SYROCO

Syroco’s first research project was the design of a speed craft to beat the existing wind-propelled speed record on water. Syroco’s founders realized that beating a record like this was no longer only a sporting challenge: it had become a technological one. As a result, the company required specific design and engineering tools that would allow it to create a craft that was quite apart from existing solutions in terms of both design and function. It also needed to be able to simulate outside forces such as wind so that it could develop strategies to reduce friction and withstand high mechanical stress.

Dassault Systèmes’ cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform, including CATIA and SIMULIA, helped Syroco team members virtually simulate and analyze different craft structures and understand the impact of a range of outside variables. As a result, it has created a revolutionary design for a speed craft made up of a wing (the sail), a nacelle, and a hydrofoil (a load-bearing plane, usually designed to allow a boat to "fly" on the water, however Syroco uses it to counter the vertical force), all connected by lines (thin ropes).  

3DEXPERIENCE on the cloud was instantly available by a single click and surpassed expectations. Syroco’s engineers can design, simulate and validate their designs in a secure and collaborative way. This has enabled them to produce a prototype in record time – and at less cost than a traditional approach.