ABB has partnered with Ferrari Hypersail as its official Electrification Partner, bringing over 25 years of DC technology leadership to a groundbreaking 100-foot full-foiling oceanic yacht. The vessel will utilize an advanced 800 VDC self-sufficient renewable microgrid designed to withstand extreme offshore conditions. Insights gained from managing power distribution and energy storage under these harsh maritime stresses will ultimately help advance resilient power systems for commercial shipping, data centers, and industrial microgrids.
Zurich, Switzerland | September 14, 2026 – In a landmark convergence of high-performance marine engineering and industrial electrification, ABB has announced a major technology partnership with Ferrari Hypersail. As the official Electrification Partner, ABB will bring its quarter-century of Direct Current (DC) innovation to the world’s most ambitious oceanic testing ground: a 100-foot, full-foiling oceanic monohull yacht powered entirely by renewable energy systems.
The collaboration unites Ferrari Hypersail’s pursuit of record-breaking sustainable speed with ABB’s industry-leading expertise in marine power architecture, intelligent energy management, and advanced 800 VDC (Direct Current) power systems.
Engineering for the Extreme: Inside the 100-Foot Full-Foiling Monohull
Designed to operate in some of the most hostile environments on Earth, Ferrari Hypersail is a floating laboratory of sustainable technology. Stretching 100 feet in length, the full-foiling monohull is engineered to lift entirely out of the water at high speeds, subjecting its onboard systems to violent structural shock loads, continuous saltwater spray, extreme temperature shifts, and relentless motion.
Unlike traditional racing yachts that rely heavily on auxiliary fossil-fuel generators, Hypersail runs completely self-sufficiently on renewable energy for weeks at a time. To manage this volatile energy loop, the vessel utilizes an advanced dual-voltage DC architecture operating at 48V and 800 VDC.
This microgrid handles complex real-time operations, including:
- Foil Controls: High-precision hydraulic and electronic actuators that dynamically stabilize the flying hull.
- Energy Storage & Generation: Managing fluctuating power inputs from onboard renewables and feeding robust battery banks.
- Critical Navigation & Safety Systems: Ensuring uninterrupted electrical supply in emergency and survival scenarios.
The Power of Direct Current: Why 800 VDC Matters
ABB enters the partnership backed by more than 25 years of pioneering leadership in DC technology and a portfolio comprising over 700 patents in the field.
In marine and industrial applications, shifting from traditional Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current architectures offers monumental efficiency gains. DC systems eliminate the need to synchronize frequencies between variable-speed renewable sources, energy storage, and consumers. This allows generators and fuel sources to operate at optimal speeds, cuts conversion losses, and reduces overall weight and footprint, a critical factor for a performance-focused foiling yacht.
“Ferrari Hypersail gives ABB a unique platform to demonstrate how we are collaborating with partners to push the limits of Direct Current technology,” said Giampiero Frisio, President of ABB’s Electrification business area. “Ferrari Hypersail is designed to operate in conditions that are as demanding as anything our systems face in industry. The lessons from a challenge like this can help us advance the resilient, efficient power systems our customers need across sectors from marine and renewables to data centers and industrial microgrids.”
A High-Performance Crucible for Broader Industrial Applications
For the project team leading Ferrari Hypersail, securing world-class electrification engineering was non-negotiable.
“Hypersail runs entirely on renewable energy,” noted Enrico Voltolini, Project Leader of Ferrari Hypersail. “It has to be self-sufficient for weeks at a time in the most hostile ocean environments on earth. Having ABB’s electrification expertise connected to the project is a valuable operational advantage.”
Beyond the prestige of ocean-racing performance, the partnership serves a broader industrial purpose. The data and operational insights gathered from managing an isolated, high-stress DC microgrid at sea will directly feed back into terrestrial and maritime applications. ABB’s engineering teams will use these real-world stress tests to refine intelligent power distribution, real-time monitoring, and system integration, innovations that translate directly to commercial shipping decarbonization, next-generation data centers, and onshore renewable microgrids.
Ferrari Hypersail
Ferrari Hypersail is a groundbreaking 100-foot (30-meter) oceanic full-foiling monohull yacht that marks the legendary Italian automaker’s bold entry into extreme offshore racing. Designed in collaboration with naval architect Guillaume Verdier and engineered with advanced automotive thinking straight from Maranello, the carbon-fiber speed weapon operates with zero combustion engines.
It functions as a fully self-sufficient renewable microgrid, harnessing solar power via 100 square meters of integrated deck panels, removable wind turbines, and innovative “winch-by-wire” kinetic energy recovery systems driven by the crew. Flying stably on three contact points using a revolutionary canting keel and lateral foils, Hypersail relies on a sophisticated dual-voltage architecture (including 800 VDC systems) to power its high-precision flight controls, making it a high-performance floating laboratory for the future of sustainable marine technology.
ABB in Brief
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By combining its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries achieve high performance while becoming more efficient, productive, and sustainable, what it calls “Engineered to Outrun.” With over 140 years of history and approximately 110,000 employees worldwide, ABB advances electrification solutions across power generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption. ABB shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB).
Source: ABB