Francesco Rogantin reveals the secrets of the 50-meter Tankoa S501
The naval engineer has designed all the hulls of the S501 series appreciated for the quality of its design and construction but also for the performance and efficiency of its hull which allows navigation speed equal to that of the main competitors on the market with lower consumption.
The naval architecture of the five S501 series hulls launched to date by the Italian shipyard Tankoa Yachts and those currently under construction has been optimized by the Names (Naval Architecture Marine Engineering Studio) studio directed by Francesco Rogantin, who also collaborates with the Genoese shipyard on the T450 designed by Giorgio Cassetta and the full-custom 58-meter project designed by Francesco Paszkowski.
Over the course of five years, the Names studio, led by engineer Rogantin, recalls in a statement, the Tankoa shipyard has delivered four units of the 50-meter series designed by Francesco Paszkowski: Vertige, Bintador, Olokun, and Kinda. Of these, Bintador and Kinda boast hybrid propulsion. Last October, a new 50-meter hull was also launched and will be delivered in the coming months; a sixth on-spec hull will then be available for delivery in 2024, confirming this series as one of the most successful in its category worldwide.
“The brief for the S501 series called for the construction of an aluminum yacht under 500GT with a hull that would be efficient at both standard and higher displacement speeds,” explains Rogantin. “The main challenge was precisely to stay under 500GT; to achieve this, we worked extensively on both the boat's weight and the hull volumes. Furthermore, changes were made to the initial layout that also affected the naval architecture.”
Among the reasons for the Tankoa S501 project's resounding success – according to the press release – are not only the shipyard's quality design and construction, but also the hull's performance and efficiency, which allows for economical cruising with lower fuel consumption than its main competitors. The hull shape itself ensures impressive performance in terms of top speed, exceeding 18 knots with relatively small engines, totaling 3.000 hp.
“We optimized the hull lines and appendages with CFD, but we also tank-tested the model at up to 28 knots,” Rogantin continues. “In fact, every new build in the series has been tank-tested to verify the small design changes made to the bow and stern. Unlike many shipyards, Tankoa has always encouraged us to make incremental improvements in terms of performance, efficiency, and comfort.”
Much time was spent researching the bow shape to optimize entry into the water and minimize bow waves. Further improvements included the steering system and stabilizers. Both were originally hydraulic, but now electric systems from Opem Sistemi and Mcm are used.
"As Tankoa's first hybrid yacht, Bintador posed a challenge because the different layout of the machinery and equipment affected the weight distribution and therefore the trim of the hull," Rogantin explains. "We were very pleased with the result because the owner took delivery of the yacht and spent a year almost continuously aboard.
After the experience with Bintador, we developed a different system for the second Kinda hybrid hull in collaboration with Siemens, which required modifying the tank structures to create safe spaces for the battery bank. The additional weight in the lower part of the hull improves stability, but optimizing the trim is a rather delicate process.”
“Currently,” Rogantin concludes, “we have an ongoing agreement with Tankoa to provide full technical support – naval architecture, weight distribution, performance, engineering, and so on – for all their new projects, including any custom designs that clients may request.”
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