Nicolas Lapp: Sunreef aims for the smart superyacht

Nicolas Lapp, co-founder and chief technology officer of Sunreef, has signalled his intention to move into the realms of software and integration. This follows the announcement in September of WETRA, a yacht management system designed to simplify the way increasingly advanced yachts are operated, monitored, and maintained. WETRA was created by Sunreef’s in-house engineering team—a sign of things to come from the brand.

“We are moving towards greater integration to improve safety and make life easier for captains and owners,” says Lapp. “The aim is to connect every part of the yacht, predict potential safety and maintenance issues, and develop AI capabilities that help detect critical conditions.”

Lapp says that development on WETRA began three years ago. “The idea was to stay ahead of technology and move from a conventional yacht to a smart yacht, providing a better user experience.” Sunreef maintains a sailing and power line-up, as well as a superyacht division with models up to 65 metres. WETRA is available to all Sunreef yachts, including superyachts.

^{Nicolas Lapp oversees the R&D and superyacht strategy at Sunreef Yachts}

WETRA was designed to be easy to operate, even with minimal training, by bringing all controls together in one place. “The main challenge was developing the hardware and software and integrating them. Integration with some vendors’ equipment was hard to achieve, so we built our own hardware to resolve these issues,” says Lapp.

Smart superyachts are becoming increasingly vital as AV/IT demands grow, along with a wider recognition of the virtues of advanced fuel efficiency.

WETRA brings together navigation, climate control, safety, energy management, and technical monitoring into one digital environment. Users can access information at the helm station, from on-board interfaces, and via mobile devices.

Lapp reports that Sunreef had to develop its own integration hardware because certain equipment lacked suitable interfaces for direct control. He credits the company’s experience dealing with batteries and solar power installation with helping to develop the energy monitoring and management functions of WETRA.

WETRA is already running on all new Sunreef yachts, and development is ongoing, says Lapp.