Regent Craft has received approval from the US Coast Guard for navigational safety risk assessment, authorising the Rhode Island-based company to begin testing its full-scale seaglider prototype in Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound.

The assessment included a third-party risk analysis of navigational safety and review of environmental concerns and economic impacts from testing. Regent consulted more than 20 local stakeholders, including the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, harbour masters, marine pilots, the US Navy, the FAA, sailing organisations and environmental groups, to ensure their concerns were addressed.

After review at the sector, division and national level, the US Coast Guard approved Regent's assessment with no modifications. This assessment and approval also will act as a model for future commercial seaglider approvals in other US waterways and around the globe.

“US Coast Guard approval of Regent's navigational safety risk assessment marks a significant step in bringing us closer to seaglider prototype testing with humans on board,” says VP, certification Ted Lester. “The assessment reflects our commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards and remaining responsive to community concerns.”

This US Coast Guard review on seaglider prototype testing is part of a larger collaboration between Regent and the regulatory authority to advance seaglider certification in the US.

Seagliders are all-electric hydrofoiling wing-in-ground craft that always operate over water in ground effect, within one wingspan of the surface of the water. According to US law, this means the novel vessels are defined as maritime vessels and regulated by the US Coast Guard, with technical support from the FAA.

Regent is working with the US Coast Guard to advance certification of its Viceroy seaglider, a 12 passenger vehicle that can travel at 180mph to service routes up to 180 miles on a single charge.

Regent successfully proved seaglider technology with its quarter-scale prototype in 2022, showing operations in the three modes: float, foil and fly. Testing of the full-scale prototype with humans on board will begin later this year, with the first flight planned for early next year.