Candela’s C-8 electric foiling boat has been named the European Powerboat of the Year 2023 at the European Powerboat Awards, also known as the ‘Oscars of the boat industry’.

The award presented at boot Düsseldorf last weekend recognises the C-8’s outstanding performance and innovation in the industry.

The Candela C-8 won the electric boat category thanks to its cutting-edge hydrofoil technology, which allows the boat to fly on water using only a fraction of the energy conventional boats need.

With a range of 50-plus nautical miles at 22 knots, the C-8 has two to three times the range of conventional electric boats and matches the performance of fossil fuel-powered speedboats.

Its active hydrofoil system ensures a smooth ride, while its onboard computer automatically adjusts for side winds and waves, providing a more comfortable boating experience.

The real game-changer lies in the C-8’s energy efficiency, according to its Stockholm-based manufacturer. With 80% lower energy consumption than conventional vessels and an almost non-existent wake, the C-8 causes minimal disturbance to marine life, Candela says.

In a recently announced partnership, Candela’s electric outboard engines will use batteries from electric premium car maker Polestar, which will allow the C-8 to achieve an even longer range, further pushing the boundaries of what is possible with electric boats.

“We’re committed to revolutionising the boating industry by creating electric boats that are not only more sustainable and environmentally friendly, but also outperform traditional fossil fuel-powered boats, thus accelerating the transition to sustainable boating,” says Mikael Mahlberg, Candela’s head of communications. “Winning the European Powerboat of the Year 2023 award is an important recognition for our work.”

The Candela C-8 is on display at boot Düsseldorf which closes today, Sunday 29 January. For more information visit candela.com.

Swedish marine tech firm Candela – known for cracking the code for long-range electric crafts and topping electric boat sales – has announced it’s raised €24M, led by EQT Ventures, with participation from existing investor Chris Anderson, the Curator of TED.

Candela says the new capital will boost the company’s already substantial cash influx from sales and will be used to triple R&D, invest in production automation and scale up the sales organisation to meet demand for Candela’s electric leisure and commercial vessels worldwide.

The shift to zero-emission boats and ships has been hampered by the enormous energy consumption and correspondingly low range of conventional electric boats. Flying on computer-guided underwater wings -- known as hydrofoils -- that reduce energy consumption by 80% compared to conventional planing craft, Candela’s vessels soar above the waves in silence with 2-3 times longer endurance than the best conventional electric powerboats. The active hydrofoil system stabilises the vessels in-flight using computer power and advanced software that accounts for waves and side winds, allowing for a wake-free and smoother ride than conventional boats.

Over the past three years, Candela’s high-tech hydrofoil vessels have disrupted the global boating industry by being the first to offer the elusive combination of long all-electric range and high speed. Since 2019, Candela has led electric boat sales in Europe with its foiling C-7 sportsboat. Now, the company is building on this success with the mass market Candela C-8, a day cruiser that the company has close to 100 orders for, just three months after launch.

The flying Candela C-7 has won the most prestigious electric speedboat race in Monaco. By beating conventional electric boats that pack ten times more power, the ultra-efficient C-7 showed why future boats will be foiling, its makers claim.

Candela C-7 is the first hydrofoiling electric boat in serial production. It is also the best-selling electric premium boat in Europe and has since its introduction in 2019 won several awards for the innovative technology that allows it to fly above the surface, using 80% less energy than conventional boats.

Competing in Friday's YCM International Speed Record race during the Monaco Energy Challenge, the world’s biggest competition for electric and new energy boats hosted by the Monaco Yacht Club, the Swedish-made C-7 beat 14 other electric boats in the 1/8 nautical mile sprint race. Averaging 27, 055 knots, the Candela C-7 flew past the finishing line at a speed exceeding 31 knots, despite rough weather and big waves.

The C-7 has more in common with an aircraft than a boat. The control system resembles that of a modern jet fighter, like the F-16. As a driver, you just steer and control the speed, everything else is handled by the computer

Even more impressive, the ultra-efficient C-7 beat conventional hulled electric powerboats equipped with ten times bigger motors - showing why hydrofoiling is the future for powerboats.

The 25-foot Candela C-7 needs only 25 hp to cruise at a speed of 20 knots. Maxing out at 87 hp during take-off, its electric motor is tiny compared to the engines fitted to conventional, planing powerboats of the same size. Due to high hydrodynamic drag, planing craft usually need several hundred horsepowers to reach high speeds.

• This is a big day for electric boating. We wanted to show that instead of just fitting bigger motors and more batteries into conventional, inefficient hulls, hydrofoils allow you to use less power to reach higher speeds and get long range. That’s how we can make boating truly sustainable, said Candela's Mikael Mahlberg after the race.
• By flying above the water, you also get a smoother ride in choppy weather, Mahlberg added.
• The C-7 has more in common with an aircraft than a boat. The control system resembles that of a modern jet fighter, like the F-16. As a driver, you just steer and control the speed, everything else is handled by the computer, said Mahlberg.

The C-7 is equipped with Candela’s sophisticated on-board computer, the Flight controller, which automatically adjusts the hydrofoil 100 times per second to account for side wind, waves and different loads. Receiving input from several different sensors, the Flight controller computes the foil’s optimum angle of attack to ensure a smooth ride.

Candela’s hydrofoil system – with two underwater wings that can be retracted for easy storage when trailing the boat or entering shallow ports – is now being leveraged for bigger electric boats. Next year, Candela will launch the P-30 electric foiling ferry for the city of Stockholm, as well as a 12-person water taxi, called the Candela P-12