Now that we are in the hottest weeks of the year, sailing lovers are probably making or planning boat trips to feel the sea breeze on their faces and cool off with the odd swim away from the crowded beaches.
Although it may seem that it is necessary to have a privileged pocket to be able to enjoy all of this with a boat that you own, the truth is that there are reasonably affordable possibilities.
One of them is called IziBoat, a curious catamaran born from the desire of its creator to democratize navigation. We are referring to François Tissier, the French inventor and passionate windsurfer behind this particular creation. It has not been a quick project, as it has required almost two decades of work and up to eleven prototypes to reach the current production version.
During his 25-year stay on the islands of the South Pacific, Tissier came up with the idea of creating a lightweight electric sailboat that could be used for island hopping by even the most inexperienced sailor. The premises that he proposed were to combine the stability of a catamaran, the ease of transporting a windsurf board and the ease of driving a car.
And so it is, since the IziBoat is a sailing catamaran with an electric motor that stands out for offering a stable, comfortable, safe and very fun navigation experience. Living up to its name (with the pun between “Izi” and “easy”, which means “easy” in English), it is a boat that is easy to tow, easy to assemble and, most importantly, easy to handle on the water.
In fact, Tissier claims that it can be handled by both someone who has never commanded a boat and experienced sailors. Likewise, the creator of the IziBoat highlights that it is accessible to people of all ages and physical conditions, including children, the elderly or people with reduced mobility.
And let's not forget another of its great advantages. The IziBoat is removable and, when transported by land, occupies approximately the width of a bicycle and the length of a car (62 cm wide and 4.80 m long, while its weight is 156 kg). This allows it to be towed with an electric bike, if necessary (in addition to being able to do it with a car, of course).
The vehicle is designed so that assembly is simple and without the need for tools. The process is completed in just 15 minutes. Thanks to specific small wheels that are stored behind the seats, the boat can be easily dragged into the water from the mounting point. The small catamaran is designed to offer a maximum speed close to 30 km/h.
It offers space for four people in comfortable seats and even allows you to stretch out to sunbathe if the vehicle is not traveling at maximum capacity. It should be noted that the payload it can support is 426 kg.
The IziBoat already accepts reservations at a price of 17,100 euros, although deliveries will not begin until April next year. You can see how it is assembled in the video that accompanies this article.
