POWERED BY MASTERVOLT: HYBRID CONFIGURATION FOR GRAND STURDY 25.9 FROM LINSSEN YACHTS
Mastervolt, the market leading, innovative electronics company based in the Netherlands, has teamed up with Dutch boatbuilders Linssen Yachts, market leading in the steel displacement 8 – 16 m. segment and renowned for the build quality of their boats, to equip the new Linssen Grand Sturdy 25.9 Sedan motor cruiser with a hybrid DriveMaster 7.5 Ultra drive system as an alternative to the conventional internal combustion engine.
The bold marketing initiative comes as more boat owners are converting to hybrid drive systems in various types of pleasure craft. As Yvonne Linssen commented, “Shifting to electric propulsion has many challenges, but co-operating with Mastervolt has given us a backup in knowledge and professionalism that enables us to introduce an electric model in an adequate time frame, safely and with the durability that people expect from us.”
Mastervolt has been at the forefront of hybrid development and sees the installation of its DriveMaster 7.5, combined with a 48V Mass Combi and four Li-Ion 24V/160Ah batteries as an effective and exciting solution for powering this new motor cruiser.
The DriveMaster 7.5 (7.5kW) motor is built to IP55 water resisting standard and uses a control unit constructed to IP65 water resisting standards for installation in exposed positions. The whole system is virtually maintenance free, fully adjustable via a laptop and is suitable for both 24 and 48V systems. The control unit produces three-phase AC current for the motor and is enclosed in a compact case with an extra cooling unit, while cutting edge software ensures the best handling under all conditions with readouts available for battery condition, residual motoring time, total motoring time, total engine hours, engine revs (rpm), used battery power (in amps), an economy or full power switch over mode and more.
The 26ft Grand Sturdy 25.9 Sedan motor cruiser is the smallest of Linssen Yachts’ range, yet the Company believes she will prove a popular choice with her E-propulsion system. The DriveMaster arrangement is backed up by one of Mastervolt’s proven Whisper Generators to cope with the power demands of serious cruising and passages of longer duration. The main arrangement will provide up to eight hours of relaxed, fully electric cruising made comfortable by the lack of vibration, engine noise or exhaust fumes - a truly attractive proposition. At the end of the day on the water, manoeuvring into a berth becomes a pleasure, helped by the high torque provided at lower engine revs.
Mastervolt has seen a huge rise in sales of its Lithium-Ion batteries, which has resulted in a price reduction of around 20 per cent. The Company was the first to scale the Li-Ion technology up from applications such as mobile phone batteries to the full size marine version, providing boat owners with a 24V, eight cell battery that weighs only a third of an equivalent lead-acid battery and offers three times the life cycle.
Also an integral part of the E-propulsion system being installed on the new Grand Sturdy 25.9 Sedans is Mastervolt’s 48V Mass Combi combined battery charger and inverter. This intelligent power management system combines a sophisticated battery charger with a pure sine wave inverter and, on the Linssen 25.9, will ensure smooth battery charging and drive power when the boat is utilising the Mastervolt Whisper Generator for extra motoring range.
Marc Persoon, the Marketing Manager at Mastervolt, commented, “This is a very exciting
co-operation between two well-respected companies, resulting in something completely new. We see it as a positive step towards greener, more enjoyable boating, which we believe will be welcomed by discerning customers.”