sailboat with hydrofoil

Discover the Magic of Hydrofoil Sailboats

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 11, 2023

‍ Key Takeaways

• Hydrofoil sailboats blend speed, stability, and innovation for a fun sailing experience.
• Their design lifts the hull above water, reducing drag and enabling high-speed travel.
• Advanced control mechanisms maintain stability in varying wind conditions.
• Sails and hulls are meticulously engineered for optimal aerodynamics and lift.
• Ongoing innovations in foil technology continue to propel hydrofoils to new heights.

‍ Based on their innovation and nature, the world of hydrofoil sailboats are magical, to say the least. But what exactly makes them so exceptional?

The magic of hydrofoil sailboats lies in their extraordinary speed. They can achieve remarkable speeds that were once thought impossible for sailboats. Their unrivaled stability and cutting-edge technology redefine sailing, offering a thrilling blend of innovation and performance.

Over the years, I've dedicated myself to mastering the intricacies of the yachting world, not just as an observer but as an active participant in the hydrofoil sailing community. My knowledge extends beyond the surface, encompassing the technical aspects of hydrofoil design and the thrill of high-speed sailing. As such, I’ll provide a comprehensive and engaging exploration of what sets hydrofoil sailboats apart, making them truly magical on the waters.

Table of contents

‍ Discover the Magic of Hydrofoil Sailboats

Hydrofoils saw their early development as a concept for enhancing speed and efficiency on the water. From Alexander Graham Bell's experiments to the application of foils on sailboats in the 1950s, the quest has always been for greater speed.

But it wasn't until Russell Long championed these designs with the CEC foiling catamaran and the development of the Hobie Trifoiler that hydrofoils began to carve a distinct niche in the sailing world.

This sailboat operates on a simple yet ingenious principle: as the speed increases, the foils submerged beneath the boat generate lift. This lift thrusts the boat's hull above the water, dramatically reducing drag.

It’s similar to how air flows around the wing of an airplane, only with water's denser environment offering a different dynamic. This revolutionary foiling system allows boats to glide over waves, offering an incredibly smooth ride.

The variety of hydrofoil sailboats is astounding, from the foiling catamarans that have revolutionized the America's Cup to the twin sail trimaran designs. The fastest production sailboat, the Hobie Trifoiler , showcases what hydrofoils are capable of.

Additionally, boats like the innovative Emirates Team New Zealand vessels continue to push the boundaries of technology in competitive sailing. Whether for recreational purposes or high-speed racing, the range of hydrofoil sailboats caters to different sailing experiences and preferences.

Now, let’s explore the various aspects of hydrofoil sailboats that make them truly magical.

The Thrills of Hydrofoil Sailing

When I first stepped onto a hydrofoil sailboat, I knew that sailing would never be the same for me. Harnessing the power of the wind to achieve remarkable speeds while hovering above the water was nothing short of revolutionary.

It's an adrenaline-infused blend of sailing, flying, and innovation that promises high performance and stability with a significant reduction in wetted areas.

The allure of hydrofoiling is not just about the speed; it's the sensation of flying over the waves, defying the conventions of traditional sailing. With each gust, my hydrofoil sailboat becomes a silent, swift car, slicing through the air rather than merely sailing on the water.

When sailing with hydrofoils, you get to experience the following benefits.

• High Speed: With hydrofoils, I've seen and achieved speeds I never thought possible on water.
• Less Wetted Area: As the hydrofoils lift the hull out of the water, drag is reduced, further contributing to the craft's efficiency and speed.
• Stability: Surprisingly, the flying sensation is accompanied by stability once airborne, making the ride smoother.

The America’s Cup Competitive Foiling

Over the years, I've witnessed first-hand how hydrofoil technology has radically altered the landscape of competitive sailing. The introduction of hydrofoils has not only redefined what we consider possible in the sail area but has also brought a fresh surge of excitement to the racing circuit.

The most illustrious event in sailing, the America's Cup , underwent a transformation with the embrace of hydrofoils. Emirates Team New Zealand, a frontrunner in hydrofoil innovation, redefined the America's Cup racing in 2017.

Alongside them, the US team and Luna Rossa played pivotal roles in reshaping the landscape of America's Cup racing.

With their AC50 class catamarans soaring above the waves at top speeds that defy traditional sailing limits, they clinched the title and shifted the focus of competitive racing toward technological prowess.

The spectacle of these vessels racing is not just about the crew's capabilities but equally a testament to engineering marvels.

Also, the advent of hydrofoils in racing has certainly led to a spike in performance metrics. Here's a concise table highlighting the before and after impact of hydrofoiling in competitive Sailing:

This table illustrates just how much the racing landscape has shifted; it's not only sailing anymore.

It’s similar to piloting a high-speed aircraft, with each crew member playing a crucial role in harnessing the raw power of the strong winds in harmony with state-of-the-art technology. Watch this video for a more detailed explanation of hydrofoil sailboats and their magical power.

Technical Aspects of Hydrofoil Sailboats

In diving into the technical aspects of hydrofoil sailboats, I'll give you an insight into the intricate designs that enable these marvels to glide above the water, as well as the cutting-edge foil technology propelling them.

The design of a hydrofoil sailboat revolves around its capability to elevate the hull above the water, reducing drag and enabling high wind-speed travel. Control mechanisms are central in maintaining stability, especially when the sailboat interacts with varying wind conditions or maneuvers through shallow waters.

The hull's length and overall design are calibrated for balancing aerodynamics with hydrodynamics. In designing sails and hulls for foiling, one must carefully balance the need for power with the propensity for lift.

The sails are tailored not only to harness the wind's energy effectively but also to match the unique mechanics of a vessel in flight. Meticulous engineering ensures that the sail configuration works in harmony with the foils to propel the sailboat forward swiftly.

Additionally, the foil technology, which is pivotal to modern hydrofoils, has undergone significant further development over the years . From the materials used to the manufacturing processes, every element incorporates the latest in technology to yield extreme performance.

Advancements have led to foils that can automatically adjust to sailing conditions and speed, which is instrumental for achieving and maintaining high speeds.

Currently, the future of hydrofoil technology seems bound for even further breakthroughs. Customization and refinement of foils for specific water conditions, such as the challenges posed by shallow water, are ongoing.

Each new iteration builds upon the last, consistently advancing the field and informing the next leap in hydrofoil sailing. This persistent innovation in foil and hull technology is a testament to the potential that lies ahead for hydrofoil sailboats.

Are Hydrofoil Sailboats the Right Options for You?

Hydrofoil sailboats offer a unique and thrilling sailing experience, but whether they are the right option depends on your preferences and goals. These high-performance vessels are known for their exceptional speed and stability, making them ideal for thrill-seekers and competitive sailors.

If you're passionate about cutting-edge technology and want to push the boundaries of traditional sailing, hydrofoil sailboats could be a perfect fit.

However, they may require a learning curve for beginners and are typically more expensive than traditional sailboats.

Consider your skill level, budget, and desire for speed and innovation when deciding if hydrofoil sailboats align with your sailing aspirations.

The Future of Hydrofoil Sailboats and Their Transformative Potential

Over the years, I've been captivated by the evolution of sailing and the recent advancements in hydrofoil technology, which promise a thrilling future for these marine crafts.

The technology supporting hydrofoil sailboats is rapidly advancing, bringing us closer to a world where boats gliding above the water's surface is a common sight.

These boats use 'wings' or foils submerged in water to lift the hull above the surface, reducing drag and allowing for greater speeds. This innovation is not just limited to racing but is expected to influence recreational and transport vessels in the future.

Today, we see hydrofoils in action with hydrofoil kiteboards, which have become popular among thrill-seekers. This is due to their ability to harness wind power and achieve impressive acceleration and agility on the water. This same principle is being applied to larger sailing vessels, where performance and sustainability converge.

The further development of hydrofoil technology involves intensive research into materials and design optimizations that can handle the challenges of varied sea conditions.

Electric and solar-powered hydrofoils are on the horizon, poised to significantly impact our world by offering greener alternatives to traditional boats.

Notably, the trends in hydrofoiling indicate a shift towards more sustainable sailing, utilizing advancements in electric propulsion systems to complement the inherent energy efficiency of hydrofoil designs.

The goal is a fleet of sailboats that are not just faster but more eco-friendly, promising an exciting future where the joy of sailing is in harmony with the health of our oceans.

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Boat of the Year 2020 F101: Best Foiler

• By Dave Reed
• Updated: December 10, 2019

At A Glance

Price As Sailed: $24,750

Design Purpose: Learn to foil, advance skills

Crew List: One or two

Rob Andrews and his ­business partner Alan Hillman have been teaching foiling for a few years now, and one thing they’ve learned is we get better by sailing, not by swimming. Thus was the genesis of the F101, a craft with which they could teach the fundamentals of foiling—without the crash and burn. But it’s not just a learn-to-foil boat, either. It’s a platform with which new and experienced converts alike can take their ­foiling skill set to a higher level.

The key to mastering the F101, Andrews explains, is grasping righting moment. With the trimaran platform, you get plenty of it, as well as a stable boat that’s more forgiving than any other small foiler. “The trimaran configuration gives you righting moment direct from the foil in the middle hull,” he says, “and gives a measure of safety. It’s hard to capsize the boat.”

The judges learn as much when it comes time to sail the F101. In 15 knots and more, and a steep Chesapeake chop, Powlison is first to give it a go. He settles into the boat, gets his bearings, perches skittishly on the weather hull, sheets on the mainsail (no need to use the boat’s gennaker above 12 knots) and off he goes like a bat out of hell, popping up on the foils without even trying.

“The trick is getting used to the sensation of heeling to windward,” he says. “It takes a bit of trust. Once foiling, it’s quiet and fast, and I felt like I had to be really active on the mainsheet to keep it on the foils.”

That’s true of any foiler, but the beauty of the F101, the judges agree, is when you do lose it, it’s no big deal. The boat drops off its foils, the bows auger in and you get a face full of water; but just reset, bear away and try again.

“The hull shape picks up the buoyancy gently,” Stewart says, “which makes it depress smoothly and prevents it from pitchpoling. When I dumped it a few times I thought I was going in, but not a chance. You quickly realize there’s plenty of floatation there to save you. In flat water, with one day of training you’d get up to speed quickly.”

When teaching people to foil, Hillman starts with “skimming,” a ride height barely above the surface. As the sailor becomes more accustomed to how the boat behaves, there’s a simple line adjustment at the foil head: Dial it up one setting and increase your ride height.

As you’re sailing, the foil wand hanging behind the trailing edge effectively feels where the boat is riding relative to the water and actuates the main flap. In light winds, it gives you more lift, and the boat pops up on the foil. Get too high, and the wand drops down even ­further, forcing negative lift on the flap, which brings you back down to your desired height and prevents the foils from breaking the surface.

In terms of construction, the judges praise its carbon-and-epoxy build quality and the all-up weight of 180 pounds, which makes it easy to get to and from the water. With the F101 sitting on its dolly in the boat park, going sailing is as simple as pulling back the covers, hoisting the main and launching from a dock, beach or boat ramp with minimal fuss.

“What I like about it is that it’s one of those boats that you buy and don’t need to add anything to it,” Allen says. “There’s ­nothing to change out or upgrade.”

For simplicity, the boat is set up with adjustments that let you ratchet up the experience as you climb the learning curve. On the rudder foil, for example, there is a clear numbering system so that as you twist the tiller extension, you change the rudder rake. The baseline setting is zero, and it’s the same for the main foil. The only thing left is to balance the forces with the mainsheet.

“When I first got up on the foils, I was thinking to myself, ‘This is too easy; I should be working harder,’ ” Powlison says. “As they said, this boat solves a lot of the problems associated with other foiling dinghies. It’s a great high-performance boat that represents the next step in making foiling accessible to the public.”

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Eagle Class 53: The foiling cruiser inspired by the America’s Cup

• Matthew Sheahan
• August 6, 2019

Is this the future of sailing? The Eagle Class 53 is a wingmasted cruising catamaran designed to fly on T-foils

Not everything that flies is destined to scorch around an America’s Cup course. The future for sailing hydrofoils is surely about more than just racing. At least, that was the view of one owner who, having witnessed the America’s Cup foiling catamarans, saw a big opportunity.

“I’ve worked as a skipper for yacht owner Donald Sussman for 16 years,” says Tommy Gonzalez. “When he saw the foiling Cup boats he knew that this was what he wanted to have a go at. He is not interested in racing himself, he wanted to go cruising, but cruising on foils. He saw what had been created and believed that this had practical potential. Put simply he said: ‘I want one and I want to be the first.’”

As well as being a professional skipper, Gonzalez is the president of Fast Forward Composites, a Rhode Island-based composite building facility where the Eagle Class 53 was constructed. Understandably, the road to creating such an ambitious cruiser was never going to be straightforward. So the plan was structured around several key elements and stages, starting with an efficient and easily managed wingmast.

The hybrid solid wing and soft sail configuration means the rotating rig can be reefed. The entire solid wing can be rotated through 360° ensuring the rig can always be fully depowered – important for docking and close quarters manoeuvring

Of those two criteria, efficiency is easy to satisfy – wingmasts are by definition more efficient. It is the practicalities of handling them that usually causes problems. Reducing sail in breezy conditions and leaving the wing up at the dock are two of the biggest issues.

The solution on the Eagle Class 53 was to create a composite wingmast where 50% of the area is a solid D-section and the trailing 50% a soft sail that can be raised, lowered and reefed. Interestingly, it is a similar concept to that of the next generation of 75ft foiling monohull Cup boats, currently under development. “The rig is a little lighter than a conventional mast and sail set up, and significantly easier to handle,” explains Gonzalez.

“Because the sail can be raised or lowered we can reef the main, or even just sail with the solid section. The mainsheet loads are around 40% less than a conventional rig and because the sail can turn 360° we can let the wingmast fully rotate, which makes life simple when you’re docking. You just let it feather.

“In addition, because we have a part soft sail, which we have developed with North Sails, we can create twist which allows us to de-power the top of the sail, so we have plenty of control over this wing and the advantages that go with it.”

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The next stage was to work towards foiling. To do this the team decided to create a cat that had C-section daggerboards that would help reduce displacement at speed but not lift the boat entirely. Getting used to controlling the power and feeling the behaviour of the boat through various wind ranges and sea states would provide a solid understanding of the boat’s characteristics.

“Once we have got used to the way the boat handles, the next stage will be to fit T-foil rudders which will take us onto the next level,” continues Gonzalez. “With these we will be able to get used to the software system, the instrument displays and the feel and the control of that part of the programme without taking the boat to full flight.

“That will allow us to get her up on her toes like a ballerina and keep her there so we understand what she feels like before she flies. “After that, in the spring next year, we’ll remove the C-foils, put on the T-foil daggerboards with their elevators, and move on to full foiling.”

The wingmast has a solid D-section and trailing soft sail

The proposed T-foil daggerboards will be angled out which makes the overall platform slightly wider, which in turn makes for more stable and efficient foils. And while improving the efficiency of the lifting surfaces, the outward bend in the daggerboards will also help to generate more righting moment, and hence achieve greater stability.

The control system itself will be a form of fly-by-wire system that will allow autonomous flight to ensure that the boat sails within safe operating limits. “If you have some of the gods of sailing aboard you will be able to override the controls to some degree, but under normal circumstances the control system will automatically de-power and lower the boat back into the water when the speed gets to 35 knots,” he explains.

So far the project has gone well. After the boat was launched earlier this year she cruised in the Caribbean during the regatta season before heading north back to Bristol, Rhode Island. “We’ve been very pleased with how well the boat sails and how easy she is to handle,” said Gonzalez.

“When we’re on delivery trips we have just three aboard. Aside from myself, the other two crew are not highly qualified professional sailors and yet we are looking at boat speeds of around 15-18 knots upwind and then 22 knots off the wind.

“We have also been through a squall of 35 knots where we were sailing with just the D-section of the wing mast which was easy to control by feathering the wing. When we get to the foiling stage we anticipate that we will be able to fly in around 10 knots true.”

The Eagle Class 53’s roots lie firmly with the foiling America’s Cup catamarans. Even in displacement mode she’s an exhilarating ride. The goal is to achieve fully foiling performance

It is still early days for a project that Gonzalez describes as being “crawling before walking, before running and ultimately sprinting”, once the hydrofoils are fitted.

Yet during the development process it has become clear that there are others who are interested in the 53-footer, whether it foils or not. So, while the next big goal is to work towards building a 75-80ft long distance cruiser, currently called the 8X, interest in the Eagle Class 53 has been sufficient for the company to tool up for a limited production run.

“We have created carbon tooling for the 53 and are looking to build around seven of them,” said Gonzalez. “For the 8X, we are hoping to build three with the first being available during the winter of 2021-22.”

Gonzalez is a realist when it comes to the future. “As we all know, foiling has been around for a long time in military and public transportation, so we need to set an example to insurance companies and the likes that we are foiling safely and encourage others to follow. But the time has come. This is part of the evolution of our sport.”

Specification

LOA: 16.50m (54ft 2in) LWL: 16.08m (52ft 9in) Beam: 8.50m (27ft 11in) Draught: 0.41m-3.05m (1ft 4in-10ft 0in) Displacement (light ship): 6,000kg (13,228lb) Displacement (max load): 7,540kg (16,623lb)

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[2023] Hydrofoil Catamaran: The Ultimate Guide to Foiling on Water

• November 1, 2023
• Hydrofoil Basics

Experience the thrill of flying above the water with a hydrofoil catamaran!

Are you ready to take your hydrofoil boarding to the next level? Look no further than the hydrofoil catamaran. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of hydrofoil catamarans, exploring their history, how they work, their benefits and drawbacks, and everything else you need to know to make an informed decision. So, buckle up and get ready to soar above the waves!

Table of Contents

Quick answer, quick tips and facts, how does a hydrofoil catamaran work, benefits of hydrofoil catamarans, drawbacks of hydrofoil catamarans, choosing the right hydrofoil catamaran, maintenance and care, recommended links, reference links.

A hydrofoil catamaran is a type of watercraft that combines the stability of a catamaran with the lift and speed of hydrofoils. It uses specially designed foils to lift the hulls out of the water, reducing drag and allowing for faster and smoother sailing. Hydrofoil catamarans are popular among sailors and water sports enthusiasts for their incredible speed, maneuverability, and thrilling foiling experience.

Shopping Links: Hydrofoil Catamarans on Amazon | Hydrofoil Catamarans on Walmart | Hydrofoil Catamarans on Etsy

• Hydrofoil catamarans can reach speeds of up to 40 knots (46 mph) or more, depending on the design and conditions.
• The foils on a hydrofoil catamaran can lift the hulls out of the water, reducing drag and allowing for a smoother and faster ride.
• Hydrofoil catamarans are used for various purposes, including racing, recreational sailing, and even transportation.
• Foiling on a hydrofoil catamaran requires some skill and practice, but it’s an exhilarating experience once you get the hang of it.
• Hydrofoil catamarans come in different sizes and designs, catering to different skill levels and preferences.

Hydrofoil catamarans have a fascinating history that dates back to the early 20th century. The concept of using hydrofoils to lift boats out of the water and reduce drag was first explored by Italian engineer Enrico Forlanini in the late 1800s. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that hydrofoil technology started to gain traction in the boating world.

The first hydrofoil catamaran, known as the “Aquavion,” was developed by the French engineer René Guilbaud in the 1950s. This innovative design combined the stability of a catamaran with the lift of hydrofoils, revolutionizing the world of sailing. Since then, hydrofoil catamarans have evolved and become more advanced, offering incredible speed, maneuverability, and stability on the water.

A hydrofoil catamaran works by utilizing hydrofoils, which are wing-like structures mounted underneath the hulls of the boat. These foils generate lift as the boat gains speed, lifting the hulls out of the water and reducing drag. This lift allows the hydrofoil catamaran to achieve higher speeds and a smoother ride compared to traditional boats.

The hydrofoils on a catamaran are typically designed with a curved shape, similar to an airplane wing. This shape creates a pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the foil, generating lift. The foils are usually adjustable, allowing the sailor to fine-tune the performance of the catamaran based on the sailing conditions.

To control the hydrofoil catamaran, sailors use a combination of steering and sail trim. By adjusting the angle of the foils and the sails, they can optimize the lift and balance of the boat, ensuring a stable and efficient ride. It takes some practice to master the art of foiling on a hydrofoil catamaran, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Hydrofoil catamarans offer a range of benefits that make them a popular choice among sailors and water sports enthusiasts. Here are some of the key advantages of hydrofoil catamarans:

Speed : Hydrofoil catamarans are known for their incredible speed. By lifting the hulls out of the water, hydrofoils reduce drag and allow the boat to glide smoothly above the waves. This enables hydrofoil catamarans to reach impressive speeds, making them a thrilling choice for racing and high-performance sailing.

Maneuverability : The lift generated by hydrofoils enhances the maneuverability of catamarans. With reduced drag, hydrofoil catamarans can make sharp turns and quick maneuvers with ease. This agility is particularly useful in racing scenarios, where every second counts.

Stability : The dual-hull design of catamarans provides inherent stability, even at high speeds. When combined with hydrofoils, the stability of hydrofoil catamarans is further enhanced. This stability makes them suitable for sailors of all skill levels, from beginners to experienced professionals.

Efficiency : Hydrofoil catamarans are more efficient than traditional boats. By reducing drag, hydrofoils allow the boat to sail faster while using less power. This increased efficiency translates to longer sailing distances and reduced fuel consumption, making hydrofoil catamarans an environmentally friendly choice.

Versatility : Hydrofoil catamarans are versatile watercraft that can be used for various purposes. Whether you’re looking for a high-performance racing catamaran or a recreational sailboat for family outings, there’s a hydrofoil catamaran to suit your needs. Some models even offer the option to switch between foiling and non-foiling modes, providing flexibility on the water.

While hydrofoil catamarans offer numerous benefits, it’s important to consider their drawbacks as well. Here are a few potential downsides to keep in mind:

Cost : Hydrofoil catamarans tend to be more expensive than traditional boats. The advanced technology and materials used in their construction contribute to the higher price tag. Additionally, maintenance and repairs can also be costly, especially if specialized parts or services are required.

Learning Curve : Foiling on a hydrofoil catamaran requires some skill and practice. It can take time to learn how to control the boat effectively and maintain stability while flying above the water. Beginners may find the learning curve steep, but with dedication and proper instruction, anyone can master the art of hydrofoil catamaran sailing.

Weather Conditions : Hydrofoil catamarans are sensitive to weather conditions. While they excel in flat water and moderate winds, rough seas and strong gusts can pose challenges. It’s important to be aware of the weather forecast and choose suitable sailing conditions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

Transportation and Storage : Hydrofoil catamarans can be larger and bulkier than traditional boats, making transportation and storage more challenging. Specialized trailers or racks may be required to transport the catamaran, and adequate storage space is needed to protect it when not in use.

Despite these drawbacks, the thrill and excitement of foiling on a hydrofoil catamaran outweigh the challenges for many sailing enthusiasts.

When it comes to choosing the right hydrofoil catamaran, there are several factors to consider. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

Skill Level : Consider your skill level and experience as a sailor. Some hydrofoil catamarans are designed for advanced sailors, while others are more beginner-friendly. Choose a catamaran that matches your skill level to ensure a safe and enjoyable sailing experience.

Intended Use : Determine how you plan to use the hydrofoil catamaran. Are you looking for a racing catamaran, a recreational sailboat, or something in between? Different models offer varying features and performance characteristics, so it’s essential to choose a catamaran that aligns with your intended use.

Budget : Set a budget for your hydrofoil catamaran purchase. Prices can vary significantly depending on the brand, model, and features. Consider both the upfront cost and the long-term maintenance expenses when determining your budget.

Brand and Reputation : Research different brands and their reputation in the hydrofoil catamaran industry. Look for brands with a track record of producing high-quality, reliable catamarans. Reading customer reviews and seeking recommendations from experienced sailors can also provide valuable insights.

Demo and Test Sails : Whenever possible, try out different hydrofoil catamarans before making a final decision. Many manufacturers and dealers offer demo and test sails, allowing you to experience the performance and handling of the catamaran firsthand. This hands-on experience can help you make an informed choice.

Remember, choosing the right hydrofoil catamaran is a personal decision that depends on your individual preferences and needs. Take your time, do your research, and consult with experts to find the perfect catamaran for your hydrofoil adventures.

Proper maintenance and care are essential to keep your hydrofoil catamaran in top shape and ensure its longevity. Here are some maintenance tips to help you keep your catamaran performing at its best:

Rinse with Fresh Water : After each sailing session, rinse your hydrofoil catamaran with fresh water to remove salt and debris. Pay special attention to the foils, as saltwater can cause corrosion over time.

Inspect for Damage : Regularly inspect your catamaran for any signs of damage or wear. Check the foils, hulls, rigging, and sails for any cracks, dents, or loose fittings. Address any issues promptly to prevent further damage.

Store Properly : When not in use, store your hydrofoil catamaran in a dry and secure location. If possible, keep it covered to protect it from the elements. Consider using a boat cover or storing it in a boat shed or garage.

Follow Manufacturer’s Guidelines : Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for maintenance and care. Each catamaran may have specific recommendations for cleaning, lubrication, and other maintenance tasks. Adhering to these guidelines will help prolong the life of your catamaran.

Seek Professional Assistance : If you’re unsure about any maintenance tasks or need assistance, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Local boatyards, sailing clubs, or authorized dealers can provide expert advice and services to keep your catamaran in optimal condition.

By following these maintenance tips and caring for your hydrofoil catamaran, you can enjoy many years of thrilling foiling adventures on the water.

How fast is the hydrofoil catamaran?

Hydrofoil catamarans can reach impressive speeds, depending on various factors such as the design, wind conditions, and skill of the sailor. Some high-performance hydrofoil catamarans can exceed 40 knots (46 mph) or more. However, the exact speed will vary based on these factors.

How does a foil catamaran work?

A foil catamaran, also known as a hydrofoil catamaran, works by utilizing hydrofoils to lift the hulls out of the water. These foils generate lift as the boat gains speed, reducing drag and allowing for faster and smoother sailing. The lift created by the foils enables the catamaran to “fly” above the water, resulting in increased speed and improved performance.

What happened to hydrofoils?

Hydrofoils have a rich history and have been used in various applications, including passenger ferries, military vessels, and recreational boats. While hydrofoils experienced a surge in popularity in the mid-20th century, their use declined in some sectors due to factors such as high costs, maintenance challenges, and the development of alternative technologies. However, hydrofoils continue to be used in niche markets, including high-performance sailing and racing.

Read more about “… What is the World’s Largest Hydrofoil Boat?”

Are hydrofoil boats more efficient?

Yes, hydrofoil boats are generally more efficient than traditional boats. By lifting the hulls out of the water, hydrofoils reduce drag and allow the boat to sail faster while using less power. This increased efficiency translates to longer sailing distances and reduced fuel consumption. However, it’s important to note that the efficiency gains may vary depending on factors such as the design, sailing conditions, and skill of the sailor.

Hydrofoil catamarans offer an exhilarating and thrilling experience on the water. With their incredible speed, maneuverability, and stability, they have become a favorite among sailors and water sports enthusiasts. While they may come with a higher price tag and require some skill to master, the rewards of foiling on a hydrofoil catamaran are well worth it.

When choosing a hydrofoil catamaran, consider factors such as your skill level, intended use, budget, and the reputation of the brand. Take the time to research and test different models to find the perfect catamaran for your needs.

So, are you ready to take flight on a hydrofoil catamaran? Embrace the thrill, experience the freedom, and enjoy the incredible sensation of soaring above the water. Happy foiling!

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Hydrofoils for Sailboats

• By By Steven Callahan
• Updated: July 29, 2020

Hydrofoils have been providing dynamic lift since fish sprouted fins. And people have been employing foils ever since they first put paddle to water, and certainly since adding keels and rudders to boats. But the modern, flying America’s Cup boats, kiteboards, Moth dinghies, shorthanded offshore thoroughbreds—these are all ­playing in a new world in which the terms “hydrofoils” or “lifting foils” describe those oriented to raise a hull or hulls from the water. In these racing realms, if you ain’t got foils, you ain’t got nothin’.

Lifting foils that allow these boats to sometimes home in on three times the wind speed might appear to be of little interest to cruising sailors, but with such common cruising features as self-steering and autopilots, self-tailing winches, rope clutches, fin keels and faster hull shapes all having been passed down from the racing scene, one must ask, “What promise, if any, do hydrofoils hold?”

Lifted or partially lifted boat patents extend back to 1869, but workable watercraft took roots along with early flight. Italian Enrico Forlanini began experimenting with foils in 1898. In 1906, his 1-ton 60 hp foiler reached 42.5 mph. Alexander Graham Bell’s HD-4 Hydrodrome flew on Bras d’ Or Lake at 70 mph in 1919. And several sailing foiler patents began appearing in the 1950s. Notably, JG Baker’s 26-foot monohull, Monitor, flew at 30-plus mph in 1955. Baker experimented with a number of foil configurations, and at least built, if not used, the first wing mast. The first offshore foiler was likely David Keiper’s flying trimaran, Williwaw , in which he crisscrossed the Pacific in the 1960s.

By the 1980s, numerous speed-trial and foil-enhanced offshore-racing multihulls showed huge promise, and have since evolved into behemoth trimarans clocking 30 to 40 knots continuously for long periods, not to mention the monohulls in the Vendée Globe (and soon the Ocean Race) that are capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots. But as boat designer Rodger Martin once reminded me, “If you want a new idea, look in an old book.” He was right. The fully foiling monohulls that will compete in the 2021 America’s Cup will bring things back full circle to the foiling monohull Monitor .

Fluid Dynamics Primer

Any foil—a wing, sail, keel, rudder or lifting foil—redirects the flow of fluid (air included), creating high- and low-pressure areas on opposite sides of the appendage, while developing lift perpendicular to the foil’s surface.

Advancements in foiling science is due in part to the hundreds of foil shapes that were tested, with tabulated results, by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the forerunner of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. For the better part of a century now, aircraft and boat designers have been able to choose from a spectrum of refined foil sections that produce predictable amounts of lift and drag for known speeds of fluid and angles of attack, or the angle at which the foil passes through the fluid. Sections of efficient faster foils, as seen on jets or as we flatten our sails to go upwind or reach high speeds, have smaller nose radii and are thinner, with the thickest section of the foils farther aft, up to nearly halfway toward the trailing edge.

The most efficient foil sections at slow speeds are fatter, with the maximum thickness farther forward, and with larger nose radii, than faster foils. The angle to fluid flow or angle of attack also is greater. We see these slower foils on wings of prop planes and sails when off the wind or in light conditions.

Most sailors are familiar with traditional foils on boats, the teardrop sections of keels that produce lift to weather, reducing leeway, and of rudders, allowing them to steer. Even a flat plate can be a foil, but these tend to be inefficient. Such a shape is prone to fluid separation from the surface, meaning they stall easily, and they maintain poor lift-to-drag ratios. Even keels and rudders are somewhat lift-­compromised because they are ­symmetrical and have to work with fluid coming from either side, whereas lifting foils are more like aircraft wings or propellers, with asymmetrical sections honed for performance in a more stable, fluid flow.

The point is, any foil can be employed at various angles to the surface to prevent leeway, produce increased stability, or help lift the boat out of the water. But those not required to work with fluid flowing from opposite sides can then be honed to maximize lift and minimize drag. Asymmetrical foils were used on boats like Bruce King’s bilgeboarders, including Hawkeye , back in the 1970s. And, designers, including Olin Stephens, had previously employed trim tabs behind keels to improve keel performance.

Sails, which are heeled airfoils, not only drive the boat forward, but they also produce downforce, actually increasing the dynamic displacement of the boat. To counter this and keep the boat sailing more upright, multihull designer Dick Newick first employed slanted asymmetrical hydrofoils in the outer hulls of his small charter trimaran, Lark , in 1962. A portion of the lift developed by the hydrofoil resisted leeway, while a portion worked to actually lift the leeward hull, keeping the boat more upright and reducing dynamic displacement and drag.

Anyone who has ridden on even a foil-stabilized boat will know how riding at least lightly on the waves, and especially above them, beats smashing through them. When boats lift off, everything gets a lot smoother, drag falls away, and the boat accelerates.

Cruising on Foils

But why would a cruiser want to whip over the sea? Wouldn’t this demand an inordinate amount of attention by the crew? Would lifting foils even be applicable to a boat that must have substantial displacement to carry crew and stores? Aren’t cruising-boat hydrofoils an oxymoron?

Maybe, but I believe our boats’ hulls are likely to sprout fins much as fish have as we orient foils to more efficiently resist leeway, add stability, aid steering, reduce drag, increase comfort, allow for shallower draft, and enhance wider ­variations in hull shapes.

Boats have gotten increasingly wide through the years to advance form stability, improve performance (primarily off the wind), and boost interior volume. But the downside is that fat boats tend to slam more upwind. What if you could reduce dynamic displacement of the boat and lift that hull even partially from the water? The result would be less slamming, especially upwind.

At the same time, what about narrower boats that are known for being more seakindly, especially when closehauled, but lack form stability to carry adequate sail area for powering upwind, and tend to roll badly downwind? Or shallow-draft vessels that are lovely for cruising, but again, tend to suffer from reduced stability? Foils can give that stability back.

Looking ahead, boat ­designers might choose to reduce ballast, making up for it with a foil. In short, lifting foils can reduce boat drag and motion while increasing power and performance.

Pitching also does no favors for speed or crew comfort. Foils can come into play here as well. Foils parallel to the sea’s surface resist motion up and down, and a lifted boat skating above chop also is less prone to hobby-horsing through waves. Multihulls have always been particularly susceptible to pitching for a number of reasons, but watching videos of multihulls sailing to weather show an obvious huge advantage that foilers have compared with nonfoilers. Offshore multihulls now routinely employ T-foils on the rudders to control the fore and aft angles of the boat (attitude), a feature easily adaptable to any vessel.

OK, so what’s the cost? Obviously, the more things sticking through the hull, ­especially if they are retractable, the more it’s going to impact the interior. There would be added weight, complexity and cost. Foils also create noise, and there’s susceptibility to damage from hitting stuff. And let’s not forget compromises with shapes, purposes and things not yet imagined.

As for damage, it’s possible to fold the foils back into the hull. Think swinging center- boards or actual fish fins. Daggerboardlike foils can at least employ shock-absorbing systems similar to the daggerboard arrangements found in many multihulls. This includes weak links that are outside the hull, so if a foil is struck, it frees the foil to fold back or to come off before being destroyed or damaging the hull. Or, foils might hang from the deck rather than penetrating the hull, allowing them to kick up (and to be retrofitted to existing boats). These configurations also relieve the interior of intrusions, and keep the noise more removed from it. I have no doubt that numerous talented designers will be exploring all kinds of options and compromises in coming years, finding ways to make foils both practical and more than worth the compromises.

Sailing more upright, ­shallower draft, speed, ­comfort—what’s not to like? Just what is possible? I have a feeling the cruising community is about to find out.

Steven Callahan is a multihull aficionado, boat designer and the author of Adrift , an account of his 76 days spent in a life raft across the Atlantic.

• More: foils , How To , hydrofoils , print june july 2020 , sailboat design
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Hydrofoils: Boats That Fly

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Hydrofoils make everything from water skis to sailboats to giant ferries faster (much faster). But how the heck do they work?

Oracle Team USA's AC50 "flying" at nearly 50 mph. (Photo: Ricardo Pinto)

Ever wonder why a sleek, powerful recreational boat is not even as fast as a typical economy car? It has to do with friction. An economy car needs a little over 100 horsepower to speed by at 100 mph, but pushing a boat through the water that fast takes several hundred horsepower. The reason is that water is almost 800 times denser than air.

Imagine standing on your dock in a 10-knot wind — it's not hard to do. Now imagine being in a river trying to stand up to a 10-knot current. The water is so much denser that no matter how strong you are, you'd be swept away. A boat hull has to push through all that dense water while a car can slip through the air much easier.

Planing boats are able to go faster than displacement boats because they lift part of their hull out of the water as they race over their bow wave, but there's still a lot of friction from the water on the rest of the hull. If you could get the hull all the way out of the water, you'd eliminate that friction, and the boat could go faster with the same amount of power.

The Science

Most of us have a pretty good understanding of how an airplane flies. As air flows over and under the wings (also called airfoils), it creates lift. Once an airplane is going fast enough, the lift that the wings create allow it to rise above the earth.

If you were to mount a wing or two (called hydrofoils) under a boat, all that dense water can be put to good use by pushing the boat's hull out of the water. Then friction only acts on the small foils, not on the whole hull, which is why a 130-foot hydrofoiling sailboat can "fly" at over 50 knots. Powerboats have added friction from the propulsion system that has to remain in the water, but even then, large hydrofoiling ferries can exceed 45 knots.

Speed is not the only advantage that hydrofoils give boats. Because the hull is out of the water, all the energy from waves that would normally pound against the boat pass harmlessly underneath it, creating an eerily smooth ride. Even so, hydrofoiling is typically best in somewhat protected waters.

Don't look for hydrofoils on your next runabout anytime soon because they're much more difficult to engineer and typically triple the cost of a boat. The good news is that there are other ways to 'foil that are affordable — see "Experience Hydrofoiling For Yourself" at below.

Experience Hydrofoiling For Yourself

Hydrofoil kiteboards.

If you've even seen a kiteboard zooming in a strong breeze, you know they're plenty fast. Add a hydrofoil, and suddenly you add a new dimension. These boards take lots of skill and practice to master, but the ride is said to be much smoother and even faster than a conventional kiteboard. Cost starts at around $1,000.

Hydrofoil Waterskis

These single-ski hydrofoils are really a sit-on-ski, and once you've mastered the technique, the foils will lift you up and you'll be "flying." Unlike conventional skis, these aren't designed for speed, and 18 mph is where they typically "liftoff' and suggested top speed is about 25 mph. It's also important not to ski in shallow water due to the depth of the foils. Cost is typically $1,500 and up.

Hydrofoil Windsurfers

Not content to take a surfboard and add a sail, windsurfers developed foils that allow the board to "levitate." The biggest advantage is the smoothness of the ride — a real benefit because these rigs usually sail in very strong winds with plenty of chop. Cost is about $2,500 to get started.

Hydrofoiling Small Sailboats

You don't have to spend millions on a boat like the America's Cup racers if you want to hydrofoil. The Waszp costs about $10,000, though even for dinghy racers, there's a learning curve to get these boats on their foils, with speeds up to 27 mph.

Note that most companies suggest wearing a helmet when using foiling products because of the speeds achievable and the hard, sharp foils these devices have.

Foiling The Competition

America's Cup boats are often what people think of when they hear the word "hydrofoil." Hal Youngren, an aeronautical engineer and one of the designers for the 2013 and 2017 America's Cup racers, says the difference in speed that foils make is impressive. The fastest nonfoiling catamarans in previous races could barely reach 35 knots, while the 2017 foiling cats hit 50 knots. Youngren says that these 50-foot cats are able to lift their hulls completely out of the water using only about three-quarters of a square meter of foil area (about the size of a medium-sized TV). Below about 15 knots, he says, the boats sail much like a nonfoiling boat with hulls in the water, but once over that speed, the boats start to "fly" and their speed dramatically increases.

The America's Cup Class AC75 Boat Concept Revealed

An exciting new era in America's Cup racing was unveiled in November 2017 as the concept for the AC75, the class of boat to be sailed in the 36th America's Cup is released illustrating a bold and modern vision for high performance fully foiling monohull racing yachts.

The America's Cup AC75 Boat Concept Revealed

The Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa design teams spent the previous four months evaluating a wide range of monohull concepts. Their goals have been to design a class that will be challenging and demanding to sail, rewarding the top level of skill for the crews; this concept could become the future of racing and even cruising monohulls beyond the America's Cup.

The AC75 combines extremely high-performance sailing and great match racing with the safety of a boat that can right itself in the event of a capsize. The groundbreaking concept is achieved through the use of twin canting T-foils, ballasted to provide righting-moment when sailing, and roll stability at low speed.

An underlying principle has been to provide affordable and sustainable technology "trickle down" to other sailing classes and yachts. While recent America's Cup multihulls have benefitted from the power and control of rigid wing sails, there has been no transfer of this technology to the rigs of other sailing classes. In tandem with the innovations of the foiling system, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa are investigating a number of possible innovations for the AC75's rig, with the requirement that the rig need not be craned in and out each day. This research work is ongoing as different concepts are evaluated, and details will be released with the AC75 Class Rule before March 31, 2018.

The America's Cup is a match race and creating a class that will provide challenging match racing has been the goal from the start. The AC75 will foil-tack and foil-gybe with only small maneuvering losses, and given the speed and the ease at which the boats can turn the classic pre-starts of the America's Cup are set to make an exciting comeback. Sail handling will also become important, with cross-overs to code zero sails in light wind conditions.

A huge number of ideas have been considered in the quest to define a class that will be extremely exciting to sail and provide great match racing, but the final decision was an easy one: the concept being announced was a clear winner, and both teams are eager to be introducing the AC75 for the 36th America's Cup in 2021. — AmericasCup.com

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Contributing Editor, BoatUS Magazine

Charles Fort is BoatUS Magazine's West Coast Editor. He often writes local news items for BoatUS Magazine's Waypoints column and contributes to Reports, in-depth tech features in every issue written to help readers avoid accidental damage to their boats. He is a member of the National Association of Marine Surveyors, he's on ABYC tech committees, and has a 100-ton U.S. Coast Guard license. He lives in California.

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TF10 Foiling Trimaran

Ultra-modern, morrelli & melvin design, craftsmanship, wij bouwen uw nieuwe foiling boot, the tf10 trimaran: the foiling flying machine.

After the foiling revolution, the TF10 foiling trimaran is now the evolution of foiling sailing. With the TF10 foiling trimaran, sailing and foiling can be reached by any sailor. The TF10 is an 11 m long one-design foiling trimaran, designed by the famous yacht designers Morrelli & Melvin . The TF10 is built and sold by DNA Performance Sailing.

The TF10 is suitable for a crew of 4-5 persons and can handle a wide range of sailing conditions. The construction consists of pre-preg carbon fibers with a Nomex honeycomb core. This provides a lightweight, yet safe and robust construction. The foiling TF10 trimaran is the perfect foiling boat for both pleasure trips and sailing fast in races.

The transport of the TF10 is also revolutionary: when folded, it is easy to transport. We supply the TF10 with a specially designed road trailer, launching by boat ramp or crane are both possible.

Foils create sailing comfort

Thanks to the sophisticated design, every sailor feels comfortable on the TF10 foiling trimaran. Regardless of age, gender or muscle strength. And regardless of the speed, which can quickly reach up to 30 knots! Safety and comfort were the two main focuses of the design. This is reflected in a number of elements:

• The bow is designed to cut through the waves. This results in less hits on waves, which greatly increases sailing comfort.
• The carbon benches with back support provide a comfortable seat for crew and helmsman.
• The wishbone boom (half windsurfer boom) provides the decksweeper mainsail layout to perform at its best. An additional advantage is that in a manoeuvre the sail is now the lowest point and not the carbon boom.
• A ‘Semi-ridged’ carbon fibre trampoline cloth has been specially designed to make the boat’s construction torsional stiff. It makes it easier to walk on and block’s splashing water from the foils.
• The TF10’s foils and T-rudders minimize pitch and roll movements. The rake angle of all four foils is adjusted with electric actuators. This system improves comfort and safety during sailing and foiling.

TF10 hydrofoils

The TF10 foiling trimaran flies with a 4-point foil setup:

• The T-rudders with horizontal elevators generate lift and/or downforce.
• The so called Z-type daggerboard foils provide the necessary lift to be able to foil.
• The advantage of the 4-point-foil setup is that the crew does not have to pick up the daggerboards during manoeuvres. This significantly reduces the crew’s actions.
• In addition, we have electric actuators that change the position of the foils and rudders with a single push on the button.
• The design of the Z-foils has already been very successfully applied to other foiling multihulls, such as the A-cats and the Olympic Nacra 17.

Specifications

Length incl. bowsprit: 10.94 m Length waterline: 9.97 m Beam: 6.8 m Beam incl. benches: 7.65 m Beam (folded on trailer): 2.5 m Minimum draft: 0.4 m Maximum draft: 2.55 m Height center hull: 1.78 m Mast length: 16.1 m Displacement leightship: 1400 kg Displacement max. load: 1900 kg Outboard engine: 6pk, retractable Mainsail: North Sails 3Di 45 m2 Jib: North Sails 3Di 28 m2 Gennaker: (on furler) 71 m2 LED Navigation lights

Fast and pure one-design racing Easy shipping Created by owners for owners

See and feel the future of sailing. The TF10 foiling trimaran is here!

This special foiling trimaran was designed at the end of 2015. The idea was to make a foiling multihull that anybody can sail and foil with. A foiling boat equipped with the same technology as the boats at the America’s Cup.

The TF10 and its sailing class is the result of initiatives by a group of five sailing friends on the East Coast of America (Newport, RI). They have joined forces and created the TF10 sailing class.

The members of the TF10 Class Association have lot’s of experience in various one-design racing series. The goal is to create a racing series that is as exciting, honest and fun as the boat itself.

Morrelli & Melvin designed a trimaran to combine the specific characteristics of a trimaran with foiling. The trimaran’s center hull offers important advantages here: its buoyancy and pitch stability eliminate the risk of ‘nose diving’ or ‘pitch poling’. In the design briefing, wind range and sea state (short sea shipping) were important. The design of the TF10 is based on this.

For all information, competitions and the latest news, please visit the TF10 Class website: www.TF10class.com

It is possible to make a trial run with the TF10. We do this on the IJsselmeer, just a few kilometres from DNA’s shipyard. Here the sailing and foiling conditions are perfect: There is always wind and you can fully enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The IJsselmeer lies between the cities of Lelystad, Almere and Enkhuizen. The new island area “Markerwadden” can also be seen and possibly visited here. Mail us at [email protected]

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fulcrumspeedworks

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WHAT IS IT?

The UFO is a simplistic modern hydrofoiling boat, that allows anyone to fly through the air, freeing the hull from draggy water. More stable than the International Moth -or even a child’s pram- with a simple rig, and a set of fully retractable hydrofoils, all for $11,500 USD the UFO makes flying attainable. Thousands less than it’s nearest competition.  Built in the United States in high volume and quality control, the UFO maintains a one-design philosophy, creating close and exciting racing on foils!

FLY WITH THE UFO

• Designed and built in the USA
• $11,500 USD
• Compatible and rewarding to all skill levels
• Lightweight for easy maneuverability
• Solid, nearly dent-proof, hull
• Unique patented hull and rig designs
• Stable on and above the water
• Small footprint for carefree storage and shipping
• Takeoff from about 8knts of wind
• Fast, fun, easy to control foiling

FUN FOR ALL AGES

The wand system controlling the foils, which can be set to fly very high, very low (even ‘no fly mode’) and all points in between. This means you can progressively add challenges to your UFO experience as you feel ready for them, from ‘beginner mode’ all the way to ‘extreme mode’. Additionally, the highly tunable sail can be set up to provide only the amount of power that your body type needs, and no excess. This means that the UFO is accessible and fun for sailors of all sizes, ages and skill levels. Merely set up the boat for your skill level and body type and go play around.

The UFO is very broadly applicable and has flown payloads from 70 pounds -a tiny kid- to 270 pounds -a tall grown man and a teenage boy-. The foil package just needs power to climb. Ultra light sailors have been caught on camera flying in 5 knots of breeze and the baseline for 225 pound sailors to take off is 10 knots. 270 flies in 12 knots of breeze.

SETUP AND BREAKDOWN

While the boat can be left on shore with everything in place, but the sail down, that doesn’t mean the UFO isn’t easy to put together or take apart. Quite the opposite. Simplicity begets simplicity and the boat is a cinch to put together and take apart.

MANAGEABILITY

Being small is it’s own reward when it comes to handling the boat through all sailing experiences. When you start to really push yourself learning to foil, there are good odds you’ll manage to capsize it. The UFO is easy to right from capsizes and even full “turtle” inversions. This last part is critical, because when catamarans are too heavy to right from turtle the only option is to make the mast float. This has the unintended downside of making the boat very likely to blow away from you. The UFO is designed to stay right alongside you in the event you are separated from the boat. Additionally, the boat possesses an uncommon “park” mode in which it will hold station of its own accord, apparently indefinitely without external input of any kind. The full benefits of that upside have not begun to be fully exploited.

FOILING AT ALL POINT OF SAIL

The Fulcrum design team strictly adhered to the axion “if there’s a point of sail (say, upwind or downwind) that it can’t always foil on, you can’t call it a foiler”. The design team achieved their goal and the UFO is a fully flying boat on all points of sail, which drastically increases its fun-factor.

At what points of sail does the UFO foil at?

The UFO fully foils at all points of sail. Upwind, downwind and reaching.  Additionally, you can set it to  not foil when you’re tired and it will do that as well, so you can get home easily. These two factors make the UFO uniquely good for learning to foil.

Who can fly the UFO?

Within reason, anyone.

UFO pilots have ranged from 8 years old to 72, from 90 pounds to 235. Young sailors do well sailing as pairs or with a middleweight to light adult. It’s rare that anyone on the fulcrum team conceives of a boat with a narrow niche in mind. Why bother? It’s a mistake in yacht design to design a boat for a narrow range of users, when for the most part people are diverse and the objective of one-design boats is to garner large fleets. That said, the boat is likely to be most satisfactory in all wind conditions in the hands of teens, small and medium men and all women. At the extreme low end of the weight range, sailors may find themselves overpowered and at the extreme high end, the wind speed required for takeoff is about two knots higher than average. UFOs have been sailed “two up” as well, though the above limits of weight range still apply to the sum of the two sailors weights.

What wind and waves can I fly a UFO in?

The UFO will sail in practically any wind condition. However, it’s important to remember that with all sailboats there are days that are great to sail in and days where you do something else.

While the UFO can at times with a skilled skipper take off in very low wind speeds, the baseline for reliable flight is around eight knots. Trying to squeeze enough power to fly out of too little wind is tiresome and in those circumstances, it’s best to do something else. In 8 knots and above, flying is magical and unforgettable. In under 8 knots, the UFO reverts to being a pleasant displacement catamaran and goes from being exciting and fast to relaxing and tactical. This is another benefit of being a catamaran.

Over the last six years the UFO has proven to be uniquely good at flying safely and consistently in very high windspeeds. In multi-class foiling regattas the UFO has proven to be the only foiler built to date that simply  loves  high windspeeds. In winds above 22 knots when other foiling boats make for shore, the UFO wants to keep playing. The upper wind limit is more a matter of taste and skill. UFOs have been sailed in 36 knots, but that requires a great deal of skill and focus.  The UFO rig having shared DNA with a windsurf rig seems to play a part in the boat’s remarkable ability to get a kick out of big wind. Since the upper wind limit on the UFO is so much higher, this makes the number of optimal days to fly a UFO (if skilled in sailing one) higher per year than with any other production foiling boat.

Most chop and wave conditions present no issue for a UFO set for the days’ conditions. After all, powered hydrofoils were first developed by various leading Navy’s as a means of smoothly flying over challenging sea-states. Choking up the ride height helps the UFO fly smoothly through the bottom of the wave pattern, undeterred. Rolling seas present even less issue, as the UFO will ride along them just like any other. Extremely tight and tall chop can be very annoying, which is not peculiar to the UFO.

Waves do effect baseline windspeeds to achieve takeoff. Imagine getting a plane to take off on a bumpy runway. This is true for all hydrofoil boats. In choppy water, ten to twelve knots can be necessary to achieve fully easy takeoffs. Some UFO sailors use aggressive kinetic techniques to overcome this and take off in choppy water and low wind.

Will I fly my first time out?

Most people do, but bear in mind that flying is a whole new experience and it takes some learning.

Conditions, setup and technique matter and if you use it incorrectly, you are likely to get some degree of incorrect results. That’s the challenge that the UFO is built to address. Over six years on the market and over 500 boats delivered, the UFO has proven to be the best and most reliable platform for ordinary sailors to reliably teach themselves foiling technique on.

What happens when I crash my UFO into something?

You’ll probably do some damage to it.

The UFO is built with durability as a core objective but it’s worth noting that the gulf between “Feather light under engineered ragged-edge high performance craft” and “literally indestructible” is extremely wide. The UFO represents neither of these extremes. Do not attempt your first flight inside a densely packed mooring field. Obstacles only make you better once you’ve mastered the basics.

How easy is it to rig a UFO?

Best in class, vs other foiling boats on the market. With that said, it’s not easier than doing nothing. Doing nothing is very easy! Putting a boat together is worthwhile but obviously involves effort.

The current cartop to launched speed record is roughly 15 minutes. Socket the mast together. Attach the boom and stays in one go. Step the rig. Flip the boat on its side, insert the foils, right the boat, hoist the sail and launch. Complexity is best avoided.

Leaving the UFO on a dock or a beach with the rig in and the foils simply in the “up” position, achieves an ease of daily use on par with any light beach cat. To go foiling all you need to do is hoist the sail with the halyard, clip the sail to the boom and attach the downhaul line and you’re ready to launch. This brings setup and breakdown to a matter of five minutes or less.

How do I launch and land a UFO?

Far far far more easily than any other foiling boat on the market.

Because the UFO is a very small catamaran, while floating the hulls float relatively deep in the water and create lateral resistance, like the hulls on a hobie 16 or hobie wave. This means that it can sail upwind without a daggerboard of any kind in the water. This is not the case with non-catamaran foilers. The rudder is outfitted with a friction brake and a down-halyard to allow its depth to vary and allow steering in shallow water. So from 16 inches of water and beyond, you can sail away from and back to shore reliably.

Because the UFO’s forward foil assembly is located  in front of  the mast, the UFO can tack and gybe while the forward foil is fully withdrawn from the water. This is unique. It allows the UFO to navigate reliably in the period between launching or landing and flying. The benefits for usability and safety cannot be overstated.

Once you’ve got to deep enough water, lower your foils fully and fly away!

That’s if you’re using a dolly.

If you aren’t using a dolly, the UFO has even more party tricks to show off. Since the foils withdraw to above the waterline of the hull, the hull can be beached or slid up onto a dock float or boat deck without any risk to damaging the foils. The UFO is a boat that’s eager to go sailing.

Can I easily cartop a UFO?

At this hull weight, the boat is very easy to put on top of a car, and its flat bottoms allow it to be strapped down hard with no drama. The other components of the boat collapse down to the point of easily fitting in a standard hatchback.

Where can I store my UFO?

Anywhere you can carry it to. Anywhere it fits.

Behind couches, under beds, under porches, in basements, inside larger boats, chained to apartment fire escapes, hanging in garages. Anywhere it can go that’s convenient for your lifestyle is a good place for it to go.

Why does X look like Y? Surely it would be better to make it like Z.

Just trust us.

If you’ve thought of it, we’ve weighed the pros and cons and its been included or excluded for good reason. Creating a boat that can be produced at an affordable price, for a wide range of sailors with a maximum quantity of accessible performance is an extremely hard target to hit. The UFO meets all of its objectives and does so by blatantly ignoring a few conventions and norms. You simply don’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.

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Hydrofoil Boats (Everything You Need to Know)

Despite the technology being around for over a hundred years, hydrofoil boats have once again become a hot topic amongst boat enthusiasts. Hydrofoil technology enhances both speed and efficiency of water vessels, and has been used by US Navy watercrafts, superyachts, racing boats, ferries, and many more.

A hydrofoil boat is supported by a winglike structure that creates lift as the boat’s speed increases. This makes the boat faster and smoother by reducing drag and keeping the boat above the waves.

With hydrofoil boats making headlines once again, it’s time to go over what they are, how they work, their advantages, disadvantages, and a serious evaluation on whether they are the future of boating or not. In this article, we’ll go over all there is to know about hydrofoils.

Table of Contents

What is a Hydrofoil Boat?

A hydrofoil boat is supported by a “hydrofoil” which is a structure composed of either a wing (V), T, or U shape. There are two types of hydrofoil boats: surface-piercing, and fully submerged. Both types of hydrofoils achieve the same purpose of lifting the boat off the surface of the water at high speeds.

When going fast enough, the lift of the foils is great enough to lift the entire hull of the boat out of the water, so that nothing but the foils themselves are touching the surface. This has some incredible benefits in terms of speed, efficiency, and experience – all of which we will soon go over.

Hydro foils help minimize drag and improve speed which is very similar to the effects achieved by aerofoils used on airplanes.

Hydrofoil boats are powered mainly in the same way other power boats are, by propellers or water jets. With that being said, they are also really popular in sailing. But the use of hydrofoils on sailboats is highly technical and primarily used by racing teams. They are most commonly used by commercial boats, and now are being introduced at the consumer level with pleasure boats.

History of the Hydrofoil Boat

The hydrofoil technology was first developed by inventors Casey Baldwin, Enrico Forlanini, and Alexander Graham Bell – yep, the same guy who invented the telephone. Forlanini had a prototype operating on Lake Maggiore in Italy by 1909. The hydrofoil boat achieved fame in WWII when it was used by both the German and US Navy to navigate waters that were heavily guarded by mines.

During the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, the hydrofoil technology was taken to water sports, where it was used in kiteboards, surfboards, and the air chair. It returned to the consumers’ attention in the 2010s, when it was used by racing teams across the world to set speed and time records in sailing championships. Most recently, watercraft companies have begun experimenting with the idea of hydrofoils on smaller scale boats outfitted with propelled and outboard engines.

How does a Hydrofoil Boat work?

So, we know that hydrofoils help boats achieve higher speeds with less drag, but how does that really work? The best way to think of it would be as “a boat with wings,” as that is essentially what they are. Just like an airplane would lift off the ground or water, as a hydrofoil boat gains speed, it lifts off the water too. While the foils themselves are submerged in the water still, much of the time there is enough lift to hold the entire hull of large ships and ferries off the surface. The sensation of being in a hydrofoil boat is much like being in an airplane that has limited flight. It’s smooth, and it’s really fast.

At the consumer level, hydrofoils require additional technology. As we’ll go over later on, this can result in some expensive price tags. As you can imagine, a boat that essentially “flies” through the air comes with some safety hazards. Hydrofoils require an automatic control system that maintains flying height, foil pitch, and smoothness of the ride. This “autopilot” system allows the foil to move in and out of the water safely, preventing the boat from slamming back into the water after it’s been lifted off the surface.

Hydrofoil Boat Advantages and Disadvantages

Their speed and unique ability to shed drag is undeniable, but are hydrofoils really all they are cracked up to be? In this regard, there are several advantages and disadvantages to consider.

Hydrofoil Advantages

• Speed: No surprise here. Most hydrofoils whether in the form of sailboat, ferry, or commercial vessel, can “fly” at speeds well over 50 knots (60 mph).
• Comfort: Because the hull of the boat is off the water, most waves and wakes hardly impact the boat, and therefore go largely unfelt by passengers. This makes for one smooth ride.
• Stabilization: For the same reason that comfort is increased, so is the boats stability (at high speeds that is). The hydrofoils cut through the water, decreasing the motion index of the watercraft.
• Efficiency: Since they aren’t impacted by smaller waves and wakes that would slow the progress of most boats, hydrofoils reach their destination in a much more efficient manner. For boats powered by traditional propeller or jet engines, this efficiency promotes a substantially better fuel economy.
• Experience: The reduced drag and impact from waves makes for a one-of-a-kind boating experience. It truly does feel like you are “flying” just above the surface of the water.

Hydrofoil Disadvantages

• Skill: Operation of a hydrofoil is a lot more technical, and requires a much more advanced skillset when compared to that of a standard runabout boat.
• Water Type: Hydrofoils are only suited for the open sea or large lakes (as of now). They are NOT fit for shallow water, as any bottom strikes while in motion could prove to be catastrophic for both the riders and the boat itself.
• Speed Range: Hydrofoils are built to “fly,” but only at certain speeds. Each boat will have a speed range where it likes to operate. Anything below that range will result in extra drag because the hull and the foils are submerged in the water. Anything above the range gets to be dangerous and uncontrollable.
• Maintenance Costs: The more complex technology comes with more complex maintenance and storage.
• Total Cost: They aren’t cheap. Some of the more popular boats at the consumer level cost upwards of $300,000.

While they may prove to be more complicated in terms of where you can drive them and their cost, there is an undeniable “coolness” factor with hydrofoil boats. As they gain popularity around the world, industry experts believe their cost and availability will become more and more accessible.

Hydrofoil Boat Costs

While you can find hydrofoils in nearly every style of boat, in this article we will cover the most common types of “personal” watercraft. You can find more information on commercial hydrofoils through this article by ScienceDirect.

• Price: $329,000
• Power Specs: 67 hp, 44 kWh battery, capable of cruising at 20-30 knots.

** One important sidenote to make about the C-8 is the incredible C-POD electric motor, which requires much less energy than a traditional internal combustion engine. The manufacturer promises 4,000 hours without any maintenance. That’s nearly 20 years of consistent use without maintenance!

• Price: $900,000 (base price)
• Power Specs: 740 hp supported by twin V8s, providing for cruise speeds upwards of 40 knots.
• Price: $240,000
• Power Specs: 40 hp, 40 kWh battery, capable of cruising at 22 knots

** For a more in-depth review, check out this Youtube video:

• Candela C-7 Review

The Future of Boating?

There are some undeniable advantages that hydrofoils have over general powerboats. The lift they get off the water not only makes for less drag and more speed, but also promotes a more comfortable and efficient ride. With that being said, their cost in manufacturing and maintenance has made them more costly than most people can afford.

It’s hard to say whether or not hydrofoils will be more commonplace at the consumer level. Right now, they are really just a fun toy for the wealthy. There are also some operational issues that manufacturers need to overcome before you’ll see them on your local waterway. Their susceptibility to damage in shallow water makes them unfit for anything but a large lake or open sea. Hydrofoils may not be as common as your run of the mill jet boat yet, but their popularity is growing at a rapid pace. If your local water happens to be a giant lake or open ocean, don’t be surprised if you start seeing more of them!

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Foiling technology has really taken off in the past few years. We pick out 6 of the best hydrofoil boats you can buy right now…

With its roots in the 19th century, foiling technology is as old as the hills, but in the past five years we’ve noticed an explosion of hydrofoil boats coming onto the market.

In part inspired by the foiling raceboats of the America’s Cup , the popularity of foiling is easy to understand – fuel efficiency gains are substantial, noise is almost eliminated (particularly if your foiling boat also happens to be an electric boat ) and they look as cool as a snowman in a freezer!

To help you understand the dizzying array of foiling boats available right now, we’ve put together the following guide to what we think are the most promising designs out there.

6 of the best hydrofoil boats

SEAir foiling RIB

Founded in 2016, French yard SEAir builds foiling RIBs, having been inspired by the speed of foiling racing yachts.

We tested their 5.5m model back in 2018 and since then they have expanded their range to cover superyacht chase boats, commercial and military vessels.

Our tester recorded a top speed of 32 knots, with the foils doing their best work at around 20 knots, but SEAir claims that 42 knots is possible in the right conditions.

Read more about the SEAir foiling RIB

Article continues below…

Spirit Yachts launches spectacular long-range electric flying boat

BMW launches new ICON electric boat at Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival has seen the launch of the new ICON electric boat. Created by BMW in collaboration with

A dual helm set-up allows the boat to be piloted from the bow or the cockpit. Photo: Guillaume Plisson

Enata Foiler

Dubai-based Enata Marine added a healthy dose of glamour to the world of foiling boats in 2018 with the launch of its Foiler.

In addition to a superyacht tender-worthy exterior, this 32fter includes a bow window for spectacular views while underway.

A 40-knot top speed and a 190nm range makes this a very appealing option, although the premium price tag of $938,000 may put some off.

Read more about the Enata Foiler

Princess R35

When British boatbuilding giant Princess Yachts got in on the foiling boat game in 2019 with a 35ft carbon-fibre dayboat, we knew that things had really taken off.

While the foil-assisted R35 may not have the spectacular cruising-above-the-waves appeal of some other foiling boats, it is highly efficient, beautifully designed (in collaboration with Pininfarina) and handles like nothing else we’ve ever driven.

In our review, we praised its rare combination of agility, refinement and stability, with spray kept in check impressively at high speeds.

Read more about the Princess R35

The foiling Candela C-8 is the first boat to use Candela’s proprietary C-POD, but bigger craft will follow later

Candela C-8

Swedish firm Candela burst onto the scene in 2021 with its debut, the Candela C-7 , which was billed as the world’s first electric foiling boat, but it was the 2022 launch of the Candela C-8 that really moved the game on.

Available with a 69kWh battery, adapted from the Polestar 2 electric car, owners can expect a range of 57nm at 22 knots, more than enough for dayboat use.

The consumption figures are truly staggering, with Candela’s figures suggesting that the C-8 is more than 12x more efficient than an equivalent 300hp outboard powered sportsboat.

Read more about the Candela C-8

The electric Iguana is capable of three knots on the land and 30 knots at sea

Iguana Foiler

Not content with being at the forefront of the amphibious boats market with its caterpillar-track offering, French yard Iguana has set its sights on the world of foiling too.

Announced last year, the Iguana Foiler will be powered by the world’s most powerful electric outboard engine, the 300hp Evoy Storm .

Having tested both the engine and the boat separately, we can’t wait to see the result when they come together with the added advantages of foiling technology. Watch this space…

Read more about the Iguana Foiler

The foils lift up at slow speeds to reduce the draft

Mantaray M24

Another exciting model in the hydrofoil boats pipeline, this 24ft runabout is particularly interesting is its simplicity. Unlike its main foiling rival, the Candela C-7, the Mantaray M24 requires no complicated electronics to ‘fly’.

Instead it uses the builder’s patented mechanical hydrofoil system, which it has trademarked as Dynamic Wing Technology or DWT. The technology is said to be the result of ten years’ development work and uses a retractable T-foil in the bow and H-foil amidships that self-stabilise mechanically.

This allows it to lean naturally into corners and ride serenely over waves without relying on a network of sensors and algorithms to monitor and adjust the foils. If it proves effective this could drastically reduce the cost and complexity of foiling boats, while simultaneously increasing reliability.

Read more about the Mantaray M24

It doesn’t end here, with fascinating one-off projects from Spirit Yachts and BMW on the water, it’s clear that foiling has a huge potential for transforming the world of boating.

Read more about hydrofoil technology

The teenager rounding Britain in an electric RIB

New boats at cannes boat show 2024: yot 41, new boats at cannes boat show 2024: fiart p58, latest videos, watch: parker sorrento sea trial: 50-knot cruiser with a killer aft cabin, watch: virtue v10 sea trial: €272k weekender, how to mark your anchor chain: 6 top tips from our expert, watch: galeon 560 fly sea trial – the best galeon flybridge you can buy.

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“iFLY15 is the unique combination of high performance with easy accessibility – for maximum performance and maximum fun.”

Cec catamarans -ifly15 team, “we love speed while keeping control – high speed needs to be controllable. the flying boat of the future, is a stable foiling sport catamaran.”, cec catamarans – ifly15 team, „ foiling: one of the things you have to experience to really feel it. “, jimmy spithill, skipper oracle team usa, “stable flight is the key to high performance sailing”, “ifly15 – get the balance right between a nice sporting challenge and a reasonable and controllable level – enjoy the exhilaration, the speed and the adrenaline in your veins, but always stay master of the situation “, “stable flight attitude is the most important prerequisite for high performance sailing.”, victor diaz de leon, sailgp team usa, “stable flight attitude is key for easy foiling. ifly15 with superior flight stability delivers immediate flying fun within the first minutes. advantage through high-tech.”, “the ifly15 is the quickest boat around the course, … “, arno terra – sailor, ifly 15 one design and ifly razzor pro, the  performance  foiling  catamaran, for maximum speed and maximum control.

• Easy access to a high HIGH PERFORMANCE FOILING CATAMARAN
• Automated DYNAMIC FLIGHT Assistance SYSTEM – FLYSAFE® FOIL CONTROL
• highest quality standards – High-tech full carbon sailboat
• completely modular – fully customizable
• adjustable rake – MAIN FOIL DIFFERENTIAL during sailing for even more performance in the version IFLY Razzor Pro
• Foiling Versatility and Speed …

The quality and performance have been proven for 8 years and further developed to maximum perfection in every detail

IFLY HYDROFOIL SAILING – EXCELLENCE, FIELD PROVEN TO PERFECTION

Racing     and     more   …..

 Have a high performance racing machine on regattas

  single handed or double Foiling

  crew weight up to 180 kg

  Racing and fun:

  Sail with Family & friends

in any sailing condition:

  Full foiling – upwind and downwind

  Waves and Flat waters

  Light and strong winds

  early take off

  Foiling maneuvers

Transport and Facilities

  Easily transportable on a road trailer

  Slipped with a conventional beach trolley

  ready to sail in 20 minutes

  iFLY15 is designed to sail on the sea and lakes

Stay tuned for foiling events and specials!

Flysafe® Flight assistance

Main foil differential technology – mdt, innovative, sophisticated foil control for unbeaten performance, high speeds and easy access, ifly15 and ifly razzor pro, ifly main foil differential – mdt, ifly razzor pro.

early take off in lightest breeze

F oiling maneuvers are heavily supported, superior flight attitude through active foil control, dynamic control of f light high , pitch and role, non-linear control and feedback control system for best flight stability, even in waves, the foils do not need to be manually manipulated, optimized performance: advanced sailors can adjust rake and gearing, more about flysafe®>>>, active flight assistance, the foil can be trimmed actively while sailing, the key to maximum performance , mdt for performance-orientated pro sailor, mdt extends the flysafe® foil control, to sail large xxl rigs, more about main foil differential ->>>, performance downwind: staying on the foils, full foiling, in 5-6kts tws, reaching max. boat speeds of up to 2.5*tws, performance upwind: full foiling from 8kts. tws, taking off from 7kts tws, video youtube channel, ifly15 foiling catamaran.

The most innovative development in foiling technology

About ifly15, stable flight  is  key for both: first for highest performance and foiling in a wide wind range, including rough and wavy conditions, but also easy access into foiling…...

iFLY stands for uniqueness in design and function. Its superior Flysafe ® active foil control system autonomously supports the stable horizontal flight position in the longitudinal and lateral direction. The 4 T-Foils do not have to be operated by the sailor during sailing.

Average skilled dinghy or catamaran sailors with some trapeze experience can safely foil with the iFLY15 after only a few hours. Quick access – the immediate sensation of success – steep learning curve. In the hand of an experienced sailor, iFLY15 offers a whole new sailing experience with previously not experienced speeds and agile maneuverability.

The flight control system, combined with numerous fine-tuned innovations , ensures safe foiling even in strong winds and rough seas.. Stable flight attitude allows pushing hard, so in good conditions, iFLY reaches high boat speed beyond 30 knots in a controllable way.

IFLY15 offers freedom to fly alone or in pairs. Due to the exclusive use of high-tech materials , iFLY15 is extremely rigid and weighs less than 90 kilos ready to sail. With its low weight and its state-of-the-art hydrofoils, it is airborne in winds as low as 2Bft. / 6 Knots.

iFLY15 has a length of only 15 feet, is easy to transport, quick to get ready to sail, and can be easily slipped from the beach using a conventional beach trolley.

Its sophisticated design reflects the highest demands on quality and function.

iFLY15 – customer reviews

 « LESS CRASHING IS MORE FUN »

MARCUS LYNCH, PROFESSIONAL SAILOR AND OLYMPIC COACH, GC32 OMAN, NACRA17

« I WAS INITIALLY AMAZED AT HOW EASY TO HANDLE THE IFLY IS AND AT HOW IDLE THE BOAT IS EVEN IN STRONG WINDS. »

ANTOINE, IFLY OWNER FROM GENEVA

VERY STABLE, EXTRAORDINARY STABLE. IT IS EXTREMELY INTERESTING, BECAUSE YOU IMMEDIATELY SEE THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE BOAT.

FRANÇOIS GABART

« GREAT BOAT, LIKE A MOTH ON STEROIDS ! »

VICTOR DIAZ DE LEON, MIAMI, PROFESSIONAL SAILOR. US TEAM SAILGP, INTERNATIONAL MOTH, MATCHRACING MELGES 32, J70

WHAT A GREAT BOAT THIS IS, AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT”

PHILIP WALKER

« THE DYNAMIC FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM ALLOWS LONG AND STABLE FLIGHTS »

GERHARD FLORIN, IFLY OWNER FROM GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

TO FELLOW SAILORS WHO LOVE THE THRILL OF SAILING WITH SPEED WHILE MAINTAINING CONTROL”

ROY BALLENTINE

« WELL BALANCED AND RAKE DIFFERENTIAL ALLOWING FOR GREAT PERFORMANCE UPWIND! »

CARLOS ROBLES,PROFESSIONAL SAILOR 49ER, PALMA DE MALLORCA

« A SENSATIONAL FOILING EXPERIENCE. THE SPEED IS IMPRESSIVE »

INGMAR WARNICKE: COMMODORE OF YCSO, YACHT CLUB SCHARBEUTZ, BALTIC SEA

⭐ ⭐   ⭐   ⭐   ⭐

IFLY RAZZOR PRO – THE NEW IFLY FOR EXPERIENCED SAILORS

THE SINCE 7 YEARS PROVEN IFLY15 WITH FLYSAFE® DYNMAMIC FOIL CONTROL has now a pur Racing fellow: THE iFLY RAZZOR Pro. THE iFLY racing VERSION ENABLES EVEN HIGHER PERFORMANCE, to sail in extremely tough conditions and allows sailing with XXL rigs. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE IFLY15 ONE DESIGN AND THE IFLY RAZZOR PRO IS A BIGGER RACING RIG, SPECIAL FOILS AND THE MAIN FOIL DIFFERENTIAL (MDT), WHICH IS MANUALLY TRIMMED BY THE SAILOR. THE MDT IS WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE FLYSAFE® DYNAMIC FOIL CONTROL SYSTEM.

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ROUND TEXEL RACE 2024

“We’re taking off! Foiling is THE Watersports Trend! – „Boot International 2024“ in Düsseldorf / Germany once again showcases: Foiling is THE trend in watersports.

Performance Sailing – Sail GP News: Racing on the Edge – T-Foil proves to be the winning design

Regatta and foiling News: Long distance Race – Duc d’Albe 2023 – Club Multicoques Hyères – sailing Race @iFLY Razzor Pro

iFLY Main Foil Differential Technology – MDT Foil Control – high Performance sailing

IFLY FOILING Adventure

FOILING – REGATTA – EVENTS

Long distance Race – Duc d’Albe 2021 – Club Multicoques Hyères – sailing Race @iFLY Razzor Pro

INTERNATIONAL IFLY foiling FLEET RACE 2021

Catamaran europe central, the iflysail team, is looking forward to your message.

12 foiling boats for sailors of all levels

• April 15, 2022
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THE PERFECT GIFT!

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There’s no denying that the phenomenon of the moment, when it comes to having fun, is foiling boats (as Checco Bruni told us himself in this article). In the wake of the latest editions of the America’s Cup, flying boats, especially in the dinghy segment, have become increasingly widespread. On one or two hulls, with one or more foils, more or less easy to fly, single or crewed.

We have selected for you 12 flying boats with which to enter the world of foils or with which to try and perfect your skills. We also tell you how much they cost and the “difficulty of flight” (XXX: difficult; XX: medium; X: easy). The only common denominator is that they are great fun!

Birdyfish – 4,7 m – For foiling beginners

Flying difficulty:   X

The ideal boat for learning to sail foils, even for beginners. Very few trim adjustments for foils allow you to enjoy all the excitement and joy of flying. The crew will only have to deal with sail trimming. The appendages with a soft-angled L guarantee take-off from 10 knots of wind. The shape of the bow works well even in waves. Price: 16,980 euros.

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Flo1 – 4.25 m

Flying difficulty:  X

An interesting single to approach and perfect in the world of small foilers before moving on to more sophisticated craft. Produced by the Dutch company Aeronamics, it has a soft, almost C-shaped foil. There is no adjustment of the rake of the appendages but only its extension in the water, which makes the “trim” of these appendages easy and intuitive after just a few trips. Top speeds are around 20 knots. Price: 15,495 euros.

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NACRA F20 – 6,20 m – Like America’s Cup cats

Flying difficulty:  XXX

The Nacra yard, which specializes in open catamarans and produces the Nacra 17 Olympic class, has fitted its F 20 model with a “Flight Control System” to make it fly. The Nacra 20 FCS was designed by Pete Melvin and Gino Morelli, the authors of the 2013 America’s Cup rulebook, and its foils are reminiscent of those on the AC72 in San Francisco. A very physical boat and not for everyone. Price: 34,000 euro.

Foiling Dinghy – 3,86 m – Small and versatile

It weighs 30 kilos and can be foiled as early as seven knots of wind. The Foiling Dinghy is equipped with an inverted T rudder and a pair of curved foils that act as both lifting and straightening foils, with an automatic management system. The foils have a few simple adjustments depending on what you want to achieve (more flying or more straightening). Price: 15,500 euros including taxes.

Moth – 3,35 m – The foiling cult dinghy

The progenitor of the flying dinghies is still one of the most complete single foilers on the market today. Suitable mainly for advanced sailors who already have experience on foils, it has appendages that offer multiple setting options and the possibility of being changed according to wind strength. The international class is one of the most active and always organizes very crowded races. Cult product. Price: from 20,000 euros.

Peacoq 14 – 4.70 m – Like a flying Fireball

Flying difficulty:  XX

With a hull that is vaguely reminiscent of the old Fireballs with a “cut” bow, the Peacoq 14, an evolution of the Club version, is a dinghy that can be a compromise for both novice and experienced foil sailors. In fact, the dinghies can be operated in automatic trim, or more experienced sailors can adjust their angle for maximum performance. Price: quote on request.

Persico 69F – 6,9 m – The trendy boat

This concept boat is the brainchild of the Italian racing elite (Giorgio Benussi, Dede de Luca, “l’oriundo” Maciel Cicchetti) and was designed by Argentineans Wilson and Marquinez. Flying the 69F is not too difficult, although it does require a good physique and strength in the arms, especially for the mainsail trimmer and the foil adjuster. The racing circuit has now been launched with an attractive programme. Price: rented by the season.

Skeeta – 3,35 m – Easy for anyone

Ease first. The idea behind Skeeta is the same as that of many other small foilers: to make this type of wing easy and open to everyone. Skeeta is a single glider that flies on two self-regulating appendages, not particularly technical to fly but still very high performance, with the particular shape of the hull that distinguishes all Quant models. Price: 15,345 euros.

Stunt S9 – 4,16 m – The Italian Foiling cat

This is an all-Italian One Design catamaran that can be sailed as a single with just a mainsail or even a jib depending on the weather conditions. Like other catamarans, to improve stability in flight, it moves on four submerged appendages. Physically it requires a certain amount of athleticism, also because there is a trapeze, but with a little training it can be suitable for a wide audience. Price: 16,600 euros.

Ufo – 3,00 m – Flying with two hulls

This small catamaran is equipped with a sensor that self-adjusts the inclination of the single central foil, coupled to the T of the rudder. It can take off even in light winds thanks to the lightness of its construction. The cat is quite easy to sail, suitable even for sailors who do not have much experience with foils.

The official european dealer for Foiling UFO is  Sea-Change . Price:  8.980 euros + VAT

Waszp – 3,35 m – For the whole family

Very similar to the Moth, but with one big difference: the Waszp is a monotype, it is not made of carbon and the appendages being monotyped cannot be changed. For this reason it is less expensive than the Moth, even if it does perform somewhat less well. It is considered by many to be an ideal “family” boat because it is fun for both young and old. The foil adjustment system is managed by a sensor, but it is possible to set the appendages and modify some adjustments. Price: 12,200 euros.

Whisper – 5,40 m – Full performance

As light as the highest performing Cats, it features a one-piece, non-removable platform that provides great structural rigidity. Equipped with the four classic self-adjusting appendages, it is able to set sail in light breezes with a certain ease. It is a double, with trapeze, mainsail, jib and gennaker, fast even in light winds. Physically demanding. Price: 26,900 euros.

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Your boating vacation in the Adriatic and Sicily is top notch with these operators – Ep. 3

The 4 partners to take a boating vacation around the world – ep. 2, 5 charter operators with bases in campania and sardinia – ep. 1, do you need power on board try these generators, ultimi annunci.

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It’s a Boat. It’s a Plane. It’s a Hydrofoil Boat: What Is It, How It Works, & Why Buy One! 

Table of Contents

Last Updated on June 5, 2024 by Boatsetter Team

We’ve created this helpful guide to introduce new and experienced boaters to the facts and features of hydrofoil boats. We’ll delve into the practical aspects and explore the advantages and considerations they bring. Whether you’re drawn to the efficiency of the design or the promise of smoother rides, hydrofoil boats might be just the subtle yet impactful change you’re looking for in your boating ventures. Post summary: 

• What are hydrofoil boats & the works 
• Why choose a hydrofoil boat 
• What to consider before buying 

Rent. List. Share—Only at Boatsetter  

What are hydrofoil boats & the works 

A hydrofoil boat is a watercraft equipped with wing-like structures mounted beneath the hull . The hydrofoils generate lift as the boat accelerates, causing the hull to rise above the water’s surface. 

Decreasing the hull’s contact area with the water helps to reduce hydrodynamic drag and wave resistance and increases fuel efficiency. Vessels can achieve higher speeds for longer distances, making hydrofoil boats ideal for applications like ferry services and long-distance travel. 

The concept of the hydrofoil boat emerged in the early twentieth century. Today, this innovation offers a thrilling option for boaters seeking a unique, efficient, and more environmentally friendly boating experience. Pro tip: On Boatsetter , you can browse through 20,000 different makes & models of boats! 

Why choose a hydrofoil boat

Three words: Speed, stability, and maneuverability!

1. Speed  

The lift generated by hydrofoils allows these vessels to glide effortlessly, offering a thrilling experience for adrenaline-seeking boaters. Speed comes with improved fuel efficiency, which makes hydrofoil boats an eco-friendly option as well. 

2. Stability  

Whether you’re facing calm waters or challenging sea conditions, lifting above the water surface minimizes the impact of waves on hydrofoil boats. This provides a smoother ride and enhanced stability, which makes for a more comfortable and enjoyable voyage. 

3. Maneuverability  

Hydrofoil boats excel in maneuverability, offering a dynamic and agile experience on the water. Lifting enables quick and precise movements, making hydrofoil boats a preferred choice for boaters who appreciate responsive navigation.  

What to consider when buying a hydrofoil boat

Complex design = Complex maintenance

The intricate design of hydrofoil boats, including the hydrofoils themselves and control systems, demands careful maintenance and technical expertise . Boaters should be prepared for higher maintenance costs and the need for specialized knowledge to keep the vessel in premium condition. 

Weather sensitivity

While hydrofoil boats perform admirably in various water conditions, they can be sensitive to extreme weather, especially strong winds. The hulls of traditional vessels remain fully submerged in water, which means they face more resistance on the water during strong winds. Hydrofoil boats are lifted out of the water, which means strong winds pose more of a threat to the boat’s stability and control. So, when you set sail in a hydrofoil boat you’ll want to be sure to carefully consider the weather conditions.  

Initial cost investment

The advanced technology, specialized materials, and intricate design that contribute to hydrofoil boats’ uniqueness also add to their price tag. Hydrofoil boats often have a higher initial cost compared to traditional vessels, so you should be sure to weigh the upfront investment against the long-term benefits. Pro tip: Trying to figure out budgeting to buy a boat? Read How to Rent Out Your Boat? (How Much Can You Actually Make?)  

Ready to try hydrofoil boating?

Hydrofoil boats offer an exhilarating experience for boaters seeking speed, efficiency, and stability on the water. Whether you’re looking for a quick thrill or want a more fuel-efficient option for your long-distance trips, we recommend giving hydrofoil boats a chance. 

Boatsetter boat rentals provide the perfect solution for those eager to try hydrofoil boating without committing to ownership. Seize the opportunity to experience the excitement firsthand and ensure your next adventure is not just a boat ride, but a hydrofoil-powered journey.

For more information, click here ! 

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Home » Blog » Sail » Hydrofoil boats for the rest of us

Hydrofoil boats for the rest of us

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: August 18, 2023

Glide Free Foils Laser on foils. Photo credit: sailboats.co.uk ,

Watching foiling boats fly around the America’s Cup race course, is enough to quicken any sailor’s pulse. But unless you’ve got a spare few million kicking around, most hydrofoil boats are still very much out of the average boater’s budget . There are however a few ways to experience the magic of foiling without racing towards bankruptcy.

HOW DOES HYDROFOILING WORK?

Much in the same way that air flows over and under aircraft wings to create lift, water flowing around a hydrofoil lifts a boat’s hull out of the water . Once the greater part of the boat’s surface area is out of the water, friction is greatly reduced and the boat can “fly” at faster speeds .

How fast? The 2021 America’s Cup AC75s are expected to reach top speeds of 40 to 50 knots!

Like sails, foils are not a matter of “set it and forget it”, instead the foil-attitude must be adjusted to keep the boat in flight . On the 2017 America’s Cup boats these adjustments were made by the skipper/helmsman but powered (via a hydraulic system) by crew grinding winches (or in New Zealand’s case, pedal bikes ).

Because we don’t all have Jimmy Spithill ‘s magic touch, developing highly sophisticated flight control systems is key to bringing foiling into mainstream boating. Candela, a new 25-foot production e-foiling powerboat (and 2019 Best of Boats award winner) offers such a solution with foils that change position 100 times per second! Still, at ~$240,000 it’s well beyond most boating budgets. 

Fortunately, smaller foilers (dinghies and boards) don’t require high tech flight control systems and are far less expensive . Here are a few options for (more) affordable foiling:

HYDROFOIL DINGHIES

Laser foiling kits.

Clip a foil onto your Laser and fly over the surface of the water. Two Australian based companies, Foilsz and Glide Free Foils , offer Laser foiling kits. The Glide Free kit doesn’t require any permanent fixtures, so you can easily remove it (for those days when you’re in a displacement mode mood). They say that speeds of 18-25 knots are possible with their kit, which sells for just under $4,530 AUD (~$3,00 USD). 

UFO foiling multihull

For a few bucks more you can buy a foiling catamaran. The UFO was launched in 2017 and can fly at 15-20 knots. With a price tag of $7,000, it may be the most economical multihull foiler on the market.

Take a foiling course

Some clubs and community sailing programs are adding foilers to their fleets. For example Nantucket Community Sailing offers a 3-hour semi-private class for $100 per person . Or if you’re looking for a more exotic locale, the Provela Foiling Centre in Spain offers a range of foiling classes from beginner to advanced. Their two-day “Try Fly – Foiling” class costs 200 euros and their fleet includes Foiling Moths, White Formula Whispers, WASPZs, and F101s.

HYDROFOIL KITEBOARDS

It’s not like kiteboards are sluggish to begin with, but hydrofoil boards take the sport to a whole new level, delivering speeds of 40 miles an hour ! By using a foil to lift their boards out of the water, foiling kiteboard enthusiasts get an exceptionally quiet and smooth ride – so much so, that   kiteboard riders in Silicon Valley have been spotted taking calls on their cell phones. Set up costs start at around $1,000. Take a foil boarding course and buy protective gear, this extreme water sport is not for the faint of heart.

HYDROFOIL WINDSURF BOARDS

Foiling is taking off in the windsurfing world with world champions like Robby Naish and Atoine Albeau leading the charge. It has been confirmed that windfoiling will be a class at the 2024 Olympics in Paris . Set up costs start around $2,500. 

With foiling technology trickling down into the mainstream, you can expect to see more and more high speed foiling boats and boards on the water .  Is foiling the future? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

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Home » Homebuilt Hydrofoil for Sailboats test sailed – end to hiking out?

Homebuilt Hydrofoil for Sailboats test sailed – end to hiking out?

Launching our Homebuilt Foil stabilised dinghy – this article is to use our experiment as the basis for low cost foiling that anyone can use to build or modify a boat – it sailed nicely in 5 to 10 knots and I didn’t have to do any hiking.

This is not about outright speed (wrong hull type for a start). It is about stability without hiking out. On the other hand if it works on this boat … it will work on anything!

No worthwhile video I am afraid – little wind when the photo boat was available on Sunday. We will get some next weekend with luck.

This is part of a four article set

• Part 1 – Sailing Trials in 5 to 10 knots of the hydrofoil stabilised dinghy.
• Part 2 – Building a Hydrofoil Stabilised dinghy – and proposal for comparison using any hull. Up later today
• Part 3 – Video in more wind – Next weekend if there is wind!
• Part 4 – Three Homebuilt hydrofoiling Projects – democratising foiling! Up Next week

Myth busting Foiling Boats – you don’t need a factory and you don’t need carbon fibre.

Everyone knew this once – because the recent history of making foiling work was achieved with homemade foils using timber and fibreglass.

The great Myth about foiling boats is “that it is high tech and everything has to be carbon”. But all the significant development in the Moth Class was with wooden hydrofoils that were fibreglassed with only small amounts of carbon or stainless steel.

The specification itself is to provide a basis for cheap experimentation and comparisons of performance.

The Foiling Moths advanced so quickly because there was a specification and people messed around with the spec and shared information. Wood and glass make fast modifications to homebuilt hydrofoils easier (and cheaper)

Maybe even racing if anyone has a mind to. But also as the basis of comparison with boats in other areas.

What does it feel like – a homemade foil stabilised boat upwind

We had good luck for the first day of testing – 5 to 10 knots and a well sailed Oz Goose as a pace boat. Started to get a feeling of the speed potential.

This section is about that.

Second day when we had a chase boat with cameras – of course the wind died. Hopefully we will have video next weekend.

The lateral foil to leeward needs to be kept in the water in the lulls. In 5 to 10 knots this meant sitting a little to leeward.

Initially as gusts hit I would follow instinct and make the wrong move. Hiking out brings the foil would to near the surface, would ventilate (suck air from the surface) and then the boat heel and slow.

Well … it is obvious … sit to leeward in the lulls, when the gust comes let the foil do the work – don’t move out to windward.

No Hiking. But with the same sail they were hiking in the accompanying Oz Goose .

So what to do when a boat with a lateral foil heels?

Don’t move your butt! Ease the sail and point a fraction lower to get the boatspeed up. The lateral foil starts to rise because of more lift – fly it up again.

Then I could wind in the sheet again to increase the heeling force. It is a feeling like flying. Boat heels then get speed without increasing the heeling force. Wind drops, move your body a little to leeward. Sheet loads seem higher – greater stability than hiking?

It becomes quite mesmerising watching the foil a foot or two below the water surface.

As the foil produces lift there is a depression in the surface of the water above the foil – which turns into a series of waves that make up the foil wake stretching back. It it like being followed by a small Loch Ness Monster.

It does also show that the homemade hydrofoil is developing lift at low speed.

The photo is at a very low windspeed/boatspeed. These wavelets go quite a way back. On Saturday with more wind and boatspeed I thought the transom was digging in and making a commotion.

But, it was the combination of the hull’s sternwave and the foil’s wake making a noisy quarter wave on the leeward side

So this is the exciting thing – not pure speed but less physical effort

At the moment many foiling systems are more or less being retrofitted to conventional boats.

Many of those boats are very wide – like the IMOCA 60s or some of the supermaxis.

Interestingly it is more moderate beam boats that win most races. They are faster in light winds, faster upwind and can sail deeper angles downwind without losing speed. A bit easier to steer too.

The question is … if we gain stability from a lateral hydrofoil – what is the beam for?

Canoes are light, fast and easy to store and transport. But can be hard to hold upright. PERHAPS this is a good place to start.

Another aspect is that modest length boats for disabled sailors have limited stability (and speed) because the centre of gravity of the crew is so high.

I also think about what will happen when I can’t hike out so hard. That’s why I win Oz Goose races. But I can certainly feel it in my 60 year old bones. The day is not close, but it is coming.

The inspiration of the Quant 28 and 17

Normally a keelboat this size without a canting keel would need 5 to 7 people on the rail.

Same lateral foil but a more beautiful version by Hugh Welbourne for Quant Boats in Switzerland.

The lateral foil is the simplest possible lifting foil.

In terms of stability – see how the crew on the Quant 17 go from full trapezing and hiking to sitting inside the boat when the foils are deployed and to leeward as soon as the boat has any downwind component.

I’m interested in the stability component.

In homebuilt hydrofoil boats Ian Henehan’s modified Oz Goose saw him chuck the hiking wings and start sitting inboard too.

It was like this with a hiking rack before – no longer needed. Simplification and less effort.

Perhaps: an advantage of some rocker for foiling dinghies

We didn’t fit a rudder foil at this stage – even though we built the rudder extension.

The purpose of a rudder foil on all foilers is to hold the main foil at an optimum angle of attack. Usually the rudder foil is adjustable in some way to allow the adjustment of the angle of the main foil.

If the rudder foil is sent lower then the angle of attack of the main foil is increased.

But with the 8ft boat with the extreme rocker it was possible to move back to increase the angle of incidence of the main foil. The base angle is 2 degrees Angle of Attack relative to the static waterline of the boat.

In the gusts of around 10 knots, going upwind, it was possible to move forward or back to reduce or increase lift – speed changes from doing so were instant. So where you sit in/on a rockered boat is a critical tuning factor.

Less rocker might be OK, but some rocker is going to be important. Maybe concentrated in the back end of the boat. I’m not sure if the foil fitted IMOCAs do this with water ballast.

Overview of comparison sailing the hydrofoiled boat against the larger Oz Goose

This is not necessarily a question of speed, though it is nice to get.

Our 8ft boat is absolutely sub optimal as a foil stabilised boat.

• It is short, so potential hull speed is low – 8ft long. This limits foil lift (square of velocity).
• It has a lot of rocker (fore and aft hull curve)
• Crew weight is a very large part compared to the boat volume – it was meant to be a prototype kid’s boat but the curved cockpit was too hard to build. So we repurposed it.

Saturday it was sailing around in company with Job and Jazmine in a Goose who I compete against in that class. They are among the top sailors in the Oz Goose so I know the speeds they hit. And the new boat has an Oz Goose Rig but is only 8ft to the Oz Goose’s 12ft length.

In the lighter patches it was noticeably slower than the Goose, but it was still sailing properly (felt normal/good). It was a faster choice to retract the foil. Pushed out to windward the hydrofoil is above the water to reduce the wetted surface.

With a bit more wind and foil deployed it started to equal the goose upwind. This is not something the shorter boat should be able to do.

The biggest difference – no hiking. While Job and Jazmine were hiking in the Oz Goose I found it best to move to keep the foil in the water in the lulls – which meant I was sitting centrally or to leeward and not hiking in the gusts. It is low effort sailing.

Downwind differences – was the 8ft foiled boat able to stick with the 12ft Oz Goose?

Downwind the Goose should have walked away from the smaller boat. I’ve a lot of experience with the 8ft Oz Racer and a GPS and know the boat tops out at around 4.2knots or just about 5. It can go quite a bit faster (up to 8knots) but it takes a lot of wind and it drops back to the 4 to 5kn range as soon as the gust drops slightly. The Goose, however just loves to accelerate into the 6 7 or 8 knot range and on stronger wind days gets up in the 8 to 12 knot range. And beyond.

So the Goose should get away from the shorter boat.

It did … but not too dramatically. More comparative trials to come.

Now we hope there is more wind next Saturday when we have the photographer and a chase boat.

Foiling Week 2018 Pt 2 – Foiling Sail for the rest of us!

Our recent articles on homemade foiling and

2 thoughts on “homebuilt hydrofoil for sailboats test sailed – end to hiking out”.

We just post an abstract of your pages about foils in our web site. Thanks for your job. Best regards Danilus

Merci Daniel!

Can you provide a link here to the article on your website.

Also we hope to get more wind to show how the foil behaves. We had one day of moderate wind but no photo/video boat. But last three weekends have had very light wind – sub 5kn. A more active video when Poseidon grants our wish.

Best wishes Michael

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300 Whale Tail Hydrofoil Stabilizer

200 Whale Tail Hydrofoil Stabilizer

Dorsal Fin Style Hydrofoil Stabilizer

• Quality Statement
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Boat Hydrofoil Pros and Cons: Is It Worth the Investment?

If you’re a boat owner, you’ve likely heard about boat hydrofoils and the potential benefits they can bring to your boating experience. But are they worth the investment? This comprehensive guide will explore the pros and cons of outboard hydrofoils, providing you with the necessary information to make an informed decision.

Understanding Hydrofoils

A hydrofoil is a specialized device designed to create lift when moved through water, similar to how an airfoil works in the air. The unique shape of the hydrofoil allows water to flow faster over it than underneath it, creating a low-pressure area on top. This pressure https://guardmarine.com/product/dorsal-fin-style-hydrofoil-stabilizer/ difference generates lift, raising the boat’s hull above the water and significantly reducing drag.

The Science Behind Hydrofoils

In simple terms, a hydrofoil works by manipulating the flow of water around it. As the boat moves forward, water flows over the hydrofoil, creating a pressure difference that lifts the boat. This reduces the amount of hull in contact with the water, thereby reducing drag and allowing the boat to move faster and more efficiently.

The Pros of Boat Hydrofoils

There are several benefits to installing a hydrofoil on your boat, including:

Enhanced Boat Performance and Speed

The primary advantage of hydrofoils is their ability to improve a boat’s performance. By reducing water resistance, hydrofoils allow your boat to move faster. This effect is particularly noticeable on smaller boats with outboard motors, such as fishing or leisure boats.

Improved Fuel Efficiency

Hydrofoils can also enhance your boat’s fuel efficiency. By reducing drag, your boat’s engine doesn’t have to work as hard, leading to less fuel consumption. This means you can enjoy longer trips without worrying about refueling.

Increased Stability

Hydrofoils can significantly improve your boat’s stability, providing a smoother ride even in rough waters. This is due to the balance and stabilization that hydrofoils provide, even at high speeds.

Enhanced Safety

Hydrofoils can also enhance safety by eliminating issues like low bow rise, cavitation, porpoising, prop ventilation, and chine-walking.

The Cons of Boat Hydrofoils

Despite their numerous benefits, hydrofoils do have some limitations:

Limitations for Large Boats

Hydrofoils are not recommended for large boats or ships as the benefits won’t be as significant.

Prone to Damage

Hydrofoils are prone to damage from repeated impacts, which could lead to steering issues or accidents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does boat size matter when purchasing a hydrofoil.

Yes, boat size does matter. While some hydrofoils are suitable for larger boats, most are best suited for small to mid-sized boats.

Can Bumps Damage a Hydrofoil or Cause it to Fall Off?

While hydrofoils are made from durable materials, a significant impact, such as hitting a rock, could cause the hydrofoil to fall off.

In conclusion, the benefits of installing a hydrofoil on your boat include improved speed, efficiency, and stability. However, it’s important to consider their limitations before making a purchase. By understanding the outboard hydrofoil pros and cons, you can make an informed decision that best suits your boating needs.

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• Valentin Bontus: From Class Clown to Olympic Champion

A year ago Valentin Bontus’s dream was to qualify Austria for a place at the Olympic Games. The limit of his ambitions was to get a place on the start line in the Men’s Kiteboarding.

However, his ambitions shifted when the fun-loving Austrian, the self-confessed class clown, discovered a new level of speed at the Allianz Sailing World Championships at The Hague in August a year ago. Having recently changed his foil package to a different brand, Bontus was flying.

The crowd on Scheveningen Beach was going crazy when Bontus made it through to the four-rider final. “If Valentin can do it, maybe I can do it,” was the feeling from the other riders who had failed to make it that far in the competition.

Bontus finished fourth behind the top three well established names – Singapore’s Max Maeder winning the world title with Slovenia’s Toni Vodisek in silver and bronze for France’s Axel Mazella. The Austrian had exceeded everyone’s expectations including his own. Not only had he qualified his nation for a place at the Games, Bontus started to wonder if what he had achieved in The Hague might be the start of something new.

So it proved, with Bontus consistently finishing in the top few of the major regattas during the past year. However the 17-year-old from Singapore, Maeder, was proving invincible, winning race after race, event after event. Speaking at the European Championships in Spain last March, Bontus said: “We will all be in a race for the other medals, no one can take the gold from Max. He’s at another level and anyone who says they can beat him is just fooling themselves.”

Bontus sounded like he meant it, but he kept working at this game, investigating every detail for a potential performance gain. Even his bright white stretchy overall that he wore in Marseille was an aero ski suit that he had been offered by the Austrian Ski Federation. “We tested it in the wind tunnel and there seemed to be a benefit so we went for it,” he said.

The Austrian also brought a lot of confidence to the Games, and appeared supremely relaxed even during the intensity of the four-rider final. “I was just staying calm doing the same thing as I did in the semi-final and managed to pull it off three times after that as well,” he said. “I’m insanely happy and I’m extremely stoked to be sharing the race course with these three legends and walking off with the gold medal. All these two last days I felt really strong. I knew my speed was there and just had to get off the start line well and keep my speed, and that’s what I did.”

After witnessing Bontus’s speed in the first race of the final day, the others scrambled back to the beach to change down from the big 23 square metre to the 15 square metre, the same smaller size that had proved to be Ellie Aldridge’s killer move when she won women’s kite gold the previous day.

During all the frenetic kite switching on the beach, Bontus just relaxed on his coach boat, grinning away, waiting out his time with his trusty 23 square metre in the sky. The Austrian was quite happy sticking with what he had. “I was pretty confident from our forecast that we weren’t going to get crazy winds and I think their kite change was more of a throw of the dice because I think they saw I was quite fast,” he said.

Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi certainly looked quicker at the start of the next race on his smaller 15 kite, but Bontus held his nerve. “Riccardo came back strong but I knew that if I’m within 10 metres of him at the windward mark I will definitely catch up on the downwind with the 23, and that’s what happened, and the rest is history.”

Bontus reflected on his journey through the sport. “My dad has been doing kiteboarding since the sport started and it’s been a very long way since then. I’ve been doing the freestyle stuff first and then hurt my knee and switched over to kitefoil racing.

“It’s been two and a half years now that I’m doing a really full-on professional campaign with the support of the Austrian team. That help accelerated my learning curve quite a lot, and it’s insane to be standing here and calling myself Olympic Champion.”

written by Andy Rice

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These Jewish Athletes Won Medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Jessica fox and artem dolgopyat cemented their statuses as historic jewish athletes, while maia weintraub and amit elor introduced themselves to the world..

The 2024 Paris Olympics concluded on Sunday, and at least 21 Jewish athletes from the United States, Australia and Israel will return home with some new hardware: The tally includes six golds (with one athlete winning two), seven silvers and five bronzes. The medal total of 18 is more than all but 15 countries.

Israel in particular has racked up a historic medal collection, with seven total medals, its most ever in a single Olympics. Israel won three medals on Aug. 3 alone , its most medals in one day. The country now has 20 total Olympic medals, including nine in judo and five in sailing.

Australian paddler Jessica Fox has added to her legacy, and is considered the greatest canoeist of all time, winning two gold medals in Paris in canoe and kayak races. Her younger sister Noemie also won a gold medal, her first, in the brand-new kayak cross event.

Read on for more about all the Jewish and Israeli medalists, alphabetized and in order of medal type.

Gold medalists

Jackie dubrovich and maia weintraub.

The U.S. women’s foil team won gold, giving Jackie Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub their first-ever medals. Dubrovich had narrowly missed a medal in Tokyo, while Weintraub is making her Olympic debut. Weintraub, who deferred her final year at Princeton University to train for the Olympics, was the alternate but subbed in for Dubrovich briefly so that she would be eligible to share in the team medal. Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs, who each won medals in the individual foil competition, rounded out the U.S. team. Out of the 20 total members of the U.S. fencing team, six are Jewish or come from Jewish families .

U.S. wrestler Amit Elor entered the Paris Olympics, her first Games, on a winning streak dating back to 2019. That undefeated stretch continued this week as she captured the gold medal in the women’s 68-kilogram weight class. Elor is 20, making her the all-time youngest U.S. gold medalist in wrestling. The daughter of Israeli immigrants, Elor experienced both online antisemitism and the sudden deaths of both her father and a brother during the years when she broke into the elite ranks of U.S. women’s wrestlers.

Jessica Fox (two gold medals)

Australian canoe paddler Jessica Fox entered these Olympis already regarded by many as the best ever in her sport. Fox, 30, added two more gold medals to her collection in Paris, one in the women’s kayak slalom and one in the canoe slalom . She now has six career medals: three gold, one silver and two bronze. She is the most decorated Olympic canoe slalom competitor ever, and the only Australian Olympian in history with six individual medals. She had served as one of Australia’s flag bearers in the Paris opening ceremony.

Noémie Fox

Noémie Fox , Jessica Fox’s younger sister, won her first-ever Olympic medal, a gold in the inaugural kayak cross event. Fox, 27, and her sister join a rare class of Jewish siblings to win medals at the same Olympics . They are likely the first Jewish siblings to each win gold at the same Games since sisters Tamara and Irina Press did so in 1960 and 1964 in track and field events for the Soviet Union.

Tom Reuveny

Windsurfer Tom Reuveny won Israel’s first, and so far only, gold medal of the Paris Olympics in the men’s iQFoil windsurfing final. Reuveny’s gold — Israel’s fourth ever — comes 20 years after his coach, Gal Fridman , won Israel’s first-ever gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games in the men’s sailboard competition. Reuveny, whose brother is serving in combat in the Israel-Hamas war, said his win brought some much needed celebration during a difficult year. “It’s been so hard and I still had to put my head down and keep training and it’s all for this moment,” he said.

Silver medalists

Artem dolgopyat.

Ukrainian-born Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat entered the Paris Olympics as a medal favorite in the floor exercise, the event in which he captured gold in Tokyo . After a difficult showing in the qualifying round, Dolgopyat rebounded to win the silver medal , becoming the first Israeli athlete to medal at consecutive Olympics.

Sienna Green

Jewish water polo star Sienna Green won a silver medal with Australia , as her country fell 11-9 to Spain in the gold medal match. Green, who is making her Olympics debut at 19 years old, is the youngest woman to represent Australia in women’s water polo. Both of Green’s parents are former water polo players, and her father Antony represented Australia at the 1989 and 1993 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Raz Hershko

Israeli judoka Raz Hershko claimed the silver medal in the women’s over-78-kilogram competition, her second career Olympic medal. She had won bronze with Israel’s mixed judo team in Tokyo . Hershko, 26, is the No. 2 ranked judoka in her category in the world, according to the International Judo Federation.

Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team

Israel’s rhythmic gymnastics team won the silver medal in the all-around team competition , earning Israel’s seventh medal at the Paris Olympics. The group, which is captained by Romi Paritzki and also includes Ofir Shaham , Diana Svertsov , Adar Friedmann and Shani Bakanov , finished with a combined score of 68.850, behind gold medal-winning China’s 69.800. The group had won its first-ever gold medals at the 2023 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships .

Sharon Kantor

On the same day that Reuveny won gold and Dolgopyat won silver, Sharon Kantor won silver in the women’s iQFoil windsurfing competition , her first-ever medal. Kantor, 21, is the first Israeli woman to win a sailing medal.

Inbar Lanir

Inbar Lanir also won a silver medal in judo for Israel , in the 78-kilogram weight class. The win earned Lanir her first individual medal; she had won bronze in Tokyo with Israel’s mixed team. Lanir, 24, wore a yellow scrunchie to signify advocacy for Israeli hostages in Gaza, and had gone viral at home after she babysat for her neighbor — who did not know she was an Olympian — in the days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. “Instead of training for the Olympics, she’s babysitting,” Sheizaf Tal Meshulam wrote in a Facebook post. “So just know that behind a well-deserved medal stands a woman with a heart of gold.”

Claire Weinstein

Swimmer Claire Weinstein won silver as part of the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay , alongside U.S. Olympic legend Katie Ledecky. Weinstein, 17, is making her Olympics debut in Paris and is the youngest Jewish medalist. The New York native, who celebrated her bat mitzvah at Reform Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, swam the first leg of the U.S. team’s relay. Erin Gemmell and Paige Madden rounded out the team.

Bronze medalists

Foil fencer Nick Itkin won bronze early on in the Paris Olympics , improving on his 12th-place finish in the individual competition in Tokyo. He had won bronze with the U.S. men’s foil team at the Tokyo Games. Itkin, 24, whose father is a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine, is also a two-time NCAA champion and the No. 2-ranked men’s foil fencer in the world. Last year he became the first American man, and third U.S. fencer overall, to win individual medals at back-to-back world championships.

San Diego native Sarah Levy earned a bronze medal with the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team , which stunned Australia in the final to win its first-ever Olympic medal. Levy, 28, appeared in three of the team’s six games as she made her Olympics debut . Levy, who had also competed in the JCC Maccabi Games as a teenager, earned the medal alongside the U.S. team’s Jewish assistant coach, former Olympic athlete Zack Test .

Jemima Montag (two bronze medals)

Race walker Jemima Montag joins fellow Aussie Jessica Fox as a two-time medalist in Paris. She won her first medal in the 20-kilometer race walk , an event in which she already owned her country’s record. Montag won another bronze Wednesday in the inaugural marathon mixed relay event . Montag, 26, is the first Australian woman in 52 years to win two medals in track and field’s athletics category at the same Olympics.

Peter Paltchik

Israeli judoka Peter Paltchik won bronze in the 100-kilogram weight class , his first individual medal. Paltchik also won bronze, alongside Hershko and Lanir, with the Israeli mixed judo team in Tokyo. Paltchik, who had served as one of Israel’s flag bearers at the Paris opening ceremony, was born in Ukraine. He won gold at the 2020 European championship.

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Sailing-Austria's Bontus 'stoked' to land men's kite gold

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AIU files appeal with CAS in Knighton case

The Athletics Integrity Unit said on Wednesday it has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the case that cleared American sprinter Erriyon Knighton of a doping offence, thus allowing him to compete at the Paris Olympics.

Foil Boat Brisket

Here we are at the end of May—the month that we at ThermoWorks deem BBQ month—and I hadn’t yet cooked a brisket. How had this happened? The situation called for a remedy! Of course we always want to try new things, so we decided it was finally time to take a shot at the foil-boat method of brisket cookery, made famous by Chud’s BBQ.

Foil boat brisket is just what it sounds like it is. You smoke a brisket for a few hours to get it smoky, then you create a foil boat around its lower half so that anything that is rendered out braises the bottom of the brisket. We wondered if it could deliver on the promised outcome, so we gave it a shot. The result? Excellence. Our result was, of course, aided by the constant temperature we achieved with our Billows™ BBQ Control Fan and our Signals™ thermometer . The right tools always help, right? Let’s get into it and look more closely at this method.

Why cook a brisket in a foil boat?

Cooking brisket in a foil boat is all about tender flat meat and a deliciously firm/crisp bark. Putting brisket in a boat of foil doesn’t prevent any evaporative cooling, so there’s no help getting past the stall. But it does prevent juices that are cooked out of the meat from dripping away.

The boat catches any fat, any juice that would normally drip off of the brisket and pools it around the meat. This mini braising bath not only results in deeper flavor, but can help keep the bottom of your brisket from drying out. Yes, it’s true that the water that is expelled by the muscle in the flat as it cooks will seep out through the meat, but collecting it keeps the bottom of the brisket from turning into jerky.

And while the bottom of the brisket is simmering softly in its boat, the top of the brisket (the fat side, in this case) continues to work on its tan, as it were. The exposed top develops amazing bark because it is basking in the dry heat and smoke throughout the entire cook. The result is perfect bark on top and a bottom that isn’t hard to cut through or chew.

Temperatures for foil boat brisket

The temperatures are the same as they are for the briskets that we cooked in our brisket primer . We set up our Signals™ multi-channel thermometer and our Billows™ BBQ Control Fan to maintain our pit at 250°F (121°C) for the whole cook. We used a Weber Smokey Mountain with two Billows, but you can use whatever cooker you like, as long as you keep that indirect heat in the neighborhood of 250°F (121°C).

As we said above, this method is roughly equivalent to cooking a naked brisket, meaning there is going to be a stall. Our brisket—which started out at 17.6 lb. pre-trim weight—had at least a 9-hour stall and a total cook time of about 17 hours to get to our pull temp.

We were looking for a doneness temp of about 201°F (94°C), but the foil-boating happens at about 165°F (74°C). For both temperatures, using Signals to monitor temps is perfect. with four channels you can track the temp in the flat, the point, and the pit, and you’ll still have one free! Set the high-temp alarm on your meat channels for 165°F (74°C) during the first part of the cook, then make the foil boat out of a double layer of heavy-duty foil, and scrunch it up around the whole perimeter of the brisket.

Once the brisket is on a boat, reset the high-temp alarms for 201°F (94°C). When you get up to temp, verify temp and tenderness with your Thermapen ® ONE .

Bottom line

Cooking brisket in a foil boat doesn’t speed things up. You cook it at 250°F (121°C) until it reaches 165°F (74°C), then put it in a foil boat and finish the job until it gets to 201°F (94°C), and that takes just as much time as cooking without any foil or paper. But adding the foil boat isn’t hard, and the savings you get in texture is well worth the minimal effort. Braising the beef in its own fat and juices keeps the bottom tender so that you can push for amazing bark on the top fat cap layer. Use Signals and Billows to keep an eye on the temperatures so you know when to boat it up and when to check its final temp and texture. With the right tools, it’s practically foolproof!

If you’ve neglected to make a brisket this month, follow our lead and get to it! Your smoker, your family, and your tongue will all thank you. Happy cooking!

• Author: Martin

Description

Beef brisket, cooked in a foil boat for a tender bottom that doesn’t dry out. 

Ingredients

• 1 beef packer brisket
• Yellow mustard, about 3–4 Tbsp for binding
• BBQ rub of your choice (we used S&P with some celery seed, paprika and garlic powder)

Instructions

• Preheat your smoker to 250°F (121°C). If you’re not using a pellet smoker, use Billows to set and regulate the temperature. Add a chunk of your preferred smoking wood. 

• Trim your brisket to your liking. Rub the brisket with yellow mustard to establish a binder coat. 
• Season the brisket liberally with the rub. 

• Place the brisket in the smoker, fat-side up . Insert a Signals probe into the flat and another into the point. Set the high-temp alarm on both channels to 165°F (74°C).

• Smoke the brisket. If you’ve connected your Signals to your Wi-Fi, monitor its progress on the app or on the cloud . 
• When the high-temp alarms sound, lay out a double layer of foil on a flat workspace. Transfer the brisket to the foil, keeping the fat side up, and scrunch it up all around the edge. 
• Move the boat of brisket back to the smoker. Re-insert the probes and reset the probe high-temp alarms for 201°F (94°C). Close the lid and continue to smoke. 

• When the high-temp alarms sound several hours later, verify the doneness temperature and the tenderness using your Thermapen ONE . 

• Remove the brisket from the smoker and let it rest for at least a half hour. 
• Slice it up and serve it!

Shop now for products used in this post:

Signals Multi-channel Thermometer

Thermapen® ONE, true instant-read thermometer

Billows BBQ Temperature Control Fan

16 Comments

This is a great tip. Never thought of a boat! Thank you.

Disappointing: The so-called experts here seem to break one of the cardinal rules of temperature probes: The cables are not routed through the grommet port on the smoker but are instead crimped under the heavy lid.

You are right as right can be! It was a mistake, and we will do better!

Bradley(Chud) foil boats his brisket at around 180°.

I bet the foil boat would work for a pork shoulder/butt also. Keep a good fat cap on top for bark. What you think? Full packer brisket a LOT of meat to have around so I don’t know. Would love to try tho

I think it should work great, especially if you have one with a good fatty side on it.

How would this way work with just the flat

Seems to me on the brisket boat recipe you may get bark but it will be on the fat cap side if smoked fat cap up , and the meat side will not have bark or at least the bark will be soft. I think if I try this I will go fat cap down and be sure to keep the meat side basted ever so often. I say this because usually after my brisket is done resting my what fat cap is left I scrap away. Also wouldn’t you get the same results using a disposable pan instead of curled up foil. Anyway just my thoughts , I need some brisket now. Thanks for all the great info.

The point of having it fat-cap up is that you get a nice little layer of crispy fatty almost bacon-y bark on the fatcap. You could use a disposable pan, but you’d want to crinkle it all up on the edges of the brisket. You want it to be close-close, not just a pan in which to cook it.

Would this foil boat work effectively using Rusty Monson’s Hot and Fast Brisket?

I’m not sure! Probably? I’ll have to try it out.

Was thinking, why not just butcher wrap (in the boat) through the stall? Then pull the wrap off and let it do its thing in the boat to finish off.

Butcher paper wrapping and foil boat are just two different methods. Wrapping in butcher paper poses the risk of producing a soggy bark due to trapped steam. Also the fat juice can leak out of the paper and is lost. With foil boat, the steam just evaporates, the bark continues to build, and the fat continues to render. Also, the foil boat tends to capture the rendered fat and allows the flat, if you’re cooking fat side up, to soak it in. This keeps the flat juicier and more flavorful, in my opinion. Plus, after you rest the brisket, you can dump your saved rendered fat over the top of your perfectly made brisket!

with probes in flat and point, which one do you go by for boating/wrapping and pulling? the first one to reach temp?

Usually the flat, as it will overcook faster.

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