Monthly Archives: February 2016

One Metre foiling trimaran ready for production

by PerthMini40man

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzTf9pedWdE]

Much better sail today. The V foils have been thrown out and cases and kinked foils have been fitted, with the cases outboard of the centerline of the floats to get extra stability. The hulls are fiberglass, the cross beams are hollow laminated carbon, the kinked foils are a combination of carbon and fibreglass and are made in a mould. The rudder is an RG65 fin supplied by Dave Creed, who also supplies the T foil. There’s an rmg winch in the hull, and sails are by Heinz Bohn and Jeff Green, who has made a nice pocket luff #2 rig. The rig has a proportionately larger jib than is conventional, to keep the centre of effort lower, and push the centre of effort as far forward as possible to permit us to move the foils as far forward as possible, whilst still enabling the boat to tack. The final section of the video shows us trying to improve the foiling performance upwind, by flattening the mainsail and adding twist, so that the boat is sailing upwind on the jib and the bottom section of the main. We’ll continue to experiment. We’re happy with the boat now – it is foiling steadily and not falling off the foils, an is producing speeds that look close to those coming from our Mini40s. The lake is 100 metres in diameter which gives you an idea of the stability of the boat when foiling. The boat will foil with hands-off the controls, which impresses us. There was also no sign of nose-diving. The boat is one-piece and fits inside an estate car easily. As an alternative, the floats could be attached to the cross beams with bolts (reducing the overall beam of the boat when in transport to about 97cm) but the cross beams should be permanently bonded to the main hull to keep the three hulls aligned.

World on Water Feb. 21th 2016 by Boats on TV

by boatson.tv

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJNHqmoje9o&t=7m22s]

In this week’s Wow a crashing time in Race 1 of the 18 Footers JJ Giltinan Championships, the Pittwater RPAYC MC 38 Championships, all types of boats are in the Foiling Week races in Europe, the 49er FX & Nacra Worlds, Days 1 & 2 of the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in Sydney,18 Footer JJ Giltinan Championship race 1,Rolex farr 40 Worlds, it’s Tech Tuesday for the Americas Cup and a preview of the Louis Vuitton AC 45’s regatta in Oman next week.
BIG is the word for this week in sailing.

Foiling is adopted by small commercial crafts

by  Jamey Bergman – Yachting & Boating World.

The electric, zero-emission vehicle will float 70cm above the river on "marine wings"

The electric, zero-emission vehicle will float 70cm above the river on “marine wings”

A new electric water taxi is set to be tested on stretches of the Seine River in Paris this summer and its designer wants to use driverless technology to operate the “pods”.

Known as the Sea Bubble, the craft is a quadrofoil and floats above the water on four “marine wings.”

The Sea Bubble is a creation of French sailor Alain Thébault who has set a number of world speed records for sailboats. He is perhaps best known as one of the designers of l’Hydroptère, the double hydrofoil yacht that broke 50 knots in a test in 2009.

The Sea Bubble, on the other hand, will putter along at a mere 18 kilometres per hour, using two electric motors.

Thébault told French website The Local that, in addition to the mayor of Paris and the phone app ride share company Uber, London Mayor Boris Johnson had already called him to inquire about the potentially driverless boats: “Initially, there will be drivers, but quickly, our vehicle can become autonomous.”

Thébault reportedly has the backing of several investors and 100 people have already registered interest in owning one of the boats, expected to cost €30,000.
Read more on Yachting & Boating World

What will foiling do for you? Why foils will change sailing forever

by Matthew Sheahan – Yachting World.

Is foiling here to stay, or is it simply a spectacular means of making pro racers go fast? Matthew Sheahan looks into the rapid development of foils and asks what’s in it for us?

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“There’s nothing new in what we’re trying to do with foiling Cup boats,” says Land Rover BAR’s head of engineering, Dirk Kramers. “The Wright brothers would have understood the physics of an AC45f, they just wouldn’t have been able to build it.”

He has a point. The basic principles of lift, drag and flight have been known for over 100 years and if there’s one thing that the experts all agree on, it’s that nothing has changed in the physics. Yet the rapid growth of the new foiling generation has been one of the biggest modern breakthroughs in sailing… Continue reading here

 

The Remarkable Flying Pyramid

by Jim Dobson / Forbes

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

Yes alien spaceships are coming to an ocean near you. With the design of the Tetrahedron Super Yacht, inspired by re-thinking the form, superstructure and propulsion of the modern superyacht into a radically simple enclosure and an elevated mode of travel above the water line. Conceived by London based architect Jonathan Schwinge, this futuristic concept could very soon become a reality.

The form of the yacht is reduced to the absolute geometry of a Tetrahedron. A three-based pyramid consisting of 4 faces and 6 leading edges provides fundamental stability and enclosure. Its form produces a pure, precise, logical and mathematical ‘roof’ from which to connect to the hull assembly. Generally, simple forms are not used in ship and motor yacht construction due to restrictions in ocean-going hull design.

The Tetrahedron will have the appearance at high-speed of levitating over the water: a boat that can fly. This is produced by a HYSWAS (Hydrofoil Small Waterplane Area Ship) hull, that is comprised of a single vertical strut onto a single submerged torpedo hull. The vessel will lift out of the water at speed on side-mounted adjustable hydrofoils. Long distance, smooth travel through rough water at high speeds will eliminate heeling and slamming in rough waters and would banish seasickness forever.

The hull has two working waterlines for its operation. At low speed the Tetrahedron sits gently onto three underbelly hulls. At high-speed the hydrofoils rotate on the lower submerged hull, causing the effect of mysteriously raising the triangle out of the water.

The concept design of this HYSWAS craft is based upon an existing hull design which was developed by several companies, notably the Maritime Applied Physics Corporation in America, and was proven by their technology demonstrator ‘The Quest’ in 1995.

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

An auto-pilot ‘fly-by-light’ system taken from the aviation industry would control difficult roll forces and maintain foil born speed. This would also control pitch and heave.

Long distances are achievable with reduced out-of-water drag and stormy ocean conditions would incur virtually no slamming. Improved efficiency is driven by elevated hydrofoil propulsion and would be an inherent performance benefit of this type of design.

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

Tetrahedron Super Yacht -Jonathan Schwinge – SCHWINGE (CGI Images: EYELEVEL UK)

The future of a superyacht such as this could come faster than you think. Jonathan Schwinge updated me this week on the project, “We are currently working with a large superyacht yard and the design has been developing forward. Much of the development has a new feel – the ‘Trimaran’ 3 hull has now been replaced by a black coated ‘bat-form hull’ with special retractable ocean landing systems.” The Tetra Project is being managed by Marcel Müller at INMAINCO Visionary Marine Management.

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Copyright 2015 by Jim Dobson / Forbes. All rights reserved. Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without link to original content.

The 2016 Extreme Sailing Series™ was officially launched today in Dubai

by extremesailingseries.com

The 2016 Extreme Sailing Series™ was officially launched at the Dubai International Marine Club today (10 February) with a full line-up of eight world-class teams, from eight nations confirmed.

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As the Series heads into its tenth year, some of the world’s top sailors are preparing to take-off on a new fleet of GC32 catamarans, as the Series welcomes a new generation of foiling boats.

Touching down in eight iconic urban city centres, the Portuguese capital Lisbon makes its debut as a new Stadium Sailing racecourse and looks set to be a venue highlight for 2016. Alongside the Portuguese city will be seven other tried-and-tested city stadium settings, that have attracted more than one million spectators to the Extreme Sailing Series over the last nine years.

Event Director Andy Tourell commented on a landmark year. “2016 marks the tenth year of competition for the Extreme Sailing Series and it is going to be a milestone year for us in more ways than one, not least the change of racing platform to the GC32 which brings with it a whole new dimension to the racing and public experience.

“We have a chance to diversify our format, combining tradition-breaking and award-winning Stadium Racing with the incorporation of match racing, plus the chance to open up the racecourse in some venues, allowing these boats to really stretch their legs – starting with a 20km coastal race to start the season in Muscat, Oman,” he added.

The competition on the water promises to be fierce and action-packed with America’s Cup legends, Olympic heroes and world champions preparing to do battle at close quarters. Among the crews will be veterans of 13 Olympic campaigns and 22 America’s Cup campaigns. Between them they also hold 27 World Championship titles, 27 European Championships and 106 National titles.

On the grid for the new season are 2015 runners-up SAP Extreme Sailing Team co-skippered for a fifth year by Jes Gram-Hansen and Rasmus Køstner from Denmark, who have boosted their on-board talent with Italian Pierluigi De Felice, a multiple World Champion and three-times America’s Cup sailor.

SAP’s 2015 sparring partners, Red Bull Sailing Team, skippered by Austrian double Olympic gold medallist Roman Hagara with Hans Peter Steinacher calling the tactics will also return to the starting blocks.

2008 and 2014 Extreme Sailing Series champions from Switzerland and two-time winners of the America’s Cup Alinghi will return to the circuit armed with foiling expertise after coming second in the 2015 GC32 Great Cup. Team principal Ernesto Bertarelli will be sharing helming duties throughout the season with young Swiss talent Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI).

“Using the GC32 this season will be a great change to the circuit,” commented Psarofaghis. “It’ll be even more interesting on the small racecourses, with the boats coming in at more than 25 knots. We really like the Series and, with the switch to the GC32, it’s a really good opportunity for us. We know the boats well after a year racing on the GC32 circuit, but the other teams will catch up quickly.”

Alinghi’s former helmsman Morgan Larson will head up the Omani entry, Oman Air, alongside three of the five winning crew from the 2015 season. The Land Rover BAR Academy squad, announced two weeks ago, will be led for the first two Acts by the 2015-winning skipper and most successful sailor in Series history, Leigh McMillan, who will mentor the Academy sailors alongside experienced Extreme 40 crew Bleddyn Môn, Ben Ainslie and the Land Rover BAR senior team.

Edhem Dirvana, skipper of Team Turx, returns for his second year on the circuit, and for the first time, a Portuguese team led by three-time Olympian and 2015 Team Turx crew Diogo Cayolla, will make its debut.

Cayolla spoke passionately about the teams’ objectives. “Our main aims with this campaign are to develop Portugal’s talented sailors and to show people in our home country exactly what high-performance sailing is about,” he said.

“The combination of a team and the venue provide the perfect platform for us to do that. The Extreme Sailing Series is by far the most commercially-developed sailing platform where you can show off your brand, your country and your sailors. I don’t see any other circuits as global as this one.”

The global www

The fleet will once again do battle on a global www, taking in three continents over the next 10 months, bringing foiling to urban city stadiums for the first time. After the season-opener in Muscat in March – where the eighth team will be revealed – the fleet will travel to China’s Olympic Sailing City, Qingdao in May, a venue that has become a firm favourite on the Series calendar over the years.

Returning to Europe in June, the Series touches down on UK shores in Cardiff for Act 3 for the fifth consecutive year, an event that attracted record numbers of spectators in 2013, with over 120,000 people taking front row seats around Cardiff Bay. Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates, said: “This event is proving to be a spectacular event in the summer events calendar. We look forward to welcoming Extreme Sailing back to Wales again for the fifth year. In previous years, the event has provided Cardiff with a global position alongside other premium venues such as Singapore, Istanbul, Nice and Boston and has given us the opportunity to promote Cardiff Bay internationally as a world class sailing and water sports venue.”

The German metropolis of Hamburg will host Act 4 in July following its impressive debut in 2015, before the Series heads to the spectacular skyline of St Petersburg, Russia for Act 5 at the start of September, and onto Istanbul, Turkey for Act 6 just three weeks later.

New to the calendar for 2016 Lisbon/Oeiras, Portugal will make its debut as the penultimate Act of the year, before the Series comes to a crescendo at the final Act in Australia in December.

– See more at: http://www.extremesailingseries.com/news/view/the-extreme-sailing-series-launches-a-landmark-10th-season-with-new-boats-t#sthash.OCTTDnw4.dpuf

Getting Ready to Race in Oman

by americascup.com

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqbx-0NoVjk]

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series is coming to Oman. 27-28 February 2016.

Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby will lead his team into racing at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Oman at the end of the month with a 10-point advantage over defending America’s Cup champion ORACLE TEAM USA. Olympic champion Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR team fills out the podium. But will the top three be the same after racing? There are a lot of points available in 2016, starting February 27-28 in Oman.

Foiling Week expands in 2016

The Foiling Weektm is the first and only series of global events dedicated to the amazingly fast foiling boats, their sailors, designers and builders.

After two successful editions in 2014 and 2015 held at Fraglia Vela Malcesine on Lake Garda in Italy, Foiling Weektm is happy to announce that in 2016 the Foiling Week will also hold an additional event in the USA.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUTBYiemlpU]

In its third year Foiling Week Association has decided to follow up on the numerous overseas requests to hold a Foiling Week event and as a result, Sail Newport, in Newport R.I. will co-organize the second act of the Foiling Week Series 2016.

The first event in Malcesine on Lake Garda from July 7th to 10th is the ‘classic’ Foiling Week organized by Foiling Week Association together with Fraglia Vela Malcesine.

The second event of Foiling Weektm in 2016 takes place in Newport, Rhode Island, USA from September 8th to 11th.

The program will include the Forums to be held in the morning and the on water activities mainly in the afternoon with a Foiling Expo and Foiling Boat Trials available throughout the week. There will be races for the one-design classes, long distance races along with prototypes, a speed contest and a permanent training area for those not racing at that time.

Foiling Week – Malcesine, Lake Garda

At Malcesine the Moth class will have an excellent opportunity to test the waters of the venue that will host the 2017 International Moth World Championship.

TFW-One-Design-races---Moths

The Flying Phantoms will hold a regatta as part of the 2016 Flying Phantom Series and the GC32 foiling catamarans return for a leg of the 2016 GC32 Racing Tour. The Waszp, S9, kitefoils and prototypes will also race over two race courses during Foiling Week in Lake Garda.

TFW-One-Design-races---Flying-Phantom

Nicolas Felix from Phantom International: “For the second year in a row, the Flying Phantom Series will join the Foiling Week event in early July. Lake Garda is one of the favourite sailing venues for European sailors and a perfect place to organize Flying Phantom races. With its unique dedication to foiling boats with new foiling classes this year, The Foiling Week is definitely one of the key events of the season and also a great opportunity to enjoy this fantastic area.

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About their participation at Foiling Week 2016, Christian Scherrer, the GC32 Class Manager, declared: “The GC32 Racing Tour is looking forward to coming to Malcesine on Lake Garda for the second event in our season. Having the GC32 Malcesine Cup as part of The Foiling Week gives this event a very special status. The Fraglia Vela Malcesine will become the hot spot for the foiling community for the first week of July. We are counting on a great event and interesting meetings ashore.

TFW-Long-Distance-race---Kitefoil

The President of Fraglia Vela Malcesine, Gianni Testa, says: “We’re enthusiastic to be part of such a successful project that this year will also expand to Newport, USA. The Foiling Week has gained a very special status within the foiling community and in the 2016 we welcome as new member of our foiling family the GC32 catamarans with their Racing Tour. Lake Garda is one of the best spot for sailing and we’re happy to organize for the third year in a row this exciting event together with the The Foiling Week Association. We look forward to the first week of July and to lots of exciting days with foiling boats!

Foiling Week – Newport R.I.

Newport will hold races including the Moth North-American Championship and the A Class Catamaran Pre-Nationals. The C Class multihulls and a lot of prototypes will fly during the week from 8th to 11th September.

SailNewport

Brad Read, who heads Sail Newport, which masterminded the last Volvo Ocean Race stopover, declared “We are very excited to bring this international event to Newport. High-performance sailing has a home here and has for generations. Sail Newport Sailing Centre is the home of one of the nations largest foiling Moth classes. Narragansett Bay is popular for kite boarders which are now equipped with lifting foils as well as the foiling A Class catamaran fleet in Bristol.
Boats that literally fly out of the water are not a new development. The technology is becoming more ‘mainstream’. We look forward to the sharing of technology and showcasing ideas among sailors from around the world in Newport Rhode Island in September.

TFW-Long-Distance-race---Windfoil

In the past editions a lot of flying boats including foiling mono hulls, multi hulls, kite-surf boards, windsurfers, and a wide variety of prototypes have been sailed by sailors including professionals such as Sebastian Col, Francois Gabart, Josh McKnight, Stefano Rizzi, to name just a few.

In both venues the Forums will be scheduled during the week with presentations in the morning and a round table with Q and A’s to close the sessions on these days.

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Around 40 influential speakers will join in the most relevant Foiling Forum subjects worldwide for three days. In previous editions, designers, sailors and builders including Tom Speer, Martin Fischer, Kevin Hall, Davide Tagliapietra, Doug Schickler, Guillaume Verdier and Andrew ‘Amac’ McDougal have provided detailed analysis, explained projects and shared informative discussion on the art of foiling and ideas for future developments.

Forum Workshops will be scheduled during the mornings and at the end of racing in the afternoons from Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th July in Malcesine and from Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th in Newport. Special forum sessions are open to those who have innovative ideas and projects to propose.

An Exhibition of foiling crafts and test trials on board some of the boats, provides a rare opportunity to try the ‘third mode of sailing’.

Nominations are now open for Boat Show exhibitors and sponsors who would like to support the events.

Foiling! – Fast, Furious and Fun

The foiling week is pleased to invite applications to the Malcesine and Newport Forums. We are also pleased to invite local and international companies to sponsor and/or exhibit at the Foiling Week events 2016. Please write to contact@old.foilingweek.com