Not in a dizzying way, but without pause the boating sector is advancing towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly ways of sailing. Boats with electric and hybrid engines are increasingly prominent at the Saló Nàutic de Barcelona, ??which started yesterday at Port Vell. But as is also happening with cars and motorbikes, the change is progressing at idle speed. The transformation will not come from one year to the next and will be done gradually.
“Electrification is progressing slowly”, acknowledges Adrià Fradera, founder of Nauta Systems, a company dedicated to electrical solutions for boats. “We make a classic boat become electric”, sums up Fradera. One of its big market niches is professionals, just as it also happens in cars with electric vans and other utility vehicles. It is his second time at the Saló Nàutic, one of the biggest showcases in the sector. “There is a brake that is economic”, Fradera assumes, and explains that there is a price difference of approximately 40%.
But at the same time, the transformation is moving forward despite the brakes. “Consciousness for the environment is increasing. What is growing exponentially is the interest”, he says. They have more and more customers. Nauta also markets two different ranges of electric boats and they carry the technical service of a major brand in this area.
Noster is a sailing club that also proposes alternatives to make sailing more sustainable. Through its application, sailing between groups is promoted, with a kind of shared ownership of boats. “It’s a way to optimise”, says its CEO, Jordi Piqué.
They have also just added a 100% electric boat to the fleet. “Electric boats will go further. People are surprised when they try them”, he says. Your sailboat has between four and ten hours of autonomy through its engine, not counting what it can advance with the sails. “It doesn’t make any noise, and I really like that”, adds Piqué.
As always, the Saló Nàutic brings together innovation in sailing and also proposals that manage to arouse the curiosity of the attending public. This year you can see a version of the classic Fiat Cinquecento sailing through Barcelona. Yes, it is a small boat that replicates the aesthetics of the car. There are only 500 units worldwide.
Details like these can be discovered until Sunday at the Boat Show. Yesterday, marked by the good weather and the large attendance of the public even though it was a weekday, suggests that the Old Port will be full taking advantage of the bridge that starts today. “It’s the first day and it’s full”, said the president of the fair, Luis Conde, who expects to surpass last year’s 50,000 visitors.
El Nàutic 2023 is not like other editions, although with the distribution they have achieved 22,000 m2 of exhibition surface, a floating show with 160 boats and 240 exhibitors. Some of the bases of the teams that will participate in next year’s America’s Cup already occupy part of the spaces that were previously dedicated to the salon. “The America’s Cup is a priority this year and next year. It is necessary to give maximum support”, remarked Luis Conde.
In fact, in 2024, it is very possible that the show will change dates so as not to coincide with the competition and a “rebuf” edition of the sporting event will be held, Conde said. At the moment, the Saló Nàutic is serving as a platform for spreading the importance of the Hundred Guineas Cup.
The official inauguration of the Nautic was attended by the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez; the Councilor for Territory of the Generalitat, Ester Capella; the president of the Port of Barcelona, ??Lluis Salvadó, and the president of Fira de Barcelona, ??Pau Relat, among other authorities. Raquel Sánchez highlighted the importance of “collaboration between institutions” referring to the organization of international events such as the Nàutic itself and the America’s Cup.
