Sailone Partners
with Prusa Research

We are Sailone, a student-led team based in Set�bal, Portugal, currently building a 2.1-metre fully autonomous sailboat to cross the Atlantic. The vessel will not only be a great feat of engineering, but will also carry oceanographic sensors for measuring ocean salinity, temperature, and pH. Our team is driven by a modern commitment to sustainability and research, and we plan to make our dataset free and publicly available, contributing to the shift toward a more eco-friendly planet.

Sailone Curiosity render

The vessel will also carry weather detection systems for detecting and tracking hurricanes, providing valuable data on weather patterns, and will be built to withstand winds of up to 100 knots and waves of up to 60 feet. By sailing directly through the Atlantic hurricane corridor, the boat will be able to gather real-time, in-situ readings from regions that are difficult and dangerous for crewed vessels to reach. This data can help researchers better understand weather patterns and storm formation, feeding into efforts to improve early-warning systems and forecasting models for coastal communities.

We are incredibly lucky to be partnered with Prusa Research, the largest 3D printer manufacturer in Europe and North America. Prusa has generously provided us with a Prusa CORE One L 3D printer, along with plastic filament and Prusament. This support has been invaluable to a student team working with limited resources, letting us design, test, and iterate on custom parts in-house rather than outsourcing production.

The Prusa CORE One L in our workshop

The CORE One L's large build volume allows us to print bigger structural components in a single piece, from sensor housings to the hull itself, reducing the number of joints and points of failure on a vessel that will spend weeks alone at sea. Being able to prototype rapidly has also meant we can test and refine designs without delays, allowing us to prepare for our first Transatlantic crossing in August 2026.

Hull components being printed

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Prusa Research and to join their wide community of makers and engineers. Prusa is deeply committed to supporting aspiring engineers, student-led teams, and budget-conscious projects in the name of research and innovation. That mission is truly inspiring, and we're proud to say we share these values.

Prusa revolutionised the global 3D printing industry, transforming a niche hobby into a worldwide maker movement, with a reach that today spans the globe.