REGENT Craft, a US-based developer and producer of all-electric seagliders, has submitted its design foundation settlement (DBA) for the 12-passenger Viceroy seaglider to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), advancing its maritime certification course of for seagliders—high-speed, all-electric vessels that function completely over the water.
As defined, the DBA establishes what the Viceroy seaglider design should do to point out an equal stage of security to different equally sized licensed vessels and consists of an idea synopsis, regulatory evaluation, and threat/hazard evaluation.
The submission follows months of collaboration between REGENT and the US Coast Guard to mature the contents of the DBA and make sure the Viceroy design meets or exceeds required regulatory security requirements. Approval of the DBA by the USCG is anticipated mid-year.
“The formal submission of the DBA is a results of a rigorous design course of in response to laws and business requirements together with our dedication to consideration to element round regulatory compliance and making certain the security of seaglider passengers, crew, and vessel,” Ted Lester, VP of Certification at REGENT, commented.
Seagliders are Kind A Wing-In Floor Impact (WIG) craft, designed to all the time function inside floor impact, a phenomenon that happens inside one wingspan of the floor of the water and supplies vital aerodynamic effectivity.
This implies seagliders are regulated as maritime vessels, according to tips established by the Worldwide Maritime Group (IMO) and the Worldwide Civil Aviation Group (ICAO), in addition to US legal guidelines. Within the US, the USCG oversees the certification course of for seagliders, and in non-US markets, REGENT is partnering with the classification society Lloyd’s Register to certify vessels for different flag state jurisdictions.
With the submission of REGENT’s DBA, the corporate advances to the formal design stage the place closing designs could be developed for approval. Following approval of the DBA, the following stage will contain US Coast Guard approval of ultimate designs and inspection of the vessel throughout development to make sure it aligns with the authorised design, and at last collaboration with native operators on crew coaching and native necessities. This course of leads to a certificates of inspection that clears the seaglider for business passenger operations.
Earlier this month, REGENT started sea trials of its full-scale Viceroy prototype in Narragansett Bay, RI. The USCG has authorised REGENT’s Navigational Security Threat Evaluation for the prototype, which permits REGENT to check with people on board in Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound.
REGENT additionally just lately broke floor on a producing facility within the Quonset Enterprise Park in North Kingstown, RI, which can come on-line in 2026 and home seaglider part manufacturing, automobile closing meeting, and pre-delivery testing for the Viceroy seaglider.
What’s extra, the corporate additionally introduced plans to determine seaglider manufacturing and providers within the UAE. In February 2025, the producer signed an preliminary settlement with Strategic Improvement Fund (SDF), an Abu Dhabi-based funding firm wholly owned by EDGE Group, to type a three way partnership for manufacturing seagliders within the UAE.
As soon as all vital approvals are obtained, the three way partnership intends to provide electrical seagliders and ship them to the Center East, Africa, and past whereas additionally offering aftermarket providers, together with upkeep, restore, and overhaul (MRO).
