Endurance race highlights performance 

 

It was all systems go again for the 50 contestants at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. In chop whipped up by an easterly breeze the organisers went into overtime on the second day of competition, postponing the long-awaited start of the endurance trials.  

No surprise 

Since yesterday, the favourites have already been making their mark on this 2024 edition, revealing for all their boat’s power potential in three categories: Energy Class, Solar Class and Open Sea Class.  

In the first confrontation the speed record was well and truly broken by Evoy’s Goldfish x9 to put them in the lead with an average speed of 48.6 knots, often peaking at 56 knots. But their leader position was short-lived as Vita Seal led the fleet on the endurance course with 10 laps totalling 30 nautical miles in 3 hours 22 minutes 20 seconds. Goldfish x9 from Evoy came 2nd ahead of El Iseo, the first fully electric Riva designed by the Ferretti Group. 

In the Energy Class, the Greeks on Oceanos Ntua tried to keep up the pace. After their win on the previous day’s event, students from the National Technical University of Athens ceded first place to the Italians on Team Elettra UniGe who completed 29 laps in 3 hours 18 minutes 17 seconds on the endurance course. UniBoat came in 3rd.  

 

 

In the Solar Class, the Dutch Sunflare Solar Team (Foundation Sunflare Solarteam) continue their run of success, having won the speed record they produced another great result on the endurance course with 27 laps completed in 2 hours 38 minutes 45 seconds. In 2nd were the Poles from AGH Solar Boat followed by another Dutch entrant, Han Solar Boat. 

The atmosphere will be positively electric and nail biting tomorrow for the final day with the slalom, the 16 nautical mile speed race and the much anticipated Championship Race when the YCM Marina will be deafened by shouts of encouragement from teams all willing their pilots on in these skilful touch-a