydrodynamics and aerodynamics. There are no limits, other than the pursuit of maximum performance from the very outset.
From the left, Flavio Manzoni, Benedetto Vigna, John Elkann, Matteo Lanzavecchia, Marco Guglielmo Ribigini and Enrico Voltolini.
“We ruled out the idea of a trimaran”, explains Flavio Manzoni, Chief Design Officer, “because a monohull offers lower hydrodynamic drag. There will obviously be foils – inspired by the latest America’s Cup boats – of enormous dimensions, and the hull will have a pivoting keel between the two wings”. Voltolini adds: “This is a completely new development, as the keel – weighted with lead to ensure the boat rights itself if it capsizes – has its own foil that will provide upward lift, thereby ensuring the boat remains very stable in rough seas. In addition, flaps are fitted to stabilise the boat whilst airborne, because at top speed there is a risk that the foils will start to cavitate”.
Three parties are responsible for this project: architect Guillaume Verdier, the Ferrari Tech Team and the Ferrari Design Studio.
Hypersail has been designed to reach a top speed of 50 knots, but above all to maintain an average speed of 40 knots over long distances.
The other challenge concerns the onboard instrumentation and its reliability. As ocean races involving ‘flying’ boats have long taught us, it is often the boat that doesn’t break down during long voyages that wins. The real challenge is to coordinate the numerous on-board control systems and ensure they remain consistently efficient. Rather than the top speed itself, it will be important to maintain high average speeds over many miles. The project has paid close attention to energy self-sufficiency, studying the positioning of the solar panels in minute detail to ensure maximum efficiency. In fact, the deck will feature no fewer than 100 square metres of panels capable of generating 20 kW of power.
The aim is to break all ocean records. Will he succeed? We’ll find out in 2027.
Ferrari Hypersail aims for excellence, not only in its design but also in its management. Both the on-board and shore-based teams will be made up of experienced sailors from the America’s Cup, the SailGP circuit and ocean races. Ferrari Hypersail is not just a boat, but a veritable laboratory designed to test the technology at its disposal, with the aim of patenting solutions that can then be used in the automotive sector. The project was initially conceived with Giovanni Soldini, who recently ended his collaboration with Ferrari. The reason has not been disclosed. Could it be that this ‘boat-laboratory’ aspect failed to convince Soldini?
(The flying Ferrari – Barchemagazine.com – April 2026)
