Long before the arrival of the flying catamarans in the Copa America, the navigator Alain Thébault pursued the dream of sailing on sailboats that did not touch the water and has not stopped imagining a world where this dream comes true. His latest project, Seabubbles, is about to become a reality after more than two years of work.

The objective of this great project is to create a new transport mode for rivers and canals, a vehicle that does not pollute and that is presented as a solution to the mobility and environmental problems of large cities. Another fundamental objective is that the sensations on board are not those of being sailing on a boat, but those of being in a car on the road.

According to the first tests, the takeoff occurs as soon as the vehicle reaches 6 knots of speed. Built with very light biodegradable materials, SeaBubbles consists of a small cabin for passengers equipped with foils and is powered solely by electric power, with a range of between 80 and 100 kilometers. Its design, in addition, avoids the creation of waves in the wake that it leaves behind its stern.

To date, five flying electric bubbles have been built in Switzerland and Alain Thébault hopes to start a large-scale production this year, hoping to close agreements with other cities in France and other countries such as Dubai or Venice.