New Zealand-based electric boat maker Vessev has signed its first European customer for the VS-9 hydrofoil, with luxury hotel Finn Lough in Northern Ireland set to use the craft for guest tours starting in 2026.
The VS-9 is among the first electric boats globally to employ hydrofoiling technology, which lifts the vessel above the water on carbon fibre foils to reduce drag. The catamaran-style craft can carry ten passengers and reach speeds of up to 25 knots (46.3 kph).
Hydrofoiling gained prominence in 2013 when New Zealand’s America’s Cup team deployed it in sailing competition, inspiring the founders of Vessev to launch the company in Auckland. The VS-9 made its first customer delivery last December to ferry operator Fullers360 in New Zealand.
Finn Lough, known for its “bubble domes” that allow guests to sleep under the stars, said the VS-9 aligned with its approach to hospitality. “Partnering with Vessev allows us to offer a form of travel that connects people more deeply to a place, and that carries a sense of story, not just movement,” said co-owner Michael Beare. “It captures our core belief in the beauty of contrast: pairing the untamed beauty of the lake with a thoughtfully designed, elevated way to explore it.”
Vessev chief executive Eric Laakmann said the boat’s design aimed to heighten the experience of natural surroundings. “A flight on the VS–9 is smooth, silent, creates very little wake, and produces no on-board emissions. There’s nothing getting between you and that tranquility that guests come to Finn Lough to find,” he said.
The company is scaling up production, with Laakmann telling Radio New Zealand that orders now span three continents. Vessev has expanded its workforce from 14 to 45 employees in the past year and aims to shorten the build time for a VS-9 to five weeks.
Vessev joins a growing group of firms developing electric hydrofoils. Swedish manufacturer Candela introduced the P-12, a 30-passenger hydrofoil now in service with Stockholm’s public transport system. Like the VS-9, the Candela model can reach speeds of 25 knots.