Hashtag Salvideo

New Sailing Technologies | Ideas to the Wind #3

11 February 2026 · 24 min · 37K views

Mini Transat SVB heels hard, slicing waves under sun.

What this video covers

Adriano Plotzky surveys six emerging technologies and assigns each a probability score and timeline for reaching cruising sailboats.1:29 The scow bow hull — a wide, flat-nosed form invented by David Rayson for the Mini 650 in 2011 and prototyped in the VPLP Sail Scow 37 — scores 6–7 out of 10 for adoption, with commercial models possible from 2030 onwards; the trade-off is higher wetted area and a punishing motion in steep chop unless the hull is planing.1:57 Hydrofoils score only 3 out of 10 due to complexity, carbon reinforcement requirements, anchoring complications, and capsize risk illustrated by the Gumball G4 catamaran; partial low-lift foils, as used by Carlos Meneira in the Mini Transat, are rated more plausible.5:56 Quantum inertial navigation — atom-based positioning requiring no satellite signal, already tested militarily in the UK — scores 2 out of 10 for cruising boats before 2050 because of cryogenic cooling requirements.8:30 Perovskite solar cells, promising 50% greater efficiency than silicon and spray-application on sails and decks, score 5 out of 10 with a one-to-two-decade horizon, held back by UV and moisture degradation.10:17 Nanotechnology antifouling coatings, including PNNL's self-regenerating SLC film, are projected within ten years; Coppercoat and Prop-One are cited as current benchmarks.13:01 Electric and hybrid propulsion scores highest: a crew crossed the Atlantic aboard an Arcona 435 MKII using electric drive with propeller regeneration, and Volvo Penta announced a hybrid system for late 2025.14:31 PredictWind is named as an existing platform already incorporating AI routing.19:38

Watch on YouTube

More from Hashtag Sal

The Crazy Decision to Build a Boat Without Ever Sailing | Cut from #SAL #70Sept 2026I’ve Seen More People Quit for Planning Too Much Than for Planning Too Little | #SAL #432Aug 2026The First 24 Hours at Sea: 3 Knots, Seasickness, and Strange Food | Cut from #SAL #69Aug 202650 Days in Patagonia: 45 Were Rainy and Cold on a Hobie Cat | #SAL Cut #68Aug 2026

From Hashtag Sal — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.

Report an issue