ZEN50 debuts as first series-production catamaran with automated wingsail

The ZEN50 makes its case where most electric catamarans still run out of road: at anchor, offshore, and under the hard realities of marina life. With a 160 kWh main battery bank, about 16 kW of solar, and an automated OceanWings rig, this 15.7-meter catamaran is trying to prove that zero-emission luxury can be more than a dockside talking point.

ZEN Yachts says the boat was developed in-house from more than 10 years of eco-boat experience, and it is pitching the ZEN50 as the world’s first series-production catamaran with a fully automated wingsail. Designed by naval architect Julien Mélot, the full-carbon platform is built around ultra-lightweight principles and a luxury brief that does not hide its ambition. The company says its mission is to build “the most eco-friendly and first zero emission, luxury, blue water performance yachts with continuous infinite range.”

The practical appeal is obvious. A battery bank of 160 kWh, paired with roughly 16 kW of solar, gives the ZEN50 a credible path to silent hotel loads while the boat is at rest, especially when the sun is doing its part. Dual electric motors, cited in different listings as either 2 x 40 kW brushless DC units or 2 x 50 kW motors, give it the thrust needed for marina maneuvers and short hops without reaching for diesel. That matters more than the marketing language does. Owners who want quiet evenings at anchor will care less about the slogan and more about whether the air-conditioning, galley, lights, refrigeration, and tender charging can run without drama.

The wingsail is the real separator. Widely identified as Ayro’s OceanWings OWS 3.2, the semi-rigid rig is meant to extend range and speed, not replace every other source of propulsion. That makes the ZEN50 less of a sailboat with a gimmick and more of an electric catamaran with a serious wind-assist system. It also adds a new layer of complexity. Automation helps, but a wingsail is still a high-tech moving structure that owners and crew will need to understand, trust, and maintain.

At about 8.4 meters wide and 16 to 17 tonnes displacing, the boat is still a substantial catamaran, even before you factor in the wingsail. That beam will not make every marina berth easy, and the price, now cited around $1.7 million, puts the ZEN50 squarely in early-adopter territory. ZEN Yachts says the first hull was sold to a U.S. owner and production was underway in Barcelona, which tells you exactly who this boat is for: buyers willing to pay for the promise that low-emission cruising can finally feel like real ownership, not a prototype waiting for the future to arrive.