The inaugural Royal Thames Mansura Trophy competition has been won by the Lagoon 420 hybrid-powered catamaran from French shipyard, Constrution Navale de Bordeaux. The ecological innovation and practicability of their design was recognised last night (19 February) in a ceremony at London’s Royal Thames Yacht Club when the trophy was presented to M. Loic Lagrange by HRH the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The inspiration for this competition was Mansura, a cabin-cruiser built in 1912 and driven by a petrol-electric hybrid propulsion system developed by her owner, Jack Delmar-Morgan, electrical engineer and member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club.   Having researched the history of Mansura, marine writer, Kevin Desmond, persuaded Delmar-Morgan’s grandson, Julian, and David Barratt to commission a trophy to encourage hybrid boat propulsion.

With recognition from the Royal Yachting Association and launch support generously provided by The Green Blue, upwards of fifty projects were identified world-wide that addressed the spirit of the rules. Some 25 hybrid designs were followed up in Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA as the competition gathered momentum and international recognition, leading to a final shortlist of five contestants from four nations. Chairman of the judging panel, David Arnold, commented: “We were faced with a number of innovative and frankly ingenious original designs or retro-conversions but it was the Lagoon 420 motor-sailing catamaran which had the commercial advantage. Its use of one engine, one diesel generator and a bank of batteries which re-charge via propellers turned by the boat’s speed whilst under sail is simple and effective. The fact that Constrution Navale de Bordeaux has built over sixty Lagoon 420’s since 2003, half of which have made trans-Atlantic delivery trips, further underlines the potential.