small hydrofoil sailboat

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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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12 foiling boats for sailors of all levels

• April 15, 2022
• No Comments

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Birdyfish – 4,7 m – For foiling beginners

Flo1 – 4.25 m

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

Foiling Dinghy – 3,86 m – Small and versatile

Moth – 3,35 m – The foiling cult dinghy

Peacoq 14 – 4.70 m – Like a flying Fireball

Persico 69F – 6,9 m – The trendy boat

Skeeta – 3,35 m – Easy for anyone

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

Ufo – 3,00 m – Flying with two hulls

Waszp – 3,35 m – For the whole family

Whisper – 5,40 m – Full performance

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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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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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[2023] Hydrofoil Yacht: The Ultimate Guide to Sailing on Foils

• November 1, 2023
• Hydrofoil Basics

Quick Answer: A hydrofoil yacht is a sailboat equipped with wing-like foils that lift the hull out of the water as it gains speed. This reduces drag, increases speed, and provides a smoother ride. Hydrofoil yachts can be retrofitted on both monohull and multihull sailboats, with different types of foils used for stability and control.

Welcome to Hydrofoiling™, where we bring you all the latest and greatest information about hydrofoil boarding. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the world of hydrofoil yachts, exploring their history, configurations, classes, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a curious beginner, this article will provide you with expert advice and insights into the exciting world of hydrofoil yachts.

Table of Contents

Quick answer, quick tips and facts, background: the evolution of hydrofoil yachts, types of hydrofoil yachts, hydrofoil classes: from moths to ac75, hydrofoil yacht brands and models, advantages and disadvantages of hydrofoil yachts.

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A hydrofoil yacht is a sailboat equipped with wing-like foils that lift the hull out of the water as it gains speed. This lifting action reduces the wetted area of the hull, minimizing drag and allowing the yacht to achieve higher speeds. Hydrofoil yachts can be retrofitted on both monohull and multihull sailboats, with different types of foils used for stability and control.

Shopping Links: Check out hydrofoil yacht products on Amazon | Shop hydrofoil yacht on Walmart | Etsy hydrofoil yacht products

• Hydrofoil yachts use foils to lift the hull out of the water, reducing drag and increasing speed.
• Different types of foils, such as T foils, C foils, S foils, and L foils, are used for stability and control.
• Hydrofoil yachts can be retrofitted on both monohull and multihull sailboats.
• The International Moth class is one of the most widespread uses of hydrofoils in sailboats.
• Hydrofoil yachts can achieve impressive speeds, with some reaching over 50 knots.

Hydrofoil technology has been around for over a century, with the first patent for a hydrofoil boat filed in 1898 by Italian engineer Enrico Forlanini. Since then, hydrofoil yachts have undergone significant advancements, transforming the sailing experience and pushing the boundaries of speed and performance.

The concept behind hydrofoil yachts is simple yet ingenious. By using wing-like foils mounted under the hull, these yachts can lift themselves out of the water as they gain speed. This lifting action reduces the wetted area of the hull, minimizing drag and allowing the yacht to glide effortlessly through the water.

Hydrofoil yachts come in various configurations, each designed to optimize performance and stability. Let’s explore some of the most common types of hydrofoil yachts:

Monohull Hydrofoil Yachts : Monohull hydrofoil yachts feature a single hull and employ a “ladder” arrangement of hydrofoils. These hydrofoils typically have a dihedral angle of around 50 degrees and are complemented by a stabilizing rudder foil. This configuration provides stability and control, allowing the yacht to sail smoothly on foils.

Multihull Hydrofoil Yachts : Multihull hydrofoil yachts, such as catamarans and trimarans, offer increased stability and performance. These yachts use wider planforms, allowing for greater lift and control. Some multihulls utilize three foils, with two main forward foils providing lift and a horizontal foil on the rudder for additional control.

Hydrofoil Catamarans : Hydrofoil catamarans, also known as foilcats, combine the stability of a catamaran with the speed and efficiency of hydrofoils. These yachts can achieve impressive speeds while maintaining excellent stability, making them popular choices for racing and recreational sailing.

Hydrofoil technology has found its way into various sailing classes, revolutionizing the way we sail. Let’s take a closer look at some of the notable hydrofoil classes:

International Moth : The International Moth class is one of the most widespread uses of hydrofoils in sailboats. These single-handed dinghies feature foiling capabilities, allowing sailors to achieve incredible speeds and maneuverability. The class has seen rapid growth since 2001, with carbon fiber foils and advanced design techniques pushing the boundaries of performance.

Waszp : The Waszp class is similar to the International Moth class but utilizes aluminum foils instead of carbon fiber. This makes the Waszp more accessible to a wider range of sailors while still providing the exhilaration of foiling.

AC75 : The AC75 is a foiling monohull sailboat class used in the 2021 America’s Cup. These impressive yachts can reach speeds of up to 50 knots, showcasing the incredible potential of hydrofoil technology in the world of competitive sailing.

IQFoil : The IQFoil windsurfer class was selected by World Sailing for the 2024 Summer Olympics. These windsurfers feature hydrofoils, allowing athletes to glide above the water and achieve impressive speeds.

IMOCA 60 : Originally designed as non-foiling offshore racers, the IMOCA 60 class has embraced hydrofoil technology. These yachts now feature S-shaped daggerboard foils, providing partial foiling capabilities and enhancing performance in various conditions.

F50 : The F50 sailboat class is used in the SailGP series and is the first sailboat class to break the 50-knot barrier during a race, with a top speed of 52.2 knots. These high-performance catamarans showcase the incredible speed and agility that hydrofoil technology can offer.

Several brands have embraced hydrofoil technology, offering a range of hydrofoil yachts to cater to different sailing preferences. Here are some notable hydrofoil yacht brands and models:

Gunboat : Gunboat is a renowned brand in the world of luxury hydrofoil yachts. Their models, such as the Gunboat 68 and Gunboat 72, combine performance, comfort, and elegance, providing an exceptional sailing experience.

GC32 : The GC32 is a hydrofoil catamaran designed for high-performance racing. This foiling catamaran offers thrilling speeds and precise control, making it a favorite among competitive sailors.

AC72 and AC45f/AC50 : These hydrofoil catamarans were used in the America’s Cup, showcasing the cutting-edge technology and innovation in the world of hydrofoil yachts. These yachts pushed the boundaries of speed and performance, captivating sailing enthusiasts worldwide.

Nacra 17 and Nacra F20 : Nacra is a well-known brand in the world of multihull sailing, and their Nacra 17 and Nacra F20 models feature hydrofoil capabilities. These yachts offer a perfect balance of speed, stability, and maneuverability, making them popular choices for recreational and competitive sailing.

Hydrofoil yachts offer a range of advantages that make them appealing to sailors seeking speed, performance, and an exhilarating sailing experience. However, they also come with some drawbacks. Let’s explore the pros and cons of hydrofoil yachts:

Advantages:

Increased Speed : Hydrofoil yachts can achieve impressive speeds, thanks to reduced drag and increased lift. This allows sailors to cover more distance in less time, making hydrofoil yachts ideal for racing or simply enjoying the thrill of speed on the water.

Smooth Ride : By lifting the hull out of the water, hydrofoil yachts provide a smoother and more comfortable sailing experience. The reduced contact with the water minimizes the impact of waves and chop, resulting in a smoother ride even in rough conditions.

Improved Efficiency : Hydrofoil yachts are more efficient than traditional sailboats, thanks to reduced drag and improved lift. This increased efficiency translates to better performance and reduced energy consumption, making hydrofoil yachts an environmentally friendly choice.

Disadvantages:

Complex Design : Hydrofoil yachts require a more complex design compared to traditional sailboats. The addition of foils and the associated control systems can increase the complexity of the yacht, requiring more maintenance and potentially higher costs.

Learning Curve : Sailing a hydrofoil yacht requires a certain level of skill and experience. The handling and control of a hydrofoil yacht can be more challenging compared to traditional sailboats, requiring sailors to adapt to the unique characteristics of foiling.

Higher Costs : Hydrofoil yachts, especially high-performance models, can come with a higher price tag compared to traditional sailboats. The advanced technology, materials, and design required for hydrofoil yachts contribute to their higher cost.

How fast is the hydrofoil racing yacht?

Hydrofoil racing yachts can achieve impressive speeds, with some models reaching over 50 knots (57.5 mph or 92.6 km/h). The F50 sailboat class, used in the SailGP series, holds the record for the fastest sailboat class, with a top speed of 52.2 knots (60 mph or 97 km/h).

What does a hydrofoil do to a boat?

A hydrofoil lifts the hull of a boat out of the water as it gains speed. This reduces the wetted area of the hull, minimizing drag and allowing the boat to achieve higher speeds. The lifting action of the hydrofoil also provides a smoother ride by reducing the impact of waves and chop.

Read more about “… Hydrofoil Catamaran: The Ultimate Guide to Foiling on Water”

How fast do hydrofoil boats go?

Hydrofoil boats can reach impressive speeds, depending on their design and purpose. Racing hydrofoil yachts can achieve speeds over 50 knots (57.5 mph or 92.6 km/h), while recreational hydrofoil boats can reach speeds of 20-30 knots (23-34.5 mph or 37-55.5 km/h) or more.

Why don’t boats use hydrofoils?

While hydrofoils offer significant advantages in terms of speed and efficiency, they also come with certain limitations. The complex design and higher costs associated with hydrofoils can be prohibitive for some boat owners. Additionally, the handling and control of hydrofoil boats require a certain level of skill and experience, making them less accessible to novice sailors.

Read more about “… Why do boats not use hydrofoils?”

Hydrofoil yachts have revolutionized the sailing experience, offering increased speed, improved efficiency, and a smoother ride. Whether you’re a competitive sailor looking for the thrill of high-speed racing or a recreational sailor seeking a more exhilarating sailing experience, hydrofoil yachts provide an exciting and innovative option.

Recommended Links:

• Hydrofoil History
• Advanced Hydrofoiling Techniques
• Hydrofoil Equipment Reviews
• How Do Hydrofoils Work on Boats? 2023

Reference Links:

• Sailing Hydrofoil – Wikipedia
• Gunboat Official Website
• Nacra Official Website
• SailGP Official Website
• America’s Cup Official Website

Now that you have a comprehensive understanding of hydrofoil yachts, it’s time to set sail and experience the thrill of foiling firsthand. Whether you’re racing on the high seas or cruising along the coast, a hydrofoil yacht will take your sailing adventures to new heights. Happy foiling!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on research and personal experience. Hydrofoiling™ is not affiliated with any specific brand or product mentioned in this article. Always consult with experts and follow safety guidelines when engaging in hydrofoil activities.

Review Team

The Popular Brands Review Team is a collective of seasoned professionals boasting an extensive and varied portfolio in the field of product evaluation. Composed of experts with specialties across a myriad of industries, the team’s collective experience spans across numerous decades, allowing them a unique depth and breadth of understanding when it comes to reviewing different brands and products.

Leaders in their respective fields, the team's expertise ranges from technology and electronics to fashion, luxury goods, outdoor and sports equipment, and even food and beverages. Their years of dedication and acute understanding of their sectors have given them an uncanny ability to discern the most subtle nuances of product design, functionality, and overall quality.

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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.

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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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Hydrofoils: Boats That Fly

Advertisement

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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Charles Fort

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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Just enjoy high speed - foiling

” iFLY – Born to FLY “

Just enjoy foiling, ” high performance sailing “, ” we love speed “, ” join the adventure “.

iFLY15 – Technical SPECS

Length 4.63 m, 15 ft..

A Foiling Catamaran for 1-2 person(s) does not need to be any longer than this. The ancient rule that says you need length to achieve speed does not apply, as hulls do not touch the water at most times.

Width 2.50 m.

This width provides plenty of righting moment, still being road legal ato be transported in horizontal position without disassembly.

7.5 m mast / 11.2 sqm mainsail

7.5 m mast with 11.2 sqm deck-sweeper mainsail. – 8.5 m mast on iFLY RAZZOR Pro with bigger rig

Draft: 95 cm

Weight: 90 kg.

90 kg ready to sail. A very light boat, providing nonetheless excellent stability for everyday suitability.

Crew 1-2 - max.180kg

Flysafe® foil control.

T-Foils Main Foils and Rudders FlySafe automatic dynamic foil control Additional Option: Main Foil Differential >>>

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Looking for the perfect setup for your foiling sailboat.

We can recommend the best iFLY setup and accessories for your boat. Get in touch for the ultimate sailing experience!

Performance

A great number of innovations all over the catamaran and the perfect match of all components allow controlled high-speed foiling experience. iFLY15 is full of innovations, e.g. in hull design, hydrofoils, rudders, automatic flight control system, two-layer wing trampoline, high performance rig…

HULL Design

full carbon – lightweight – performance design: Born to foil

High Performance Rig Options

LATEST DEVELOPMENT OF “DECK SWEEPING” MAINSAIL WORLD PREMIERE: THE ROLLABLE HERU WING RIG : WORLD PREMIERE: LIGHT WIND FORESAIL «CodeF». ALLOWS UPWIND FOILING (as well as other courses/points) ALREADY IN EXTREMELY LIGHT BREEZE. Know More >>>

Two Layer Trampoline

AERODYNAMIC INNOVATIVE WING TRAMPOLINE CREATING LIFT.

Full Carbon T-Foils 

SCIENTIFICALLY DEVELOPED high-end foils for early take off, high speed and maximum stability.

flySafe® dynamic foil control system

The foils are controlled independently, dynamically and precisely on both sides by the flySafe® foil control system . This enables high performance sailing through stable flight. The unique foil control system of IFLY15 is a 7 years proven system developed by CEC Catamarans.        Know More >>>

IFLY MAIN FOIL DIFFERENTIAL TECHNOLOGY

MDT FOIL CONTROL – iFLY rake control The sophisticated main foil differential is an active flight assistance – The Rake is adjustable while sailing. Advanced Rake Control is for the experienced, performance-oriented Catamaran sailors / pro sailors and is a feature on the iFLY RAZZOR Pro.      Know More >>>

Innovations and more   >>>

In the hand of the experienced sailor, iFLY15 is a high-performance racing machine. STABILITY IS NOT CONTRADICTORY TO HIGH PERFORMANCE OR SPORTINESS , on the contrary, it is a prerequisite for safe reaching and maintaining constant high speeds. Stable flight allows the sailor to concentrate on the course, on the wind, as well as on opponents and strategy – rather than permanently getting distracted by working on the foiling balance.

EARLY TAKE OFF IN WINDS AS LOW AS 2Bft. / 6 KNOTS , by combining the innovative “KickOff” foil control with a trampoline that provides boost and with the latest generation of rig and foils.

BOAT SPEEDS FAR BEYOND DOUBLE WIND SPEED CAN BE ACHIEVED . Enjoy high speed foiling with top speeds far beyond 25 knots – in ideal conditions up to 30 knots.

CONTROLLED FOILING EVEN IN THE UPPER WIND RANGE BEYOND 22KNOTS OF WIND SPEED – supported by the new FlySafe® Automatic Foil System.

FOILING PLEASURE AND PERFORMANCE ALSO IN CHOPPY WATERS

FREEDOM ! FLYING SOLO OR OPTIONAL WITH CREW . You have the choice. No manhunt for crew. But still enjoy the opportunity of taking a friend or family to fly with you. Up to 140kg of crew weight. (To keep the boat and especially the mast light, we specified the iFLY15 components intentionally not for double trapeze.)

NO HOISTING AND LOWERING OF DAGGERBOARDS while sailing. (Only for beaching or in shallow waters.)

FREEDOM TO SWITCH BETWEEN FLYING MODE OR SAILING AS A CONVENTIONAL CATAMARAN (with at least the leeward hull touching the water). Within seconds iFLY15 can be switched to Non-Flight mode, even while sailing. In that mode, iFLY15 will not take off, but the foils will still create lift and give an extra agile sailing behavior, which is on the same time very stable as rudder Foils will avoid pitch poling. Non-Flight mode is providing additional security in extreme high wind speeds. It is also useful for less experienced sailors or in all situations, where taking off is undesirable (e.g. in the harbor or while towing…).

EASY TO LEARN FLYING BY AVERAGE SKILLED AND TRAINED SAILORS

EASY BEACHING AND SLIPPING , as simple as with any conventional beach catamaran by using a standard catamaran beach trolley. Foils remain flat under the keel, with the daggerboard lifted as on a conventional catamaran.

SIMPLE TO DISASSEMBLE PLATFORM . Width of 2.50m is also road legal in most countries for horizontal transport without disassembly.

DAGGERBOARDS CAN BE PLUGGED IN FROM ABOVE and Foils securely anchored from below with one central screw.

FAST SET-UP OF THE iFLY15 FROM ROAD TRAILER TO SAILING . Simple rigging the mast, no genacker boom, no foresail, no spi.

SILENT AND CALM PLANING ABOVE THE WAVES . Flight height of up to 90cm, avoiding even high waves below.

EASY TO FOIL THE JIBE (without landing). Stable maneuvers are made easier by the fact that the four T-Foils always remain in the water.

« INTERNATIONAL FORMULA 15 FOIL » Class Association. The new development class for FOILING, SINGLE HANDED on MULTIHULLS. Multi manufacturer class in the tradition of a Formula18, A-Class or international Moth. Enables large regatta fields and evolution of the boats, following the technical progress (which is especially essential in the case in Foiling). Strict regulations to avoid uncontrolled exaggerated development.

Contact : [email protected]

Catamaran Europe Central

The iflysail team, is looking forward to your message, more to know about ifly foiling , interesting tech, high performance rig options >>>, flysafe® dynamic foil control system >>>, ifly main foil differential technology >>>.

MDT FOIL CONTROL – iFLY rake control

News and More

Ifly foiling experience >>>, press articles >>>, events >>>.

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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Small Sailboat Sizes: A Complete Guide

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

October 30, 2022

‍ Key Takeaways

• Small sailboats are easy to sail, rig, and are affordable
• They are usually under 20 feet to be considered small
• Might not fit a particular sailing goal

‍ There are plenty of small sailboat sizes to accommodate any sailing experience. But what kinds of small sailboats are there?

Small sailboats are generally under 20 feet in length, come in a variety of designs, and have different hulls. These include monohulls, catamarans, and trimarans. As long as they have a mast, rudder, sail, and are under 20 feet, it is considered a small sailboat.

According to experienced sailors that use a smaller boat, it is best to have one that is easy to handle and accommodates their sailing goals. When searching for the best small sailboat, it will likely differ from one person to the next.

Table of contents

‍ 23 Small Sailboats to Compare

When looking at different types of small sailboats, it is important to see how they are designed. Depending on the sailing goals a person has will ultimately affect how they intend to sail.

If I have a Hobie catamaran, I am likely going to use it for recreational purposes like coastal cruising instead of racing. For shallow drafts, I would need something that can handle entering that territory and not risk damaging a keel on some monohulls.

Marblehead Daysailer

The Marblehead 22 daysailer is a traditional looking monohull perfect for everything related to small sailboats. Even though it is compact, there is enough room for guests on board.

It has almost a 12 foot cockpit to seat several people, along with a stowaway cuddy in the front to put some gear into. With its bulb keel, however, I would not take it into shallow waters.

A Laser is a great small sailboat that is commonly raced. In fact, they have been used in the Olympics every year since 1996.

Laser’s have a tendency to capsize if mishandled by inexperienced sailors in rough conditions, but are good to learn how to sail. I would recommend taking them out on lighter days and calmer conditions.

Catalina Sport

The Catalina 22 Sport has earned the reputation for the best small sailboat for years. It has simple amenities for different sailing goals, but also has a retractable keel to allow for shoal draft exploration.

For a boat this size, it can sleep four people and has a swim ladder in the back. Sailors that are used to simple designs will be happy that it has a roller furling jib, a fractional rig, and a mainsail. For a boat that is under 25 feet, it is arguably the epitome of small sailboats.

Cape Cod Daysailer

The Daysailer by Cape Cod was a first of its kind back in the 1950’s. It could travel however a sailor saw fit, with capabilities of racing, cruising, or simple pleasure.

Roughly a thousand were built by various shipyards, but Cape Cod still continues to produce them. For a 16 foot sailboat, it packs a punch with an affordable price and enough room for a few people.

The BayRaider from Swallow Yachts is another great example of a small sailboat that is easy to navigate and to put on a trailer for transport. What I love about it is that just about all of the 20 feet of the boat is an open cockpit.

If I were consistently using it in rougher waters, I would recommend adding a spray hood to help keep sections of the boat dry. In addition, I would look for the option to add stability with 300 pounds of water ballast.

For those that enjoy a solo ride, the Beetle Cat is one to consider. This boat has a draft of two feet and is roughly 12 feet long, which makes it perfect for coastal cruising or much tighter spaces.

With its single gaff-rigged sail, it offers tons of power even with lighter air. It is also nice to use when the conditions become rough and it is easy to reef down.

West Wight Potter

The West Wight Potter has a particular model, the P19, that is on many sailors’ lists of great small sailboats. A lot of sailors prefer this boat due to a variety of features for its size.

At just under 20 feet, it has four berths, galley, sink, stove, and even a cooler. This boat also has closed-cell foam on the fore and aft, making it virtually unsinkable.

The Norseboat 17.5 is the perfect sailboat in mind when it comes to rowing and sailing. Whether it has one or two people, there is plenty of room to sail comfortably.

While it is not the best boat to probably have in rough conditions, I would likely use this to find coastal areas with good camping spots. With its excellent load capacity, there are plenty of opportunities to bring all kinds of gear without fear of weighing the boat down.

Even though the Montgomery 17 is advertised as a trailerable pocket cruiser, it packs a punch for a smaller sloop rig. It even comes with a centerboard keel that can be retracted to make the boat draft just two feet. This is great for those that want to cruise along the coast or beach it and go exploring.

The cuddy cabin has plenty of headroom and two bunks for guests. There are other models that Montgomery offers such as the 15 and 23, but the 17 is arguably the most attractive for tighter spaces navigating and the best bang for buck scenario.

The CW Hood 32 is somewhat misleading for a small sailboat since it is roughly 32 feet in length. However, sailors will only use about half of the boat in the cockpit with seating and navigating.

This boat is specifically designed for day sailing in mind, with nothing on board to distract anyone from sailing. It is a perfect sailboat for a family without being too large to handle.

The 17 foot and half Sun Cat from Com-Pac Yachts is a great looking small sailboat. With its gaff-rigged mainsail, it powers easily with light conditions.

It can be for solo sailing or a small group that wants to share twin six foot berths. It has a handful of amenities to make this a great boat to have on the weekend or small trips.

There was a time that the Sunfish was the most popular small sailboat in existence. But price and competition flooded the market and other top names are pushing them away from the top.

However, this might be a good opportunity to find one at a discount. The Sunfish is excellent for those wanting to day sail or learn how to sail, meaning anyone can enjoy time on the water with this simple 14 foot setup.

The Catalina 16.5 is considered the middle child between its models of 12.5 and the 22. It can come in two different models, one with a centerboard or another with a shoal draft fixed keel.

At slightly over 17 feet, the centerboard model can draft as low as five inches on the water or a little over four feet with the board down. It also features plenty of room in the cockpit and a waterproof hatch for storage.

For those that want a taste of stability from a catamaran and a small sailboat that is easy to trailer, a Hobie 16 is the right boat. Since 1969, there have been plenty of models from that brand but over 100,000 have been made with the 16 alone.

All catamarans can be beached, but some might need some attention beforehand to ensure so. For example, this one will need rudders kicked up before beaching.

The Hunter 15 is the pinnacle of simplicity and functionality. This boat, whether an experienced sailor or newbie is navigating, is one of the best boats without having to think too much about while underway.

With its kick up rudder, any sailor can relax as they enter shoal drafts. This 15 footer is great for day sailing since there are not any special features on board.

Super Snark

The Super Snark has been around since 1970 and has proven to be successful at just 11 feet in length. It is easy to transport, either on a trailer or on top of a vehicle.

The boat weighs just 50 pounds and has a payload capacity of about 310 pounds. For those that want a small unsinkable boat built for two people, it is hard to pass up a Super Snark.

Flying Scot

The Flying Scot is another great small sailboat that is just under 20 feet in length. Not much has changed since it was produced in 1957 with its sloop rig and spinnaker.

Even though it is a good racer for just one or two people, it can comfortably be used as a family boat for up to eight people. It also has a centerboard keel that can be retracted to make it have an eight inch draft.

RS Sailing typically builds racing dinghies, but the Venture model is a 16 footer that is great for those newer to sailing. This boat is commonly used in training classes across the U.S.

The cockpit can comfortably hold a handful of people or a group of smaller kids. It also features an outboard motor mount and a swim ladder in case anyone wants to take a swim.

The RS Sailing brand needs one more mention due to the amount of small sailboats they put out. The RS Aero, for example, is an award winning racing dinghy just shy of 14 feet that has been used in competitions all over the world.

It is not a boat that can be easily learned for a newbie to reach top speeds, but experienced racers love the performance it offers. It only seats one, but it is perfect for those that have sailing experience, whether they are young or old.

Topaz makes a variety of smaller sailboats, but the one that is most popular is the Taz. At just under 10 feet in length, it is one of the smaller sailboats out there that can accommodate an adult and maybe a small child.

This could also be used for larger boats that need a dinghy to make it to shore. For the price point, it will be difficult to ignore for a compelling dinghy.

The WRTango by WindRider is a perfect trimaran at 10 feet that is easy to sail and to transport. It is the smallest edition of trimarans offered by this brand, just behind the WR 16 and 17.

Since it has forward facing seating, steering with a foot pedal, and a lower center of gravity, sailors will feel like they are sitting in a kayak. It has a six inch draft, a single sail, and heavy duty outriggers that are designed to take a beating.

Minicat has a special line of inflatable catamarans available in various sizes. These come equipped with a multi-piece mast and even a trampoline, along with the inflatable hulls of course.

It is arguably the easiest small sailboat to travel with, as it can be put away in one or two bags for transport. As for sailing, it rivals the speeds and handle of other popular small catamarans.

Vancouver 28

The Vancouver 28 is outside the range of what would be considered a dinghy, but it still offers a lot of value for being a smaller bluewater sailboat. At 28 feet, there is a little something for everyone.

This boat is considered a pocket cruiser that can essentially go anywhere. For those that are trying to downsize from other larger sailboats, they should strongly consider a change with the Vancouver 28.

Pros and Cons to Small Sailboats

Small sailboats have become more popular over the last few decades. Smaller bluewater sailboats have a lot to like, but also present some disadvantages that might not fit into a sailor’s category to sail.

It is important to figure out what sailing goals a sailor wants to take part in. Whether it is cruising, weekend sailing, or day sailing, small sailboats are potentially a good fit.

There are a handful of pros to look at for small sailboats. The key is to find one that fits specific to a sailing goal, such as racing or cruising.

It is easy to see why small sailboats are common, especially since they cost much less than larger ones. They are even less expensive models if a sailor can find a used one.

Depending on how long a boat is will determine how much it costs to build. It is easier and costs less to make repairs on smaller boats since the damaged areas are smaller as well. So finding a small, yet functional sailboat will be the most cost effective.

Simpler Systems

Small sailboats are easier to maintain and have a lot less issues than larger boats. This is simply because they have a lot less to offer, such as a watermaker or an electric anchor windlass.

Some are just bare bones when it comes to sailing, while others have galleys or berths. Depending on the model and brand will determine how easy it is to maintain.

Easy to Sail

Inexperienced sailors often gravitate to smaller sailors simply because they are easier to sail. Imagine the difference between raising a sail between an 18 footer and a 48 footer, or even the difference between one or a few sails.

These boats are also meant for solo sailing or for smaller groups, making it easier to handle functions on board. These are also used in training schools that teach how to sail. There is also less stress on the boat in general, making it easier to maintain.

Easy to Rig

Whether a sailor wants to put a small sailboat on a trailer or the top of their car, no one can deny how convenient it is to move around. No special tricks are needed for these types of boats, as they are simple to put up once they are done being used.

When looking at the inflatable catamaran for example, it is one of the easiest to set up and put away. Larger boats require to be parked at a dock or will be more difficult to pull out of the water.

Easy to Find Parts

Every sailboat will need something replaced or fixed at some point. For small sailboats, it will be easier to find parts or replacement items because these boats are often made in bulk.

Smaller boats can be found everywhere and a lot were made back in the early 1950’s and 60’s. Some will have compatible parts to newer ones and the other way around.

As good as small sailboats might be to some, sailors might choose to look elsewhere if their sailing goals do not fit what a small sailboat offers. If sailors are simply wanting to get out on the water and not have a lot of amenities, this could work for them. So depending on what a sailor is expecting to get out of a boat makes the biggest difference.

Much Slower

If sailors were to travel the same distance at the same time in different sized boats, more often than not the large boat will win. While some small sailboats are only meant for racing, a lot of them are not meant to travel very fast.

The hull speed is in conjunction with the square root of the length of the water, meaning you need more hull to go faster. This could become an issue when trying to evade a storm and get to safety quickly.

Larger boats tend to average between seven to 10 knots while small sailboats average less. Depending on how much the difference is in length and sail area will determine the speed.

Not as Much Space

Small sailboats under 20 feet are difficult to live aboard or travel long distances with a lack of gear or food. There are some that can cater to one or two people for full time sailing, but these have limited space as well.

Unless sailors are able to effectively downsize from larger boats to smaller boats, there will likely be some issues with the amount of gear or other items they are taking on board. In addition, it makes it difficult to travel with a crew or even a pet.

Not as Comfortable

There will be some debate between how comfortable small sailboats are, but the argument can be made that they are not as comfortable as larger sailboats. Generally, anything over 20 feet is recommended to live aboard or engage in bluewater sailing long term.

For those that want to be as comfortable as possible while sailing, smaller sailboats might lack in that regard. Since there is not as much seating and a lack of a galley or berth, sailors might pass on small sailboats for comfort.

Why A Small Sailboat Could Be Beneficial

A variety of factors will contribute to a sailor wanting to select a specific boat to sail in. These include budget, sailing goals, and availability nearby. Small sailboats have proven to be effective for a variety of purposes.

For newer sailors, small sailboats are definitely the way to go to learn how to sail without blowing tons of money on a larger setup. After sailors have developed a comfortable amount of experience with their small sailboat or if their sailing goals have changed, then it would be ideal to move onto a larger boat to fit their needs.

Small sailboats definitely have their place in today’s market. From racers to cruisers, or daysailers to weekenders, small sailboats can fit any category that a sailor could possibly want to experience.

It is ultimately up to the individual on how they want to approach a small sailboat and its capabilities. In the best scenario, one should find a boat that is in good condition, is affordable for their budget, and is easy to handle based on their sailing goals.

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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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High-Performance Foils

Shaping better centerboards and rudders

From Issue   July 2020

W hile it’s generally accepted that the right sails and sail trim will determine how close you can sail to the apparent wind, a sailboat’s progress to windward also depends on the lift and drag generated by the centerboard and rudder. How much difference does proper foil shape make over a simple rounded leading edge and tapered trailing edge, anyway?  Foils operating in fluids, whether air or water, are a well-studied topic. C.A. Marchaj, in his book, Sailing Theory and Practice , discusses the theory and gives the results of actual tests of differences in foil planform (side view), cross-section shape, size, and aspect ratio (AR – length to width). Lacking other constraints, an ideal centerboard, daggerboard, or rudder blade should have a reasonably high AR (greater than 2) planform with a streamlined cross-section that has a parabolic leading edge and a thickness of somewhere near 10 percent of the chord width (the distance from leading edge to trailing edge). A thickness of 8 percent produces less drag but stalls sooner; 12 percent has a higher stall angle but produces more drag.

Exactly where the point of maximum thickness should be located is a matter of some debate. Marchaj suggests it should be at 50 percent of the chord width, halfway between the leading edge and trailing edge, but provides no data to back that up. Other sources suggest that the NACA (National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics) symmetric foil sections, originally developed during aircraft research, are actually a good fit for boat foils operating at low speeds in water. A NACA 0010 foil, for example, has a maximum thickness of 10 percent of the width of the foil, located at 30 percent from the leading edge.

Of course, there are many practical reasons why not all keels, centerboards, and rudders have high AR planforms, but the cross section for a foil of any planform should be streamlined. My personal experience of doing it wrong on one boat, and getting it right on another boat, has convinced me that the NACA sections and guidelines above provide good performance.

HORNPIPE, my first sail-and-oar boat, was an 18’ Kurylko Alaska with a standing-lug ketch rig, and sailed well enough to windward in flat water, but lost 10 to 15 degrees of pointing ability as soon as the water got choppy. I knew it wasn’t poor sail trim. Eventually I got looking at the daggerboard and analyzed it. It was only about 2.5 percent of the sail area and its thickness was only about 6 percent of the chord width, neither big enough or thick enough in my view, and in rough water it lost laminar flow and lift. When I designed my 18′ lug-yawl cruiser, FIRE-DRAKE, I gave it a thicker centerboard with a greater fraction of the sail area, about 4 percent. I also gave it a straight quarter chord line (think of the shape of the wing of a Spitfire aircraft) and a moderately high aspect ratio of about 3:1 for the planform area. To get the daggerboard foil shaped accurately and quickly I opted to have it cut on a computer numerical control (CNC) machine. All that was left for me to do was sand, seal and paint, and make an epoxy-lined hole for the pivot pin.

The results have been what I had hoped for. FIRE-DRAKE sails quite well to windward and maintains its performance in rough water. I sailed in the company of a similar boat—with the same length and beam, the same weight, and the same sail plan—along the south half of the Inside Passage, and that boat’s centerboard was shaped by eye. When sailing to windward, FIRE-DRAKE would consistently point higher and walk away in speed. My centerboard even let me continue sailing to windward when my partner gave up and took to the oars.

Although I had the daggerboard shaped with a CNC router, it is possible to shape a high aspect ratio, fully streamlined foil in the home shop. I’ll walk you through my second project, a kick-up rudder blade that I made at home to replace the original one I built for FIRE-DRAKE. I settled on a planform that is one-quarter of an ellipse with an elliptical leading edge and a straight trailing edge. (The shape would move the center of lateral resistance of the boat aft a few inches, and is intended to lighten the weather helm I’d experienced with the original rubber blade.) I drew the new blade with an aspect ratio of 2.5:1, with a length of 30″ (762 mm) and a maximum chord width of 12″ (305 mm), which would increase the lift and reduce the tip vortex drag.

To draw the planform shape of the quarter ellipse you can use an online graphing tool such as Desmos for a full ellipse. If you center the ellipse at zero, you can drag the two axes out until you get the aspect ratio you want. Since the graph has a grid in the background, you can then print out a screen capture of a quarter of the resulting ellipse and scale up the printed image to the actual dimensions required. If you are comfortable with computers, you can download and run Freeship (available for Windows only) which has a “keel and rudder wizard” that accurately generates several different planforms.

The new rudder blade for FIRE-DRAKE has a quarter-ellipse planform. The plywood’s glue lines show the contours that help with shaping the foil.

Obtaining the cross-section profile of a chord of a given width is best left to a computer. For any of the NACA foils, like the 0010 foil I mentioned above, Competition Composites Inc . (CCI) has a very simple and handy calculator . You need enter only the chord width and the maximum thickness and it will generate a table of X-Y coordinates that you can copy and print out. They’ll be your offsets for drawing a pattern for the foil cross-section. If you intend to sheathe your foil with ’glass and epoxy, for example, you can also enter the skin thickness and it will calculate the coordinates for the plywood core.

Now, here’s the tricky bit. If you have a rectangular foil planform, you only have one chord width and therefore one section profile for the entire length of the foil. However, if you have any other planform (e.g., half-ellipse, quarter-ellipse, trapezoidal, straight-chord-quarter-line, etc.), the thickness, which will be one-tenth of the chord width, changes along the length of the foil because the chord width changes.

I used the CCI calculator to generate profile coordinates for three different points along the length of the rudder blade: at the root, at about two-thirds of the way along and at about 90 percent of the way to the end. I chose those points because the chord width for my quarter ellipse planform doesn’t change much for the first half of its length, but it changes more quickly toward the tip. The idea is to shape the foil to these profiles at these points and then taper the foil evenly between them. You can lay out your foil plan directly on to the ply or you can use something thin, like doorskin, to make and fine-tune a template, which is what I did.

I made a blank for my rudder by gluing layers of marine ply with epoxy to the required 1″ thickness. I have found that the plywood, in spite of its cross-grain plies, has sufficient strength for the size of small-boat foils that I have built (though the cross-grain would weaken a long thin foil). Plywood does not warp and has the added advantage over solid wood in that the plies create a kind of contour map that give you graphic visual feedback as to the evenness of your surface once you start shaping the foil. You can make a foil with solid wood or even foam plus a ’glass-and-epoxy skin, but without the plywood laminates as guides, you would have to make more section profile templates to ensure a smooth and accurate shape.

Clamping a 4′ level to the flat part of the rudder blade provides a reference line to gauge how much wood to remove to achieve the foil’s taper.

The next step is to taper the thickness of the laminated foil blank along its full length. Knowing the required thickness at your chosen points, you can draw a pattern for the curve of the taper and half the thickness of the blade stock and measure how much wood you have to remove at each point. I clamped my 4′ aluminum I-beam level to the flat part of the rudder blade above the shaped part, and used a ruler to measure the depth I had to cut to. To remove the wood for this part of the project, I used my #4 Stanley plane. While I have a power hand planer, I didn’t trust myself with it to not take too much off too quickly.

The female half-section template for a given chord for a foil gets its shape from the X-Y coordinates generated by a foil calculator.

I made three female half-section profile templates, one for each of the three points noted above, by plotting out the generated X-Y coordinates on pieces of doorskin and carefully cutting them out. One thing to note is that the CCI calculator generates a profile that has a trailing edge of zero thickness. Obviously, this is not practical to build in wood, and a knife edge is not that critical anyway. I adjusted the trailing edges so that the finished edge would end up about 1/3″ (4mm) thick.

Applying the template to the foil in the works shows the high and low spots as the shaping continues.

Next, I used the profile templates to shape the foil at my three chosen points. I shaped the plywood with a Shinto rasp , regular rasps, and coarse sandpaper. It’s a process of taking some wood off, placing the template, and repeating until you get the section of wood shaped to the templates. Once that is done, I could go to work taking down the wood between the sections, using the ply layers as a guide. I used my block plane, Shinto rasp, and sandpaper for this task. I eyeballed a smooth transition around the tip from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

I sealed the surface of the shaped foil with a couple of coats of epoxy to provide a smooth, hard surface to accept a finish coat of marine epoxy enamel.

Alex Zimmerman is a semi-retired mechanical technologist and former executive. His first boat was an abandoned Chestnut canoe that he fixed up as a teenager and paddled on the waterways of eastern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. He started his professional career as a maritime engineer in the Canadian Navy, and that triggered his interest in sailing. He didn’t get back into boatbuilding until he moved back to Vancouver Island in the ’90s, where he built a number of sea kayaks that he used to explore the coast. He built his first sail-and-oar boat in the early 2000s and completed his most recent one in 2016. He says he can stop building boats anytime. He is the author of the recently published book, Becoming Coastal .

For further reading on the pros and cons of the variables in foil design, Competition Composites (CCI) has a good discussion . For those of you who want to go into the math, Paul Zander has a good presentation from nearly 20 years ago, and also, for those inclined that way, an updated discussion with a lot more math.

You can share your tips and tricks of the trade with other Small Boats Magazine readers by sending us an email .

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Comments (17)

Is there someone who can craft a good rudder for my boat? I have not the time or the skills to do such. Have a 15′ Delaware Ducker. Love the boat but the rudder is (I think) a disaster. Hardly brings the boat around and doesn’t help much to windward. Flat plywood barn door out of 3/8″ ply with no shape other than outline that barely gets 2″ – 3″ into the water. If it could be a kick-up so much the better. I do a lot of shallow, sand-bottom sailing. Thank you for any help.

I know about the ducker and a foil shaped rudder will help a lot. Some of the modern ones built in glass and cold molded have been fitted with modern dinghy rudders and foil shaped daggerboards. They tack more like a dinghy than like my traditional one where I have to sail it around like a larger boat.

Most any small boat builder in your area should be able to build you a rudder. Lines for a kick up would be a nuisance. I don’t bother with them on a larger boat, just use a pivot bolt with tension. Means I have to shove it down.

You might want to look at the system that Mike Storer has developed for his goat island skiff, a straight foil, easier to shape.

Alex has done a great idea showing us how to work these out using hand tools. We used to do it in my dinghy sailing days by drawing a 30 % line. Make a bunch of parabola templates and hack away. For really long narrow boards before the days of carbon we used to use 5/4 stair tread fir.

Interesting article. When I built my Oughtred JII Yawl eighteen years ago, I did some research on appropriate foil profiles for the centerboard and rudder. It’s a long time ago now, so I don’t remember the exact profiles I chose, but I do believe I picked NACA 0010 for the CB. I picked another profile for the rudder, one that had a steeper stall angle, on the theory that with typical weather helm the rudder meets the flow at a steeper angle than the CB. I really don’t know how valid my theory is. I have no experimental evidence to back it up. Any thoughts?

Andrew, that seems to make sense although I haven’t seen any research to back that up.

Hi Andrew, I remember seeing your beautiful JII; but did not ask about the foils! I wonder how NACA 0010 compares with my approximate foil shape, inspired mainly by guesswork. Are these profiles available? By the way, I do not like plywood foils; CBs break. Friends near here lost their fine old rebuilt Wayfarer; were in danger themselves, when they capsized and the plywood board broke. Too near a rugged lee shore. A class racing boat, by a particular builder – all their plywood centerboards broke.

Iain, I don’t know what your standard foil shape looks like, but a NACA 0010 has a maximum thickness of 10% of the chord distance, occurring at 30% of the distance back from the leading edge. Marchaj believes that the maximum thickness should occur at about 50% of the distance back from the leading edge. Other designers agree, I think. If I understand him correctly, John Welsford uses a foil section that is closer to 50% distance, but I am not sure what thickness of foils he favors or what the exact foil shape is. You can see the shape, and all the requisite numbers for extracting an X-Y plot to reproduce them, for a whole bunch of different foil types, on the Airfoil Tools site. As for plywood foils, I understand your concern. Half the plies are oriented in the wrong direction and don’t provide much in the way of resisting sideways bending moments. However, it has been my experience that this is not a major concern if the foil is thick enough and not too long. The centerboard foil on my latest boat, for example, is ply, but is nearly 2″ (50 mm) at maximum thickness. It’s got over 1,000 nautical miles in four years under the keel by now, including a couple of practice capsizes, with no issues so far.

I don’t know what a standard Wayfarer foil looks like. Is it long and thin?

Very interesting article. I am just in the process of building a Lillistone Flint and have no experience building or knowledge of foil design and performance. I calculated the various ratios and percentages. The AR as per the plans is 2.43, so that looks good. The thickness however is only 4% of chord width. Area of the dagger board is 3.5% of sail area, so probably OK there too. Lillistone does state in the plans that the board can be made thicker if preferred so I think I may do that as 4% is a pretty big departure from the 8 – 10% of the chord width suggested. Any comments? The Flint was featured in this mag a few issues ago.

David, both my experience and authorities who design for a living and/or who have tested these things would suggest that 4% is rather too thin for good lift. I suspect that you might find it works reasonably well in dead flat water but you would lose lift and pointing ability as the water gets more turbulent. If it was me, and I hadn’t yet built the foil and its case, I’d go for one that was at least 10% and maybe even 12%. The additional thickness would also be more robust should you need to stand on it to flip the boat over if you capsize.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, Alex. I have decided to use some salvaged King William (King Billy here in Tasmania) pine that was salvaged. I thicknessed it to clean it up a bit and reckon I will eventually get 20 – 22 mm out of it. I plan to laminate 10 pieces into a 304mm board. Hopefully I will get a good result.

Hi David, It highly depends where you sail and how you sail. I have one older (1975) 420er dinghy for fun and local competitions with foiled board and rudder. But then I have 21″ German Jollenkreuzer veteran from 1952 which has both from 1/4″ steel plate, and it works fine. I sail that for pleasure on lakes. It would definitely be more performant (and point better) with both foiled, but I’m surprised how well it performs in its nearly ’70s (comparing to modern GRP boats with foiled boards).

For your job, I would probably stick to the plans. The rudder in this case is more important and can be somehow easily modified (foil). The centerboard I would keep the same, not only to conform the centerboard box (which would need to be sized), but also the overall design. Finally the most important here is what is your building and designing experience, because the worst thing is when something is incorrectly designed and then improperly built (the simple rounded plywood then may work better).

Anyway, I’m also thankful for this article. It reminds me my childhood when I built airplane models and used exactly the same methods used here to create the wings (in much smaller scale).

Thanks for your thoughts. I am going for a thicker foil and risk it (see reply to Alex above). I am well aware of risks in departing from designer’s work but I don’t think I will go far wrong.

Do SUP fins follow the rules for centerboards?

I’m not a SUP guy myself, but my understanding is that the fins are there to assist in tracking. That is, they don’t need to provide lift the way a sailboat keel/CB going to windward does. The thing you would be aiming for in the case of SUP fins is having sufficient lateral area to provide that tracking ability, and then having it streamlined to reduce drag. I would imagine that thinner would be better, although you’d still want a streamlined foil section, as that would produce less drag than a flat plate. The leading edge of a flat plate tends to separate the flow from the sides of the plate, even if that edge is rounded, and separation produces turbulence and drag.

For twenty years, beginning in the early 1970’s, I raced a Lido 14. The boat was pre-owned, and had its original solid wood foils which were in pretty bad shape, and I decided to build new foils. After reading Marchaj’s book, and the Lido 14 Class Rules, I designed a new centerboard and rudder. The NACA-0009 section most closely fit the required class measurements, and I used that profile. I did alter the leading edge of the rudder, making it more rounded, to allow for the fact that the rudder angle of attack is variable, and is more likely to stall.

In fleet racing, and sailing close hauled, the results were astounding, with the boat seeming to sail slightly sideways, relative to other boats. I also began to pay particular attention to the condition of the foil surfaces, as Marchaj writes that the drag on underwater foils is many times greater than the drag on the hull surface. One time we were sailing in an area of submerged trees, and my centerboard lightly brushed a tree branch. I then noticed that the centerboard ‘hummed’ on port tack. Later, when I examined to board, there was a barely visible scratch.

I very much enjoyed the article on high-performance foils in the July 2020 issue of the Small Boat Magazine .

For twenty years, beginning in the early 1970’s, I raced a Lido 14. The boat was pre-owned, and had its original solid wood foils which were in pretty bad shape, and I decided to build new foils. After reading Marchaj’s book, and the Lido 14 Class Rules, I designed a new centerboard, and rudder. The NACA-0009 section most closely fit the required class measurements, and I used that profile. I did alter the leading edge of the rudder, making it more rounded, to allow for the fact that the rudder angle of attack is variable, and is more likely to stall.

In fleet racing, and sailing close hauled, the results were astounding, with the boat seeming to sail slightly sideways to windward, relative to other boats. The boat didn’t seem to point higher, when close hauled, it just didn’t make as much lee way. More benefit on the port tack, a little less on starboard. I did set the centerboard jibe angle to the maximum allowed by class rules. In all honesty, I was probably the only one in the fleet that had read Marchaj. It still took me five years to win the fleet championship. I also began to pay particular attention to the condition of the foil surfaces, as Marchaj writes that the drag on underwater foils is many times greater than the drag on the hull surface. One time we were sailing in an area of submerged trees, and my centerboard lightly brushed a tree branch. I then noticed that the centerboard ‘hummed’ on port tack. Later, when I examined to board, there was a barely visible scratch.

I am a new subscriber to Small Boat Magazine , and look forward to each issue. Keep up the good work.

Was just about to make the centerboard for my Oughted Caledonia Yawl. So I was happy to see this article. But was then disappointed when I calculated my centerboard area to be only 1.9 percent of my total sail area. I briefly thought gee I will make it a little bigger…but then realized the centerboard trunk is already complete and limits that. I don’t plan on racing, so it is what it is.

Mark, I’d be really interested in your results once you launch the boat and do some trials. Theory is one thing, but nothing beats data from real-world results.

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Swift Hydrofoils

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• Casting Deck
• Shallow Water Anchor

Frequently Asked Questions

The Epoch Skiff is available in 14, 16 and 18 foot long sizes, 55” wide at the waterline, 74” wide on the deck, and weighs 375 lbs. dry. It drafts less than 4” allowing for extreme shallow water operation and is fast and maneuverable.

Passenger capacity for the Epoch Skiff 14 is 3 persons plus gear. The primary use cases for the FS-14 are shallow water fishing and as a tender for larger vessels.

Any standard mount electric outboard can be installed with a max power rating of 25 hp. The base model comes with a 5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and there are options to upgrade the battery capacity for extended range.

Top speed is 20 mph in planning mode and 30 mph with the Epoch hydrofoil system deployed. With the hydrofoils deployed and the boat is in “flying mode” it uses 75% less energy at 20 mph.

Yes, the base model comes with a standard charger that interfaces directly with a standard wall outlet. Options are available for fast charging as well.

Time to charge is depending on the level of charger being used and can range from 2 hours to 10 hours depending on the power available.

We are not manufacturing batteries in house and are currently partnered with industry leading suppliers that have decades of experience providing electrical power to the recreational marine industry.

Yes, it comes with a single axle aluminum trailer.

Availability: Our waitlist for pre-production priority is currently closed.

Get Updates on Epoch Boats

March 19, 2024

Candela raises €24.5m to solve sea commute with 'flying' boats self.__wrap_b(":R59j9m:",0.7)

The startup, backed by eqt ventures, hopes to make public transport by sea take off again self.__wrap_b(":r79j9m:",1).

Mimi Billing

Catch a glimpse from afar of Swedish startup Candela’s vessel and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching a flying boat. After reaching 16 knots — just above 18 mph — the company's electric boats lift about half a metre from the surface.

Today, the startup is announcing a fresh capital raise of €24.5m, with French boat maker Groupe Beneteau joining as a new investor and existing backers including EQT Ventures and Ocean Zero LLC returning. It plans to use the money to develop its technology further and grow its sales team.

Cutting 80% of emissions

When Gustav Hasselskog founded Candela in 2014, he was trying to find a solution to boats that use a lot of costly diesel, even for short trips.

“To take the boat from our summer house to the shop on a different island to buy ice cream used to cost about €50 one way,” he says. “At the time there was a lot of noise about Tesla and I thought, what can we do similarly with boats?”

The physics of moving through water — which is around 800 times denser than air — means that simply swapping to electric power would require a huge battery. Instead, Hasselskog started looking at small planes — in particular gliders — and the technology behind them.

It resulted in a hydrofoil craft — an underwater fin with a flat or curved wing-like surface that is designed to lift a moving boat — that uses 80% less energy than other ships and boats when it “flies”, according to the company. The boats leave the surface when they reach 16 knots and have a maximum speed of 30 knots, which is a lot faster than boats are usually allowed to go in intercity waters (around eight knots). However, because it doesn't cause a swell (high waves) at high speed — which is partly the reason for the speed restrictions — Candela has an exemption from speed limits for its second product, a 30-passenger vessel, in Stockholm, where its vessel will be used in a public transport project starting in July.

Sifted was invited to come and try the flying vessels, which set off from one of the harbours in Stockholm. The passenger vessel, of which the company has so far sold three for about €1,7m a boat, wouldn’t leave the surface as it was being tested. The smaller leisure vessel was fair game though.

The difference between driving a boat that sits directly on the water’s surface and driving Candela’s leisure vessel can be compared to driving a small old car at 120 km/h (75mph) to driving a Tesla at the same speed — you experience speed blindness (when you think you are travelling slower than you are) with the latter.

The electric boat — which uses a battery from electric car manufacturer Polestar — creates fewer bumpy waves, hardly any swell and the ride is generally much quieter than diesel-run boats. It can also do a U-turn without having you lean out of your seat. You can still feel queasy though after going around in circles for a while.

In the past, some competitors have criticised Candela for not being able to reduce emissions at a slow speed (when it cannot fly). But, according to Hasselskog, even when there isn’t any flying involved it still uses 50% less energy than other ships and boats thanks to its lightweight hull and technology.

Competitive advantage

Hasselskog is not the only founder who’s built boats using hydrofoil tech, but the difficulty of managing the technology has seen other companies bow out.

“None of those who were there in the first years are still there, and then some new ones have entered,” Hasselskog says.

The technology behind the hydrofoil isn’t easy to build, since the boat needs to balance on two thin pipes when it’s above the waterline and “wants to fall to the side or into the water or go up”, Hasselskog tells Sifted. With several sensors, wings and an electric control system making sure the boat doesn’t tip over, as well as being able to make adjustments from an external control centre, Candela has a competitive advantage, according to Hasselskog.

Having Groupe Beneteau on board — which has a turnover of €1.46bn, 15 factories and builds more than 8,000 yachts annually — is positive, Hasselskog says, and he can see synergies between the two companies.

Selling to public and private actors

Candela has already sold about 150 leisure boats — a large number to the US — and believes that using its 30-seater passenger vessels for public transport could give the seaways an upswing again after decades of buses and underground tube networks being the default for a lot of city commuters.

In July, Candela passenger vessel P-12 will be part of a public transport project in Stockholm, helping commuters get back and forth to central Stockholm from the island Ekerö.

It has also sold its passenger vessels to a private actor in New Zealand to run trips on Lake Manapōuri.

Although many cities and countries have set the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, Hasselskog believes it will be the private actors who drive this transition. In Stockholm, he believes that it will take years to have a contract in place with local authorities.

“Commuters will most likely push for it, but there’ll still be investigations and then a procurement process and so on. I don't know, but it's hard to believe that it will go faster than three to four years after we’ve finished the pilot project,” he says. “In the meantime, we will sell to other private actors, within tourism for example.”

With the new capital, Candela plans to increase its production. Of the leisure boats and three passenger vessels sold, only half of them have been delivered out of Candela's small factory outside Stockholm. Hasselskog says, however, that the venture capital won’t be used to build new factories, and that its technology and machinery can easily be set up in almost any space.

The EV hardware slope

In the last six months, several Swedish EV hardware startups have filed for bankruptcy, including e-van Volta Trucks , and e-motorcycle startups Vässla and Cake .

Hasselskob believes that the financial situation before Russia's invasion of Ukraine saw VCs that were previously focused on software dipping their toes in hardware. However, with the changing economic climate, they didn’t have the same endurance as VCs with previous hardware experience.

Hasselskog is happy to have had EQT Ventures on its cap table since he believes it has more endurance when it comes to hardware investments — it has also backed the plane startup Heart Aerospace , which Hasselskog compares to Candela. The two companies have the same limit for their carriers — about 200km.

“It’s very different running a hardware company than a software company. It's relatively easy for most people to get a prototype, a flashy website and a big plan together,” he says. “Then the backwards walking begins — the hard reality of getting the product to work day in and day out, having to build production equipment and set up a sales organisation in parallel — it's challenging, requires a lot of people, and thus takes a lot of capital.”

Mimi Billing is Sifted's Europe editor. She covers the Nordics and healthtech, and can be found on X and LinkedIn

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The superyacht world is speculating that Mark Zuckerberg just bought this 118-meter boat

• The 118-meter superyacht Launchpad made her maiden voyage last week.
• The yacht world is speculating that her owner is Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
• Here's what we know about the luxury vessel.

In the world of superyachts , privacy is the most valuable asset. It can be next to impossible to discern the details of a superyacht transaction — and that's particularly true if the vessel in question is worth nine figures.

Yet some in the boat blogging world are speculating that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the new owner of Launchpad, a megayacht currently moored in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after she made her maiden voyage from Gibraltar to St Maarten last week. Launchpad clocks in at 118 meters long, about nine meters shorter than Jeff Bezos' superyacht Koru .

The transaction could not be confirmed, with yacht world insiders declining to share what they know and representatives for Zuckerberg not responding to a request for comment from Business Insider. In the past, reports about Zuckerberg owning superyacht Ulysses have proven false.

Related stories

"It is Feadship's standard policy to never divulge any information about our yachts with reference to ownership, costs, or delivery, etc," Feadship, the ship's builder, wrote to BI. "Whether it is an 18-meter Feadship from the 1960s or a 118-meter Feadship from the 21st century, we do not share private information."

But Zuckerberg's name has been connected to Launchpad for a few months now, beginning in December when reports swirled that he visited Feadship's shipyard in the Netherlands.

Then, earlier in March, yachting bloggers like eSysman SuperYachts and Autoevolution started speculating that he officially snagged the boat, originally built for a sanctioned Russian businessman, at a $300 million price tag. (While that's a seemingly huge amount, it's still less than 0.2% of Zuckerberg's $177 billion net worth.)

Another clue that might point to US ownership is that the yacht bears the flag of the Marshall Islands, a US territory and commonplace for American buyers to register their ships, according to public marine tracking.

If Zuckerberg were to have bought Launchpad, he would join a cohort of superyacht-owning tech billionaires . Along with Bezos, the likes of Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison and Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have purchased impressive boats with even more impressive amenities.

SuperYacht Times , an industry publication and intelligence platform, has some of the best images of the yacht. Photos show a swimming pool on her main deck and a large helipad.

While less is known of the interior, a vessel of her size can likely sleep dozens of guests and crew and may have amenities like an expansive gym where Zuckerberg could practice his jiu-jitsu or a spa with a massage area. We suspect there's also space for plenty of toys — which could include his viral hydrofoil foil .

Do you have any details about Launchpad or any other superyachts? Email reporter Madeline Berg at [email protected].

Watch: Walmart heiress' superyacht vandalized by activists in Ibiza

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