Gazitua Letelier client REGENT opened the world’s first Seaglider manufacturing facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on September 30. More than 600 guests watched live flights of the Viceroy and Squire Seagliders. The factory plans to build 75 Viceroy vessels and 300 Squire drones per year.
Gazitua Letelier client REGENT opened the world's first Seaglider manufacturing facility on September 30, less than a month after Viceroy's first human-crewed flight. Principal Luis Andre Gazitua and Strategic Partner Saif Ishoof attended Demo Day on Narragansett Bay, joining more than 600 investors, customers, government and defense leaders, suppliers, and journalists from six continents.
REGENT recently closed a $240 million Series B and completed the first human-crewed Seaglider flight. Demo Day showed where that capital and that milestone lead: production.
Demo Day on Narragansett Bay
Guests boarded ferries to watch the full-scale Viceroy prototype and the autonomous Squire drone. Both vessels demonstrated all three modes of operation: float, foil, and fly. It was the first time the public saw Viceroy fly in ground effect live, and the prototype's fifth flight.
Seagliders are hydrofoiling wing-in-ground effect craft that operate within one wingspan of the water. Viceroy is designed for 12 passengers and two crew, speeds up to 180 mph, and routes up to 180 miles.
Back at the factory, guests toured the floor, watched motor and AI perception demonstrations, operated Seaglider simulators, and boarded a full-scale cabin mock-up.
The Facility
The 255,000-square-foot facility at 1 Seaglider Way in Quonset Business Park has direct waterfront access for continued sea trials. REGENT's release outlines the production plan:
- First customer deliveries as early as late 2027
- Rate production of 75 Viceroy vessels and 300 Squire drones per year
- Up to 750 jobs over the next decade
- $71.5 million reinvested in the local economy
"We proved the technology and the demand; now we build," said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT.
Speakers at the ribbon-cutting included U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor, retired Admirals William Moran and Charles Ray, and General Robert Neller, former Commandant of the Marine Corps. Leaders from Breeze Airways, Japan Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Hornblower also spoke.
Defense and Commercial Momentum
The same day, REGENT extended its Marine Corps Warfighting Lab agreement by $5 million, bringing the total to $19.25 million. Phase IV includes six deliverables focused on operationally relevant demonstrations and command-and-control integration.
The areas to watch:
- Defense missions: contested logistics, MEDEVAC and CASEVAC, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
- Commercial orders: a global order book across six continents, including up to 60 Viceroy vessels for The Twenty Five
- Capital: more than $340 million raised to date
- Oversight: U.S. Coast Guard regulation and certified mariner captains
Bottom Line
REGENT has moved from prototype to production. The factory is open, the vessels are flying, and defense and commercial demand is growing. The next phase is delivery: production rate, certification, and the ports, operators, and customers that put Seagliders to work.
We congratulate Billy Thalheimer, Adam A. Triolo, and the entire REGENT team on the milestone and thank them for hosting us.
About Gazitua
Gazitua Letelier is a Miami government relations and lobbying firm serving elected officials, businesses, international clients, technology groups, and trade associations. Its largest practice areas are Miami-Dade lobbying, advocacy, and bid protests.