Boats

If you want decent range out of an electric watercraft, you need to eliminate drag – and that's the thinking behind the WaveFlyer Volaré, launching in Sydney this weekend. Smaller than some jet skis, it hovers over the water for a smooth, quiet ride.

The new Navier 30 adds a little length over the concept that preceded it while offering the same robust range and high-tech design. It has an autopilot system meant to evolve into full autonomy and an active foil system to breeze over 4-foot waves.

Zagato has become the latest world-famous Italian design house to dunk its incomparable artistry into the sea. The sleek, 26-foot Persico Zagato 100.2 promises to be a fast electric day boat and instant collector's item.

Touring kayaks are typically made of plastic, composites or sometimes wood, but unlike canoes, almost never aluminum. That didn't faze Brennen Kunka, however, who recently built his own all-aluminum kayak from the ground up – and it's awesome!

When we looked at the Pol Lux earlier this year, it was still in the rendering stages. The unique solar-electric RV catamaran is now being tested and showcased on the water. It promises to be an exciting new way to enjoy the water all day and night.

Hydrofoil cycling is among the more intriguing new water sports out there, but it's also rather intimidating. JetCycle skips the high saddled frame and drops its pedaled foil down to kayak level, offering high-flying glide with less intimidation.

The Scoter amphibious caravan isn't as large or pretty as the Caracat cat-camper, but it boasts a slick feature. The tri-camper's built-in wheels fold into the hulls, ensuring smooth flotation while eliminating the need for a separate trailer.

An electric boat built from the ground up for maximum power has blazed past the 100-mph (161-km/h) barrier at the Lake of the Ozarks, proving the potential of all-electric watercraft and posting a new world record in the process.

Drift Energy puts a different spin on wind power. Instead of creating windmill-derived electricity, its plan sees AI-routed hydrofoil sailing yachts generating electricity for electrolysis. Those yachts would then deliver green hydrogen ashore.

There are now several different packable boats that can be carried in the back of a car, and assembled onsite. And while most of them fold like origami, the Nanoyacht is a bit different, in that it's made up of multiple nesting boxes.

Although pedal-powered boats do exist, most use either a propeller or flapping fins. Ben Kilner's one-off Jamima Paddleduck takes a different approach, with two rear paddles mounted on a bike frame – and the setup has some definite selling points.

California's Marine Advanced Robotics has made considerable progress on its remarkable Wave-Adaptive Modular Vessel since we first saw these wild suspension-legged spider-boats 16 years ago on a list of urban legends.