No other boat has pushed the boundaries of green yachting as far as the MODX 70, winner of the 2025 Multihull of the Year award for its advanced, intelligent vision of zero-carbon sailing, announced at the Cannes Yachting Festival.
The concept was introduced in 2008 and finally brought to life in 2025 through the combined efforts of Ocean Development, VPLP Design, Aeroforce, MG Energy, Madden Tech, and many other visionary partners.
The project has earned recognition from the French government under the France 2030 Plan, receiving support through the i-Nov competition for sustainable and intelligent mobility in 2021, which helped fund the ambitious and costly development.
At Cannes, the final product was unveiled: a 21.33-meter, fully electric, high-performance trimaran offering 200 m² of living space.
Ocean Development, led by passionate sustainability and yachting advocates Marco Simeoni, Franck David, and Jean Guyon, developed the concept and oversaw construction of the vessel in Lorient, France. The design phase, managed by VPLP Design, took four years, while building the first unit required 18 months.
The MODX 70 is equipped with two retractable wings inspired by aeronautics and developed by Aeroforce. These inflatable wings rise 23 meters high, can be adjusted from 25% to 100% efficiency, and operate fully automatically. With no need for traditional rigging, navigation is simplified and comfortable.
Propulsion is powered by a 250 kWh MG Energy Systems LiFePo4 battery storage system, divided into two banks. These feed two ENGIRO electric motors of 40 kW each, supported by 70 m² of NME3 Next Generation solar panels and a hydrogeneration system.
An AI-driven autopilot system developed by Madden Tech oversees vessel operations, seamlessly integrating propulsion and wing management.
The first MODX 70 has already been acquired by Mr. Stan Shih, co-owner of Acer Group Taiwan, who will use it to champion clean, quiet, and intelligent yachting. PSR
Natasa Mulahalilovic is Marine Pleasure Boat Analyst-Europe for Power Systems Research
