From Concept to Reality: Entering the Manufacturing Phase

With the design phase officially behind us, Altea has entered full-scale production. This transition was only possible thanks to months of in-depth component analysis, design iterations, and interdisciplinary collaboration across our departments. Each decision—technical or strategic—was made with a clear objective in mind: creating our most advanced and sustainable prototype yet.

Our process began with sourcing, testing, and preparing every material and tool, ensuring alignment with our production roadmap. The first machining of PET blocks for the hull and deck molds emphasized precision and surface integrity. From there, we advanced methodically through the infusion of bulkheads, solid wings, terraces, gantry, and finally deck and hull, adhering to a timeline designed to deliver both consistency and innovation.

Introducing Altea: A New Philosophy in Design

Altea is more than just a boat—it’s a bold statement of intent. Designed from the ground up with a new hull geometry, it minimizes drag during takeoff while maintaining top performance during flight. Our team has also developed a next-generation foil system, prioritizing improved lift-to-drag ratios using more sustainable materials. The sail design was entirely reimagined to be fully recyclable and optimized for aerodynamic efficiency.

A standout innovation is our mold construction approach. For the first time, we’ve utilized off-the-shelf PET blocks from Diab—material with no previous industrial application—repurposing it into recyclable tooling. It’s this kind of practical innovation that defines our design language: performance without compromise on sustainability.

Achievements and Milestones

Our 2024 prototype, Febe, has laid a strong foundation for our current trajectory. Presented at Politecnico di Milano and METSTrade in Amsterdam, Febe drew wide attention for its engineering quality and environmental responsibility. With over 12 successful water tests and zero component failures since last year’s SuMoth Challenge, Febe has proven to be a reliable test bench—especially for our mechatronic actuation system, originally envisioned during its design.

On the industrial side, we’ve renewed and expanded partnerships with some of the top names in sailing innovation—Three60, Harken, Gottifredi Maffioli, and ReFraschini. Collaborating with these leaders puts us in the same arena as America’s Cup challengers, sharpening our approach and setting a high bar for our work.

But our greatest strength lies in our people. From engineering meetings to team-building moments—like our ski trip to Lizzola or an adrenaline-filled day at Zero-Gravity Milan—our sense of unity keeps us moving forward.

A Team Ready to Compete

Starting production early has allowed us to refine both our project timeline and our internal processes. By improving process repeatability and enhancing inter-department coordination, we’ve achieved high-precision components with minimal variance—vital for performance and reliability.

With Febe still central to our testing strategy and Altea entering its final build phase, the team is entering the last stretch toward FSMC 2025 with confidence, momentum, and clarity of purpose.

Sustainability at Every Level

Altea is on track to become our most sustainable prototype to date. In line with our ethos, carbon fiber has been eliminated from the hull and wings. The foils integrate reduced carbon use, leveraging alternative materials to maintain strength without environmental compromise.

Across our workflow, we’re implementing sustainable practices:

• Recyclable PET cores in tooling
  
• Bio-based epoxy resins, reducing fossil fuel dependency
  
• Basalt fibers for a stronger yet eco-friendly build
  
• Process optimization that minimizes waste and maximizes repeatability
  

Even our new merchandise reflects our values: made from organic cotton and recycled polyester, it allows us to wear our mission with pride.

Setting Sail Toward SuMoth 2025

Altea is more than a prototype—it is the sum of hundreds of hours of collaboration, innovation, and shared ambition. At PoliMi Sailing Team, we’re not just building boats. We’re building a future where sustainable performance is the new standard.

Stay tuned as we continue our journey toward SuMoth 2025.