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Largest patrol boat
BOATBUILDER DELIVERS LARGEST PATROL BOAT IN ITS HISTORY
A €50 million 75m long offshore patrol vessel (OPV) has been delivered to the Maltese capital Valletta, where it will be operated by the Maltese government.
Canterie Navale Vittoria, which is based in Venice, has built the boat for the Maltese armed forces to use for coastal surveillance operations, extended patrols on the high seas and search and rescue operations.
The vessel builder specialises in designing and building military, paramilitary, work, commercial and transport boats up to 100 metres in length.
This newbuild, OPV P71, will be the flagship of Malta’s armed forces. It has a full load displacement of more than 2,000 tonnes, a width of 14 metres and a draft of 3.8 metres, and can accommodate a crew of 50 plus 20 additional staff.
An elevated bridge has 360o vision capability, and the vessel’s aft flight deck can accommodate a telescopic hangar with equipment for day and night flights and refuelling for a 7t helicopter.
The aft area below flight deck has a launch and recovery ramp for one of two 9.1m RHIBs on the vessel - the second on the starboard side of the platform in the central area of the ship can be deployed with an A-frame crane even with units under way - and a special crane on the side of the vessel allows for loading and unloading materials. Both RHIBs can go up to 40 knots.
Two 5,440kW diesel engines propel the OPV P71, which move propellers with variable pitch that can guarantee a 20 knot speed for the mother unit even at full load, the company says.
“Alternatively, the ship can be propelled at patrol speeds between 9 and 12 knots by two electric motors keyed to the power take-off of the gearboxes and powered by two of the three main generators of 750kW,” the company says. ”This diesel-electric solution at patrol speed allows greater efficiency, reduced consumption and above all lower harmful emissions for the most widely used speed spectrum of the unit. The vessel has two transverse thrusters and retractable active stabilizing fins that guarantee great stability and seaworthiness.”
“We have created an OPV capable of responding to all the requests of a particularly rigorous client that is attentive to compliance with very high technical standards and performance,” said Paolo Duò, president of Cantiere Navale Vittoria.
8 OPV P71, the biggest patrol vessel
ever to be built by Italian boat builder Cantiere Navale Vittoria, has been delivered to Malta
COX MARINE SETS FIRST WORLD SPEED RECORD
Cox Marine’s CXO300 engine has set the first diesel outboard world and national speed record, the company has announced.
During the 50th Anniversary Speed Week held in Cumbria, UK, the firm’s Pegasus surpassed the company’s own previous speed records to win itself the title, achieving a speed of 62.27mph (54.11 knots) over a kilometre-long course that required a flying start.
Powerboat racer Adam Brown had to travel the course in both directions within an hour to minimise any potential wind advantage - with offiial Water Speed Record time keepers averaging the time over both runs.
“The CXO300 simply did everything it was supposed to,” said Brown. “It was quiet, responsive, smooth and the overall experience was not the usual noisy seat-of-the-pants drama that a modified gasoline outboard record run often provides.”
Designed on a blank sheet of paper for both commercial and recreational use, the 300hp CXO300 diesel outboard is a new generation of diesel technology. With up to 30% fuel savings, producing 30% fewer CO2 emissions and with 479 lb. ft torque, it is being touted as an eco-friendly propulsion option built for maximum speed.
The RIB was handed over to ABP in January and was the first Cox-powered boat supplied by Berthon to the port authority. Compared to a petrol outboard, the diesel CXO300 has a high stator output, enabling quick battery charging to easily run all the electrical and electronic equipment, including the complete Raymarine navigation suite, the ICOM communication and PA system and IRIS digital cameras. ”We wanted to demonstrate that power and performance can still be achieved without damaging our environment,” said James Eatwell, head of Research and Development at Cox Marine. ”It’s one of the founding principles at Cox Marine and continues to drive our pursuit of innovation through technology today. We couldn’t think of a better forum in which to emphasis this, than vying for a World Speed Record and simultaneously debuting the CXO300 use of HVO fuel.”
BRIEFS
CCS opens Portuguese office
The China Classification Society is opening an office in Portugal to engage directly with the Portuguese maritime administration, it says. The move will enable it to ‘approve drawings, carry out surveys and certification for ships carrying the Portuguese flag’, as well as issue safety and pollution certificates. The office brings the CCS’s total to 129 across the world.
Windship wins RINA endorsement
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects has become an associate member of the International Windship Association (IWSA), intending to participate more in the development and visualisation of wind and wind-assisted propulsion. “Presently, wind is one of the most interesting solutions in the mix of possibilities for the decarbonization of the maritime industry,” said Kai Reichelt, Business Development Manager for testing at R INA Germany.
