It looks like a strange sea creature: an insect-like beast that stands 3 metres above the water and coasts along the surface of the waves. In fact it鈥檚 a fuel-efficient catamaran called WAM-V.
The craft鈥檚 acrylic body is held above the water on four aluminium 鈥渓egs鈥�, which are in turn mounted on titanium springs attached to its two 30-metre inflatable hulls. The springs allow the hulls to coast over the water, cutting energy consumption compared with boats that pierce the waves or push them aside. 鈥淚nstead of fighting the waves, you just go with them,鈥� says Isabella Conti of Marine Advanced Research in El Cerrito, California, which designed the boat.
The height of the craft鈥檚 cabin could make it particularly useful for search-and-rescue operations, Conti says.
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