Harmsworth Electric Boat Challenge: BAR Technologies
Harmsworth Electric Boat Challenge: BAR Technologies
Publish Date: 2026-06-23 14:44:00
Source Domain: powerboat.news
The SpiritBARTech F35 completed the Poole-Cowes-Poole course on May 27, crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 36 minutes and 53 seconds at an average speed of 30.35 knots. The run, confirmed as the opening challenge for the newly relaunched Harmsworth Electric Boat Challenge, set the benchmark time that competitors will need to beat before the winner is announced later this year.
For BAR Technologies, which co-developed the vessel with Spirit Yachts, the result carries significance beyond the time on the clock.
Ollie Pendleton, Head of Operations and Vessels at BAR Technologies, said:
“The Harmsworth Trophy has always been about innovation. For most of its history, that meant finding ways to go faster with bigger engines and more power. Today, the challenge is different. The question is no longer how much fuel you can burn, but how efficiently you can move through the water.”
Pendleton continued:
“What makes the SpiritBARTech F35 special is that it demonstrates that performance and efficiency need not be competing objectives. Through advanced foiling and electric propulsion, we can achieve speeds that would have seemed impossible for an electric boat only a few years ago. Something is fitting about one of the world’s oldest powerboat trophies helping to showcase the future of marine technology.”
How the F35 works
The F35 is a collaboration between Spirit Yachts and BAR Technologies, both based in Portsmouth. The vessel combines traditional wooden boatbuilding with modern carbon epoxy lamination, keeping weight to a minimum. Its foiling system draws directly on BAR Technologies’ work developing technology for the America’s Cup. By lifting clear of the water at speed, the hull dramatically reduces drag, allowing the electric drivetrain to deliver performance that would otherwise require far greater energy consumption.
Skipper Simon Schofield described the experience on the water:
“Once the boat rises onto the foils, the…
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