Siemens announced today that Caponnetto Hueber SL, a leading naval engineering company, is using its Simcenter advanced simulation technologies from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software to redefine commercial pleasure‑yacht design and achieve breakthrough hydrodynamic performance gains and sustainability credentials, through reduced fuel consumption.
The Bluegame BGF45 is a 45-foot foiling catamaran capable of more than 35 Kn and is the latest result of long-standing collaboration between Caponnetto Hueber and the Bluegame shipyard, part of the Italian Sanlorenzo Group. The development program saw Caponnetto Hueber use Siemens’ Simcenter advanced simulation technology to translate its decades of America’s Cup hydrodynamic innovation into a commercially viable vessel that delivers efficiency, fuel economy (consumption reduced by up to 30 percent compared to a catamaran without foils), stability and comfort.
“Applying our hydrodynamic expertise, built in our America’s Cup work, to a commercial vessel requires powerful simulation tools. Siemens’ Simcenter technology allowed us to evaluate concepts quickly, refine the foil‑assisted architecture and give Bluegame a design that delivers measurable gains in efficiency and comfort,” saidMario Caponnetto, co-founder and technical director, Caponnetto Hueber SL. “By combining our racing experience backed up with the Siemens’ advanced simulation technologies, we were able to bring innovation to the BGF45 that simply wouldn’t be achievable through traditional methods.”
“Shipyards must deliver meaningful performance improvements without adding operational complexity for customers. Simcenter’s simulation and digital‑twin capabilities allowed the BGF45 engineering teams to validate design decisions early and optimize hydrodynamic behavior across real‑world ocean conditions,” said Mike Croegaert, director of marine solutions - simulation, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “This collaboration demonstrates how advanced simulation can bring racing‑grade innovation to commercial vessels.”
Images courtesy of Caponnetto Hueber SL
Transferring racing yacht know-how to leisure yacht design
While yacht design has traditionally relied heavily on trial‑and‑error approaches and towing‑tank experiments, today’s shipyards require measurable performance gains to justify Research and Development investment. To achieve this, Caponnetto Hueber brought its three decades of racing experience and foiling innovation into the commercial market and took a new data‑driven approach to its design process.
Caponnetto Hueber and Bluegame adapted learnings from their 50‑knot hydrogen‑powered foiling catamaran - created for the 37th America’s Cup - into a new foil‑assisted configuration for the BGF45. Keeping the stern in the water eliminates the need for complex, expensive lift‑control systems while still reducing drag by up to 30 percent, exceeding the typical single‑digit improvements seen in the sector.
Siemens’ Simcenter™ software for advanced structural simulation and Simcenter™ STAR-CCM+ software for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) enabled comprehensive structural analysis, seakeeping studies, maneuvering analysis and fluid‑structure interaction work. Visualizations of wave impacts, turning trajectories and foil‑to‑hull vortex behavior created a shared “link language” between engineering teams and the shipyard, driving a more scientific and collaborative culture.
Images courtesy of Caponnetto Hueber SL
Part of a wider collaboration with Siemens
In addition to supporting the development of the hull, Siemens’ SENTRON products form the heart of the BGF45's electrification system and enables intelligent management of energy flows through integrated monitoring functions, further contributing to the yacht's overall efficiency.
The Bluegame BGF45 has attracted significant interest at recent boat shows due to its reduced fuel consumption, improved comfort and racing‑inspired design. These results highlight the growing value of simulation‑led development across the marine industry.
To learn more about how the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio is supporting leaders, innovators and pioneers in the marine industry, visit https://www.siemens.com/en-us/industries/marine/
