A New Zealand-designed and built electric hydrofoiling vessel is currently under evaluation as a potential passenger and tourism transport option on Lakes Wānaka and Wakatipu, with Southland MP Joseph Mooney confirming the trial is underway.
The vessel in question is the VS-9, developed by Vessev. At nine metres in length and constructed almost entirely from carbon fibre, it cruises at around 25 knots once airborne on its twin carbon hydrofoils. An onboard computer continuously adjusts pitch and lift in real time, leaving the skipper to focus on steering and speed management. The decision of when to rise into foiling mode and when to drop back into displacement mode is handled entirely by the system.
For anyone who has been aboard a VS-9, the moment of transition is what stays with you. During a sea trial on Waitematā Harbour the previous year, it arrived not as a surge or a slam but as a quiet, almost imperceptible lift. The hull rose clear of the water, the wake dissolved behind the vessel, and the sensation that followed was closer to gliding through air than travelling across water. Ferry wakes and tidal slop failed to disturb the ride. Even cutting across the wake of a large commuter ferry, the VS-9 held steady and dry.
Mooney came away from his own time aboard with a similarly strong impression.
"I was very impressed. One of these boats has been in use as a passenger ferry by Fullers in Auckland for over a year, and the prototype I went on has already sailed the equivalent of New York to London and back, plus a little more."
The trial carries particular significance for the Queenstown Lakes district, a region with ambitious renewable energy targets that align with the Government's nationwide goal to double renewable generation. Mooney pointed to the broader opportunity the technology represents.
"The Queenstown Lakes district has big goals to become a leading region in renewable energy use… it is great to experience technology like this which offers a clear pathway towards those goals via leading edge engineering from right here in New Zealand."
The VS-9's retractable foils, quiet electric propulsion, and minimal moving parts make it a strong candidate for sensitive freshwater environments where noise and wash are genuine concerns. Whether this Kiwi innovation ultimately becomes a fixture above the waters of Wānaka and Wakatipu will depend on the outcome of the current trials.
