Page 9 - IMUNIS

FOILING

BACKGROUND

the foil lifts the hull out of the water so the boat IMUNIS
can go faster with far less power.
Kyle Langford 29

Recently, the bleeding edge on the latter front has Location: Australia
been the foil—a dagger board, made of carbon-fiber or Nationality: Australian
aluminum, that lifts the hull out of the water so the boat Interests: Foiling, Ocean racing, Skiing
can go faster with far less power. Characteristics:
Ambitious, Team-oriented, Social
Foiling was born over 100 years ago, circa 1907, not long
after the first flights by the Wright brothers. The idea
was Enrico Forlanini’s, who wanted to give the pilots
a tool they could use for practicing and training that
would be safer and slower.

The hydrofoil usually consists of a wing like structure
mounted on struts below the hull, or across the keels of
a catamaran in a variety of boats (see illustration). As a
hydrofoil-equipped watercraft increases in speed, the I'M
hydrofoil elements below the hull(s) develop enough lift
to raise the hull out of the water, which greatly reduces
hull drag. This provides a corresponding increase in
speed and fuel efficiency.
Kyle Langford "At the age of 28, I have
Hydrofoils are generally prohibitively more expensive already won the RC44 World Championships,
than conventional watercraft above the certain participated in two America’s Cup campaigns O4 / INTRODUCTION TO SAILING
displacement, so most hydrofoil craft are relatively as part of Team Oracle USA, and now has my
small, and are mainly used as high-speed passenger
ferries, where the relatively high passenger fees can eyes set on winning the Volvo Ocean Race
offset the high cost of the craft itself. trophy."