FOILING
AS COMFORT OPTION
Maldivia 45 is planning smoothly, but foiling is even more stable.
Maldivia 45 Foiling: Flying Comfort, With Honest Numbers
The Maldivia 45 will be available as a foiling version for operators whose guests value comfort above everything else. At speed, foils lift the hull clear of the water, so short chop no longer reaches the passengers. Foiling also costs more to buy and to run. This page sets out both sides, based on our October 2026 sea trial and our cost model, so you can choose the M45 that suits your route.
Why we offer a foiling M45
Comfort is the reason. On resort and VIP transfers, the ride is part of the guest experience. In waves up to about 1 metre, the M45 Foiling flies above the chop with almost no hull motion. It leaves a small wake and runs quietly on its electric drive.
The planing M45 is already smooth
Our sea trial showed how much comfort the standard hull already delivers. The planing M45 held 28 knots in 0.5–1 m waves over several runs and 27 knots in 1–1.5 m waves. In 1-metre waves it did not slam, and the captain never had to throttle back.
The comfort gain from foils is therefore greatest in short chop of 0.5–1 m. In bigger waves, foiling boats come down onto their hulls, while the planing M45 keeps running at speed.
Pros and cons at a glance
The M45 Foiling uses the same 52-seat epoxy composite hull and the same 2 × 200 kW electric drive as the M45 Electric. The foils make the difference. They give a smoother ride in short chop, about 15% lower energy use and about 18% more range per charge. In return, the boat costs more, needs more service, and spends more days out of service. Foils and struts are also exposed to logs, ropes and coral, which matters on reef routes and in shallow lagoons.
What the foils cost
Compared with the planing M45 Electric, the M45 Foiling costs about €46,000 more per boat and year in Europe and about €75,000 more in the Maldives. The 15% energy saving is worth about €24,500 a year in Europe. That does not cover the extra service alone, let alone the write-off of the USD 300,000 foil premium.
The gap is small per guest, though. A comfort surcharge of about €0.65 per passenger trip in Europe, or about €1 in the Maldives, covers the full extra cost. If the foils retract and the boat runs as a normal planing M45 in rough weather, the extra cost falls to about €29,000 a year in Europe.
Across all versions, the planing M45 Electric has the lowest cost per seat in Europe, and the M45 S6 Carbon diesel in the Maldives. Even the M45 Foiling costs about 73% less per seat than the C48 4x250hp in Europe, and about 63% less in the Maldives.
Which M45 is right for you?
Choose the M45 Foiling for sheltered lagoons and routes where waves stay mostly below 1 metre. It suits premium guests who notice and pay for extra comfort, and operators with good technical support close by.
Choose the planing M45 Electric for open channels and monsoon seas, for shallow lagoons and reef passages, and when the lowest cost per seat and the most days in service matter most.
Choose the M45 S6 Carbon diesel for the longest range: about 435 nautical miles at 30 knots on one tank, for remote atolls without charging points.
How we calculated
All M45 figures are calibrated on the October 2026 sea trial of Hull No. 1. Operating costs assume 2,000 hours a year at 30 knots, with downtime valued at USD 1,000 (€860) per boat per day. Energy prices are €1.30 per litre and €0.21 per kWh in Europe, and €0.86 per litre and €0.14 per kWh in the Maldives. The 15% energy saving from foiling is our realistic maximum for an already optimised hull. Service, spares and downtime for the foiling version follow published data from foiling passenger boats. C48 figures come from a boat operated by Jalboot in the Maldives.
Talk to us about your route. With wave data for your route, we can calculate exactly how many days a foiling M45 would fly and what it would cost you.