Confluence Belgrade: The Future of Serbian Naval Architecture

As part of the "Naval Architecture of Tomorrow" section, Luka Đoković, a Naval Architecture student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade and a passionate sailing enthusiast, guides us through current projects, innovations, and challenges that are shaping the new generation of Serbian yachting

As a naval architecture student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, I have had the opportunity to be part of the “Confluence Belgrade” team, which decided to venture once again into competitive waters. Motivated by a desire for progress and a love for yachting, we proudly present the eco-friendly catamaran SavaECO and announce our participation in the prestigious International Waterbike Regatta (IWR) in Zagreb. Next year, we plan to compete at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge.

Along this journey, guided by the mentorship of faculty staff, we are driven by the desire to improve our own knowledge and expertise in the nautical industry. Our ambition and enthusiasm overcome the lack of access to the sea, fueling our system with positive energy that leads us toward new challenges.

The team consists of students from all levels and modules of study, from undergraduate to doctoral academic programs, all united by a love for water and yachting. Among us, there are experienced sailors, divers, fishermen, and dreamers who hope to one day become part of the yachting world. A certain number of team members also come from Montenegro, further proving the quality of the study program and the staff being trained in Belgrade.

This year, at the Belgrade Boat Show, the team displayed the hulls of Sava and Dunav, created for previous competitions, such as Hydrocontest in Saint-Tropez. Alongside them, the developmental eco-project SavaECO was presented, which, with its simple yet elegant design, attracted the most attention.

SavaECO is a catamaran measuring 2.54 x 1.48 m, designed with the goal of efficiently collecting floating waste. As a prototype, it was showcased at the Third International Maritime Science Conference in Kotor (KIMC) in 2023, where it was very well received. The hulls, joined together into one unit with a solar panel, powered by solar energy, are designed after the Sava hull, which won 2nd place in the lightweight cargo transport category at Hydrocontest in 2017.

Currently, we are working on improving the software and electronics to make SavaECO fully autonomous, so it can collect waste from limited water surfaces with minimal supervision from the shore. The construction of a larger vessel, measuring 6 x 2.5 m, would enable the commercialization of services and help solve the issue of floating waste collection on water surfaces in Serbia.

The Naval Architecture program at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the most prestigious global shipbuilding institution – the Royal Institutions of Naval Architects (RINA). Our plan is to enrich the long and successful tradition of the Department with more international student successes and to present the public with all the wonders of naval architecture.