Passion
Ferrari takes its racing heritage to the high seas
Featuring two steering wheels, space for more than eight passengers, over 100 feet of length and the ability to “fly”, Maranello is developing a Ferrari unlike any other. We’re talking about ‘Hypersail’, the marque’s first effort in the world of competitive oceanic yacht racing.
The futuristic yacht project – first announced last summer – was unveiled in Maranello during a special event that featured Italian and foreign press and was hosted by Ferrari Executive Chairman John Elkann, world-renown Italian solo sailor and Hypersail Team Principal Giovanni Soldini, Chief Technology Officer Matteo Lanzavecchia and Marco Ribigini, Team Leader.
Why sailing? Elkann explained: “Because we couldn’t not do it. When one looks at what drives Ferrari, it’s about passion and competence at the service of the impossible.” Adding more detail about the idea behind the project, he said it will broaden Ferrari’s racing identity, by pushing the Prancing Horse into another form of endurance competition. For indeed, oceanic yacht racing is perhaps the ultimate form of endurance: anything can happen, anywhere, at any time of the day or night. There are no safety cars and no pit crews conveniently located nearby to help.
The "reveal" video of the Hypersail project offers enticing glimpses of the fully foiling yacht - and reveals design cues inspired by Ferrari's hypercars
“Hypersail is a new challenge which leads us to overcome our boundaries and broaden our technological horizons,” Elkann said. “At the same time, it is a challenge that follows in the footsteps of Ferrari tradition, drawing inspiration from our Hypercar, which has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three years in a row since our return to endurance racing in 2023.”
Furthermore, he added, the new adventure “broadens our racing DNA, as was the case when we entered endurance racing with the Hypercar. Endurance has been part of Ferrari DNA from the very day our founder Enzo Ferrari started the company.”
“I am happy and honoured to participate in this adventure,” said Soldini, who – among other responsibilities as Hypersail Team Principal – has a key role in the selection of the sailing crew. “It is a compelling challenge that relies on a truly unique team, where the excellence of Ferrari and ocean sailing designers makes it possible to overcome the limits of technology… From a nautical point of view, it is innovative in how it is made and how it will fly; on the systems front, Ferrari's contribution is promoting the development of control systems never seen before on board.”
Ferrari is keeping the location of the shipbuilder undisclosed for the time being, so as to allow the builders to work undisturbed
For those who question what elements the new project could possibly share with Ferrari’s business of luxury sportscars and its role as a track racing powerhouse, Maranello points out that the laws governing the performance of cars and yachts – think aerodynamics, leverage and load management – are common to both worlds. As are some of the technologies – carbon fibre and batteries, for example – which can be transferred between the Hypersail and Ferrari’s saloons and drop-tops, including the much anticipated (and first) fully-electric Prancing Horse.
Matteo Lanzavecchia further highlighted how there are many opportunities for technology transfer between sportscars to sailing yachts, including design, energy management and systems integration. “The front section of the yacht is very small, which helps increase the boat’s aerodynamic performance,” he said, explaining how this feature is shared with the F80 supercar. He added that the project has already led to nine patents.
One of the main challenges is boat stability, Soldini said. And here Ferrari expertise is crucial. Marco Ribigini explained: “This boat is very complex. As its speed increases, the monohull is pushed above the water by the foils, leaving the boat in a very unstable position, especially during high seas and strong winds. The suspension control software from our cars has allowed us to develop an algorithm to keep the boat stable and allow Giovanni to have total control.” Ferrari’s dedication to the project is also clear from the number of employees working full-time on Hypersail. Ribigini said that there are 20 Ferrari employees working full-time on the project, with some 80 more from various departments offering support.
John Elkann (at right) and Giovanni Soldini have been friends for many years and have undertaken a few transatlantic crossings together
So, what can we reveal about this new technological wonder? For starters, the new yacht will be ‘full foiling’: supported by two winglike structures fitted to the boat’s hull that will lift it clear of the water at speed, the boat’s monohull will never (well, almost never) come into contact with the waves as it literally glides over them. The Hypersail boat– which will be fully unveiled in 2026 – will be 100% powered by self-produced, renewable energy sources like wind (unsurprisingly) and solar. And while full foiling sailing yachts already exist (think America’s Cup) Hypersail – as its name implies – will be the first trans-oceanic sailing boat of this kind, surpassing current limits in terms of energy autonomy, performance and innovation.
Describing the yacht, which is still under development, Elkann said: “It’s closer to a spaceship than a boat…high-performing and beautiful.”
The development of the new yacht has been carried out completely in-house, with some 90% of the prototype’s components built in the same Maranello factory that produces Prancing Horse-badged thoroughbreds like the Purosangue, 12Cilindri, Daytona SP3 and F80. Turning the vision into reality is a team that includes engineers from Ferrari, Soldini, renown French naval architect Guillaume Verdier and outside partners selected based on the superiority of their technologies and solutions.
Since Hypersail is – above all – an endurance competition project, it will bring the Prancing Horse into a new world of racing – oceanic competitions – broadening Ferrari’s appeal and bringing its DNA and heritage to fans new and established all over the world. Soon, watching the Prancing Horse unfold on the mainsail of its first sailing yacht will get fans’ pulses racing as much as seeing a rossa cross the finish line of Le Mans first.