The bow of the Virga 55 cutting the water at speed, spray along the hull.

Performance and engineering

Forty knots, quietly.

Everything on this page is measured. Speeds are from sea trials at light load. Range carries a ten per cent reserve.

40
knots
Top speed (74 km/h)
30
knots
Cruising speed (56 km/h)
300
nm
Range at 24 knots (556 km)
1,450
hp
Power (1,066 kW)
16.95
m
Length overall (55 ft 7 in)
22,400
kg
Displacement, light (49,400 lb)

The cutaway

Cutaway illustration of the Virga 55 showing the cabins, the helm, the engine room and the pod drives. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Cutaway, starboard side removed.
  1. Owner’s cabin, forward
  2. Helm, three displays
  3. Galley
  4. Cockpit lounge and sun pad
  5. Twin 725 hp diesels
  6. Gyro stabiliser
  7. Lithium bank, 20 kWh
  8. Pod drives, forward-facing propellers

A sharp entry
and a flat run.

The bow is fine and nearly vertical, so the hull cuts the water. Deadrise eases from the bow to nineteen degrees at the transom, with two spray rails to keep the deck dry. Interceptors at the transom trim the boat without tabs.

General arrangement drawing of the Virga 55: starboard profile above, deck plan below.
Profile and deck plan.

Twenty-two tonnes,
and no more.

The hull is infused in one shot: glass and vinylester over a foam core, with carbon in the stringers and the engine beds. The top is carbon. Light displacement is 22,400 kilograms, which is what forty knots asks of 1,450 horsepower.

Exploded illustration of the Virga 55: top, deck, hull and machinery.
Exploded: hull, deck, top, engines, tanks.
The engine room of the Virga 55: two diesels, the gyro between them, batteries along both sides.
The engine room, at rest.

Two pods,
one hand.

Twin 725 horsepower diesels drive two pods with forward-facing, counter-rotating propellers. A joystick walks the boat sideways into a berth. Position hold keeps it over the sand while the anchor goes down.

Six hours
of silence.

A twenty kilowatt-hour lithium bank runs the boat at anchor without the generator: the galley, the lights and one cabin’s air for six hours. The gyro holds it still at zero speed.

Specification.
FigureMetricImperial
Principal
Length overall16.95 m55 ft 7 in
Hull length15.70 m51 ft 6 in
Beam4.78 m15 ft 8 in
Draft, to propellers1.32 m4 ft 4 in
Displacement, light22,400 kg49,400 lb
Displacement, half load24,600 kg54,200 lb
Fuel2,200 L581 US gal
Fresh water480 L127 US gal
Black water160 L42 US gal
Grey water120 L32 US gal
Performance
EnginesTwin 725 hp (533 kW) six-cylinder marine diesels, 1,450 hp (1,066 kW) combined
PropulsionTwin pod drives with forward-facing counter-rotating propellers. Joystick docking. Position hold
Top speedSea trial at light load40 knots74 km/h
Cruising speed30 knots56 km/h
Economical cruise24 knots44 km/h
Range at 24 knotsWith a 10% reserve. 260 nm at 30 knots300 nm556 km
Hull formSharp-entry warped V, 19° deadrise at the transom, two spray rails, transom interceptors for trim
StabilisationGyro stabiliser, effective at anchor and under way
Build and accommodation
Hull and deckResin-infused E-glass and vinylester over a foam core, infused in one shot. Carbon in the stringer grid and the engine beds
HardtopCarbon fibre, matte finish, with an opening glass panel, carried on a single raked central pillar
MetalworkBrushed bronze: rails, cleats, bar, wheel hub. The wheel rim in oiled oak
DeckingPale sand composite with dark caulking lines
Power at anchor11 kW generator. 20 kWh lithium bank: galley, lighting and one cabin’s air-conditioning for six hours without the generator
Design categoryB (offshore), 12 persons
Guests, day1212
Cabins2: owner’s cabin forward under a full-length skylight; guest cabin amidships with two single berths that convert to a double
Berths4, plus one optional crew berth aft
Bathrooms1 en suite, 1 day head
GalleyBelow, to port of the companionway, with a second cold store at the cockpit bar
Naval architecture and designMaren, in house
BuildQueensland, AU

Figures from sea trials and the build specification. Performance varies with load, fuel, sea state and equipment.