Concept

Joso Perković, designer and founder of the HReko: “My dream sailboat is about 40 feet long, light and fast with a low draft, unsinkable and able to go aground on a sandy beach. It would offer good initial stability, be easy to sail downwind, be suitable to live on, and great to sail long distances. Should be practically independent of fossil fuels”

These desires drove the vision for an overall concept: a multi-hybrid type of sailboat. A hybrid form that embodied a unique sailing rig and both monohull and trimaran design features. A hybrid concept of stability that incorporates dynamic water ballasting. A hybrid power and propulsion that utilizes both renewable and conventional marine systems. Considering form, HReko embodies a unique combination of small sport catamaran like bilge keels under the waterline and RIB-like floats above the waterline flanking a light composite performance hull resulting in a boat almost half the weight of a comparable centerboard keel cruiser. The stability curve reveals sea keeping behavior between that of a monohull sailboat with a conventional keel and a multihull (trimaran). This unprecedented concept is indicative of future designs simply because its substantial energy is harvested from the sun via photovoltaic panels and from the sea via hydrodynamic motor/generators. Combining this with low displacement and good sailing performances makes for this boat to be practically carbon neutral. The concept of adaptable rigging is intended to make traditional sailing downwind with headsails in a butterfly formation more efficient and easy. It approaches the efficiency of spinnaker sailing, but with more control and comfort.

A RIB type of dinghy that stows in reverse at the stern like a bayonet forms an integral part of the main hull while sailing. It effectively extends the boats overall waterline, increasing theoretical speed, allowing a 10 meter boat to have some characteristics of a 40 footer. When moored in a marina, the stowed tender serves as a stern gangway. While underway, it has the potential to be quickly deployed as a ready buoyant lifeboat.

The long RIB like floats of the main boat are constructive elements of the hull that provide stiffness and resistance to wave impact. The aft part of each float contains an elevated ballast tank that forms part of the diagonal water ballast concept in combination with bilge keels of identical volume. Largely covered by a 10 cm thick polyethylene sponge, they reduce the need for additional fenders and provide additional sound and thermal insulation. Two long and low keels allow for easy maintenance on land and trailer transport. They also make it suitable for the shores of Western Europe where there are large tide fluctuations.

HReko is better suited for long distance sailing rather than regattas. Its’ smaller sail area, particularly when sailing on close reaches upwind are arranged more for comfort than speed. Offering great directional stability with slower more gradual maneuvering is well suited for autopilot. STIX value is 30.4 ( “B” (Offshore) STIX Value > 23 – adequate to withstand winds up to force 8, with average waves of 4 m).