Free as a bird in the all new Alubird hybrid series

The world of Semi-displacement aluminium hulls made using advanced technologies, with hybrid propulsion systems is a widely discussed topic in the yachting industry. The innovative new fleet born out of Sergio Cutolo’s master craftsmanship and talent for design marks an important step forward in the evolution of yachting, increasingly tied to the needs of owners who are careful to watch their consumption and their impact on the environment, but don’t want to make any compromises when it comes to safety and performance. Speed and performance with environmentally friendly technologies: these are the outstanding features of Sergio Cutolo’s innovative new Alubrid series.

The hulls – 25 metres, 30 metres, 35 metres, 40 metres (under construction), 46 metres and 65 metres – designed in different sizes specifically to meet the needs of different kinds of owners, for totally customised uses, will all share the same aluminium construction, semi-displacing hull and characteristic vertical bow. The lines of the Alubrid series underline the vessels’ modernity, as they are extremely speedy and fluid, creating a harmonious vision of the whole which fits perfectly with the idea underlying the designer’s philosophy: he wanted safe vessels of limited weight to optimise consumption and performance, capable of getting around quickly but at the same time comfortable for the owner and guests thanks to big, wide interiors, and capable of travelling on only diesel fuel and electricity, in perfect harmony with their natural environment.

The Alubrid series will have hybrid propulsion for meeting all boating requirements. The vessels will in fact have diesel engines which may be used for quick trips and electric engines powered by auxiliary units with a particulate filter which will keep emissions to a minimum and allow the vessel to “glide” over the water in total silence, consuming as little fuel as possible to protect the environment.

The first specimen under construction in the Palumbo shipyard is the 130 SportHybrid, for which Cutolo designed the naval architecture and external lines. Its particularly high performance hull at all speeds allows this concentrate of technology to reach a maximum of 24 knots, and using the electric propellers, at 60 kW per axle, it can travel at about 7.5 knots, consuming an estimated 30 litres/hour: very little for a vessel almost 40 metres long!

In addition to its unrivalled navigation and technical features, the 130 SportHybrid, with its 3 decks, offers outstanding liveability thanks primarily to roomy spaces offering additional comfort for eight lucky guests without compromising on the vessel’s slender, flowing lines. Sergio Cutolo is no newcomer to designing complex high-tech hulls, and the essence of the Alubrid series comes out of his personal history in the course of his career.

He began to gain experience in the mid-80s when he joined Baglietto and eventually became head of the technical office in Varazze, working on the design of some of the yachts that have made the history of modern boatbuilding, extremely fast vessels made of ultra-light alloys, and continued in the ’90s when he became assistant technical director at Rodriquez Cantieri Navali in Messina, a shipyard in the vanguard of construction of fast ferries and use of materials such as aluminium.

Now Sergio Cutolo with his company Hydro Tec is one of only a few engineers and designers in Italy capable of developing and delivering to customers a complete boat design: from the hull to the onboard engineering, from the exterior fixtures to systems design and sheet metal nesting. Without neglecting what first attracts future owners when they look at a boat: its shape, external lines and compartmentalisation.

Cutolo Alubird owner views at the ILBC www.worldsportsboats.ning.com