The 'Chase Zero', from the Emirates Team New Zealand, a support boat with hydrofoils and powered by hydrogen, has already been seen in the waters of Vilanova i la Geltrú, in another example of the technological innovations that can be be seen in the 37th edition of the Copa del América.
As determined by the test regulations, all teams must have at least one boat of this type, whether of their own construction and design or purchased.
The so-called Hydrogen Powered Boat known as 'Chase Zero' is a 10-meter (33-foot) boat in overall length with capacity for six people, with 250 kg of additional payload.
The autonomy of this vessel is 150 to 180 km with an approximate power of 440 kW of maximum power through a 400 V DC system powered by the hydrogen fuel cell. Its total weight (with load) is 5,200 kg and the first unit was launched in March 2022.
In fact, the combination of hydrogen fuel cells with lithium battery electric propulsion achieves greater range and speed with zero emissions and a low carbon footprint.
The four storage tanks on board store hydrogen gas at a pressure of 350 bars while propulsion is via a Mercury propeller embedded within the foils.
It is an automated boat with the driver who operates it simply by operating the accelerator and steering, which regulates the autopilot.
In tests carried out with an 11 meter long tracking boat with twin 250 HP outboard engines, they would have consumed 140 liters of gasoline per hour at 28 knots (54 km/h) for a total of 825 liters during the six hours that hydrogen cells last.
