foiling monohull yacht

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America’s Cup showcases composites-intensive AC40 foiling yacht designs

This year’s Youth America’s Cup and Puig Women’s America’s Cup teams are supported by North Sails, Southern Spars and Future Fibres.

Southern Spars to provide rig for INEOS Team UK's entry in the America's Cup

Future Fibres’ LiMit Collar protects composite rigging against lightning

Volvo 65: Identical and optimal composite spars and rigging

America’s Cup AC37 event. Source (All Images) | Southern Spars

One-piece 3Di sails from North Sails GmbH (Hamburg, Germany), carbon fiber rigs from Southern Spars (Auckland, New Zealand), and Future Fibres ’ (Valencia, Spain) multistrand composite rigging push the boundaries of AC40 sailing performance for the upcoming Youth America’s Cup and Puig Women’s America’s Cup.

The AC40, introduced as a new class in 2021 by event organizers, is a multi-use foiling monohull that all the confirmed teams will use for sailing and testing purposes. The one-design yacht from bow to stern is said to eliminate the technical recon that surrounds the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup, bringing the focus sharply onto the teams and their personnel. While the Youth America’s Cup crews include Olympians and world champions across various classes, the Puig Women’s America’s Cup showcases some of the most prolific names in world sailing, including the likes of Hannah Mills — claimed to be one of the most successful female Olympians of all time.

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Essentially, the AC40 is meant to represent the next stage in the evolution of foiling innovation. The smaller sibling of the AC75, each AC40 is fitted with various composite solutions.

According to its website, North Sails’ sail structure is “composed of multiple hair-thin spread filament plies applied in precise, high-resolution vectors (length and direction) to optimize strength-to-weight ratios and compressive loads.” 3Di sails are 70% fiber and 30% resin; they have a streamlined shape to deliver less draft and more drive, and maintain a “zero Mylar construction … enduring shape retention and withstand[ing] harsh weather.”

Future Fibres, a company that specializes in providing composite rigging solutions, merged with Southern Spars’ Composite Rigging business in 2014. The range of products offered by Future Fibres includes static rigging, running rigging and furling cables, all made from composites. Future Fibres, is the design rigging supplier for both the AC75 and the AC40. Each AC40 is equipped with ECthree — the premier rigging product for yachts in the 30- to 65-foot range.

Emirates Team New Zealand.

As foiling yachts evolve, Southern Spars plays its own part, even bringing lessons from America’s Cup innovation to landmark maxi and superyacht projects in recent years, such as Mills 60 Flying Nikka  and Baltic 111 Raven .

The AC40 has plenty in common with its larger counterpart, the AC75. With respect to its rig package, the AC40 also features a D-shaped Southern Spars mast, which rotates up to 45° to harness the performance power of its twin skin North Sails mainsail. Both feature T-shaped foils that lift the yacht out of the water, reducing drag and enabling higher speeds. Both feature advanced control systems.

There are some key differences, however. The most obvious of these is that the AC40 is scaled down, with a 12-meter hull and 18-meter mast. Reduced size and displacement make the AC40 lighter and more responsive, making it well-adapted for fleet racing, which forms the bulk of both the Youth and Women’s America’s Cups.

Onboard an AC40 there is a crew of four individuals — comprised of two helms and two sail trimmers — rather than the 11 crew members on an AC75. With the absence of cyclers, human power is replaced by battery power for running the hydraulics, which play a key role in operating the foils, sails and other systems.

It will be no surprise if crew members in the Youth America’s Cup go onto compete for the Auld Mug in coming years. There is, however, no precedent for the Women’s Puig America’s Cup. Historically dominated by male sailors, with women having participated only occasionally, 2024 marks the first standalone women’s event in the 173-year history of the America’s Cup. Southern Spars and its partners are proud to contribute to this significant milestone.

Southern Spars, bespoke carbon fiber spar maker, will be supplying the rig to the INEOS Team UK for the upcoming America’s Cup.

Multi-material system wins DAME Design Award 2023 for mitigating damage caused by direct or induced lightning currents to carbon fiber and metallic mast rigging for watercraft.

“One design” concept takes the boat out of the yacht-racing equation, pitting teams against the wind, sea … and each other.

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This Sleek Electric Foiling Yacht Concept Soars Above the Water Like a Flying Boat

It's midway between a boat, plane and sports car., rachel cormack.

Digital Editor

Rachel Cormack's Most Recent Stories

This new catamaran concept was designed to carry your bugatti across the high seas.

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Forget flying cars. Centrostiledesign wants the world to get aboard flying boats.

The Italian studio, which is helmed by noted yacht designer Davide Cipriani, has just unveiled a futuristic foiling yacht concept with the soul of a Formula 1 race car and the agility of a jet.

The aptly named Future-E points toward the future of yachting in which sustainability is a central tenet. Forged from recycled carbon fiber, the lightweight foiling yacht has a sleek hull inspired by a supercar and the wings of a state-of-the-art aircraft that allow it to literally fly across the ocean.

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The yacht’s cockpit can accommodate three seafarers plus the pilot.  Centrostiledesign

Billed as a “zero-impact boat,” Future-E promises zero carbon emissions, zero noise and zero waves. The vessel is fitted with four retractable foils and two electric motors that together allow it to cut through waves with less drag and more speed than a traditional planing yacht. In turn, it also uses far less energy.

Not unlike an airplane on the runway, the boat’s wings extend out as it accelerates. At 16 knots, it enters full foiling mode and lifts up and out of the water for smooth, high-speed cruising. According to the studio, the yacht can reach more than 30 knots at full tilt. The foils can also be retracted if you wish to use Future-E like a “normal” boat.

The sleek vessel is also equipped with a kinematic system, similar to the suspension of F1 racer, that minimizes the impact of the waves to ensure a comfortable, stable ride. This includes electro-hydraulic actuators and a gyroscope, which help to manage each foil and reduce unwanted movement. The responsive wings and rudders, meanwhile, work to give the yacht ultra-nimble handling, according to the studio.

There is a coupe and open-air convertible version.  Centrostiledesign

​​Inside, the space can accommodate three seafarers plus the pilot and sports a sizable dashboard with wraparound screens. Like a car, the yacht is available in a coupe or convertible version and has suicide doors for added panache.

Future-E is not the only foiling yacht on the horizon. There have been myriad concepts surfacing recently, and, just last year, the world’s first electric hydrofoil powerboat hit the seas in Sweden. There was even a foiling monohull that competed in the 2021 America’s Cup.

Perhaps the future of flying boats isn’t too far off.

Check out more photos below:

Centrostiledesign

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Figaro BENETEAU 3

• Description
• Key Features

Specifications

The Figaro BENETEAU 3 is the  first production foiling one-design monohull  ever created. It is a distillation of technology and innovation, the result of a collaboration between some of BENETEAU’s  best experts  and the Van Peteghem Lauriot-Prévost (VPLP) office, the architects of the last two boats to win the Vendée Globe.

The prototype has been tested and the production of the boat has been launched. It will enter the  ISO/World Sailing  design category A.

Naval designer :  Van Peteghem – Lauriot Prévost

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THE ADVENT OF A NEW STANDARD

MODERNITY, RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE

The specifications define the FB3 monohull as being as reliable as its predecessor, the FB2.  It is equipped with foils, a better-performing, ballast-free hull, a more slender and deeper keel, a setback mast and a more extensive, larger sail plan.

Contrary to Imoca 60 foils, the Figaro BENETEAU 3 foils have an inward-facing profile. The way they operate is different. They are versatile foils that create drift reduction and improve the boat’s righting moment, without increasing the movement, which improves the boat’s performance.

Deep, with a straight blade, it creates minimum drag. Supplementary drift reduction is provided by the foils.

Made of foam sandwich, fibreglass and polyester-infused resin, it corresponds with current designs and is ballast-free. 

MAST AND SAIL LAYOUT

Similar to the Imoca 60s, the mast is set back, providing balance under sail. This allows the use of high performance sails and the addition of a bowsprit. Solo sailors will sail with a square-top mainsail, a genoa, and a jib, but also a masthead spinnaker (105 m² (=125 yd²) to gain speed in a light breeze) and a small gennaker.

• Mainsail area: 39.5 m² (420 ft²)
• Jib area: 30.5 m² (323 ft²)
• Large spinnaker area: 105 m² (125 yd²)

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The information below is intended for general informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a contractual agreement. Any descriptions, representations, or statements made in this document are not to be considered binding unless explicitly stated otherwise in a formal contractual agreement.

Length Overall

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Light displacement

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A3 / B4 / C6

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Buying a BENETEAU doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We have teams of experts to guide you through the entire process – everything from sea trials, financing, and customization to after-sale commissioning, service, and maintenance. We are proud to have one of the largest, most highly-regarded dealer networks in the world. We’re ready to provide you with the assistance and expertise needed to launch you and your BENETEAU on a lifetime of happy, rewarding, and memorable voyages.

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THE GONET MONOFOIL ENJOYS SPECTACULAR SEASON

The impressive flying monohull created by Eric Monnin achieved a number of significant goals in 2018, proving the accuracy of the concept, and leaving plenty of room for further development.

Swiss sailor, Eric Monnin’s gamble has paid off. The Gonet Monofoil, an innovative new foiling monohull, designed alongside Damien Weiss and Simon Bovay has enjoyed an impressive first season. And there is plenty of room for further development...

“The most positive take away from the season is that we have managed to validate our foiling monohull concept,” explained Monnin. “From day one, we were able to sail consistently at high speed. “When conditions allow, the Monofoil is the fastest monohull on Lake Geneva. It is also a solid boat that goes well in strong conditions.”

Launched in spring 2018, the Gonet Monofoil did not notch up any victories or records in its first season due to it being a light air year for the Lake Geneva classics. The foiling boat needs a bit more breeze to perform to its full potential. Two Ruban Violet (Lake Geneva record, run on the Bol d’Or course) attempts were aborted due to unfavourable weather conditions, but both outings proved to the team that the boat has ample potential to smash the record. The Ruban Violet has stood at 7h32m10s since 2007, set by the Psaros 40, Tilt.

“Thanks to our experience this season, we estimate that we should be able to knock a good hour off the record. The simulations are even more optimistic; however, the simulator runs calculations based on ideal conditions,” said Monnin. With a wealth of information gleaned from their first season, Monnin and his teammates plan to further lighten the boat this winter and to increase the size of the foils by 20%. Next year, the Gonet Monofoil team will race the Lake Geneva classics again, will attempt to break the Ruban Violet record and will compete in the Lake Garda Centomiglia, a 100-mile race. Predating the wave of flying monohulls promoted by the next America’s Cup, the Gonet Monofoil is at the very leading edge of cutting- edge technology.

The project is supported by Gonet & Cie SA, present in Switzerland (Geneva and Lausanne) and in The Bahamas (Nassau).

Gonet Group in brief

Gonet Group is present in Switzerland (Geneva and Lausanne) and in The Bahamas (Nassau). Founded in 1845, it has always been involved in wealth management for Swiss and international private clients. It also includes Gonet Conseils Finances SA, a company specializing in pension planning, insurance, mortgage financing and fiduciary services, as well as the funds distribution company Gonet La Française Advisors SA.

Gonet & Cie SA is a member of the Association of Swiss Private Banks (ABPS) and the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA).

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The amazing america’s cup ac75 foiling monohull flying boat.

Peter Lobner, 25 February 2021

The first race of the 36 th  America’s Cup racing series starts on 5 March 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand.  The defending Emirates Team New Zealand and the challenging Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team will be sailing (or rather flying) a radical new class of America’s Cup boats knows as the AC75, which is a foiling monohull that was designed from the ground up to “fly” on its foils.  It isn’t clear if the AC75 is a flying boat or a sailing airplane.

The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team won the right to challenge based on its performance in the Prada Cup match races held from 14 January thru 20 February 2021. The America’s Cup races are scheduled from 5 to 14 March 2021.  You’ll find complete information on the races on the America’s Cup website at the following link:   https://www.americascup.com

The New York Yacht Club American Magic entry,  Patriot , was eliminated during the Prada Cup races, after recording no wins in the Round Robin series and no wins in the semi-final races against  Luna Rossa .   Patriot  was damaged and in danger of sinking following a dramatic high-speed capsize following a tack in gusty wind conditions while leading  Luna Rossa  during Round Robin 2 Race 3 on 16 January 2021.

The AC75 operates with two completely different sets of boat dynamics:

• Waterborne while accelerating at maximum power to quickly reach foiling speed at 12 – 14 knots
• Flying on the foils to reach a top speed that can exceed 50 knots

Making a smooth transition from waterborne to flying on the foils can be a big challenge for the crew.  As the transition is being made, the power demand drops rapidly (suddenly) as the hull emerges from the water and starts flying on the foils.  The crew must quickly adjust sail power and trim to maintain control of the flying boat.

As you would expect, there are extensive regulations governing most aspects of the boat’s design.  The Rule is explained at the following link:  https://www.americascup.com/en/official/the-class-rule

To get an introduction to an AC75 boat and its primary components, you can view a 3-D model here:  https://www.americascup.com/en/ac75

The AC75 is a very lightweight vessel, with a fully-loaded weight of 7,600 kg (16,800 lb).  The empty weight, not including sails or crew, is limited to 6,520 kg (14,374 lbs.). Of that, 3,358.5 kg (7,403 lb) is supplied by, or specified by, the America’s Cup event organizer, and includes the following standard items for all teams.

• Mast : A detailed specification; essentially a one-design mast with a D-shaped leading edge; teams can choose their manufacturer.
• Rigging : Supplied to all teams.
• Media equipment: Cameras, mounting hardware, power & controls supplied to all teams.
• Foil cant arms and hydraulic control system : Standard system developed, tested and supplied to all teams by one manufacturer.  The hydraulic system is powered manually by hand-operated grinders.  The hydraulic system includes an interface to the trailing edge flaps on the foils supplied by each team.

Each team is responsible for designing and building the rest of the boat while remaining within an empty weight budget of 3,161.5 kg (6,968 lb). The primary areas for innovation by each team are the following:

• Hull design:  (maximum length 75 feet / 22.86 m), with the primary choice being a flat bottom or with skeg to provide a less sensitive transition between waterborne and foil borne modes.
• Crew and hand-operated grinder placement
• Twin-skin soft main sail:  Forms a fabric 3-D airfoil
• Single-skin soft head sails
• Rudder + stern foil
• Foil wings, fairing and active trailing edge flaps:  These are mounted to the standard cant arms; foils must be symmetrical with a maximum span 4 meters; flaps control lift; total weight is limited to about 1/3 rd   the weight of the empty boat.

There are many AC75 videos available online, including many covering the exciting Prada America’s Cup World Series races in December 2020 and the Prada Cup races in January – February 2021.  These boats are so fast that the races are short and action packed.  I’ve listed several videos focusing more in boat technology below.

I hope you’ll enjoy a few of the AC75 videos and follow the America’s Cup Races.  It’s not like any yacht racing you’ve seen before.

For more information:

• “The AC75 – The Technology,” Americas Cup:  https://www.americascup.com/the-technology
• Mark Chisnell, “Weighing in on the AC75,” Sailing World, 15 September 2020: https://www.sailingworld.com/story/racing/weighing-in-on-the-ac75/
• Christopher McFadden, “The Engineering and Design Behind Modern Racing Yachts,” Interesting Engineering, 23 February 2021:   https://interestingengineering.com/the-engineering-and-design-behind-modern-racing-yachts
• “The AC75 | Designed to Fly” (7:25 minutes), America’s Cup, 2 August 2020:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQUl_hf6yo8&feature=emb_logo
• “America’s Cup – How Crews Handle Their AC75s” (17:41 minutes), Americas Cup, 24 January 2021:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0bReWK_vsg
• “Sea Wolves – The new America’s cup boat! AC75 Technology analysis/Deep dive special! Auckland 2021” (51:07 minutes), Sea wolves, (with an introductory  review of Americas Cup history by Troy Sears, owner of the replica yacht  America , which is home ported in San Diego, CA), 16 December 2020:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjs76uHEqeM
• “The American Magic Capsize – A Step by Step Explanation” (8:32 minutes), America’s Cup, 24 January 2021:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXLUIouASdM

Yachting World

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Foiling and Hydrofoiling: Everything you need to know

A foiling International Moth dinghy. Photo: Christopher Ison / Alamy

What is foiling?

Although foiling or hydrofoiling feels like a recent revolution to take the world of watersports by storm, it is actually much older than many appreciate.

In terms of motorised waterborne craft, the first foiler was a motorboat designed and built by Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini in 1906.

It did, however, take quite a bit of time before foiling boats with sails took to the water, but even then many people might be surprised to learn that even in the 1970’s the foiling trimaran, Williwaw, covered over 20,000 sea miles in and around the South Pacific all on its foils.

It turns out the history of hyrofoiling goes back further than many think.

It was not until the early-2000s that foiling really started to take hold, with a  development dinghy class, the International Moth, leading the way.

Foiling boats

With huge amounts of interest in the 11ft Moth dinghy, foiling began to spread throughout the sport of sailing. And it was not long until hydrofoiling boats of all different shapes and sizes were taking the water.

Over time, some traditional classes converted to foiling – the A-Class and C-Class catamarans being examples. But more new boats were also designed specifically with hydrofoiling in mind.

In 2013 Emirates Team New Zealand built their 72ft America’s Cup catamaran to be a foiler, forcing their competition for the Cup, Oracle Team USA to convert their AC72 into a foiler to stay competitive – ultimately Oracle Team USA won the Cup in one of the biggest sporting comebacks of all time .

To date the America’s Cup has not looked back with the competition taking place in smaller hydrofoiling AC50 catamarans in 2017 and the newly conceived monohull foilers, the AC75 s, in 2021.

In 2021 the Olympics Games introduced the first ever foiling catamaran in the Nacra 17.

Foiling yachts

Offhsore, 90ft Ultime multihulls on their foils are competing to be the fastest to race around the globe and design houses across the globe are racing to create foiling yachts for the masses which could dramatically reduce cruising times from one destination to the other.

There are also many classes of yacht that are taking some of the lessons from fully foiling craft and putting them to use in a semi-foiling manner.

Here the biggest technical innovation is in the IMOCA60 class, which is famously used for the single handed non-stop round the world race, the Vendée Globe .

The latest couple of generations of IMOCA 60s have been build with huge, technologically complex foils to generate lift. These are powerful enough to lif the boats fully out of the water, but as yet the class rules do not allow for rudder foils which would stabilise flight and allow for full foiling.

Where sailing boats and yachts have, arguably led the way in the history of foiling over the past decade or so this has filtered down into a plethora of other watersports craft.

Although in the early days foiling was typically the preserve of elite sailors and watersports professionals, increasingly we have seen boats and boards designed to foil in the hands of the average sailor, surfer or windsurfer.

This race to bring the fun of foiling to beginners is continuing apace with beginner foiling boats, windsurfers, surfers etc. coming to the market every year.

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Published on February 20th, 2017 | by Editor

Foiling in the Monohull Stream

Published on February 20th, 2017 by Editor -->

Something that seemed ‘out there’ just a few years ago is now making its way firmly into the mainstream. It is also winning yacht races. In the March issue of Seahorse magazine , Gordon Kay has an update on DSS state of the art.

With the monohull world increasingly embracing foils it seems timely to reflect on some of the lessons learnt over the past year and how 2017 and beyond look for the impact of DSS and for the other foil solutions in the 2017 marketplace..

While dramatic footage of semi-flying or flying yachts gets the headlines it is the background story that is perhaps more significant. In 15 years of developing, engineering and supplying DSS foils and installing them on various yachts we have never had a failure beyond the cracking of one foil, quickly identified as a failure by the builder to build the hull exit bearing surface as drawn. It is therefore quite thought-provoking to see the failure level in some other avenues of foil development.

The problems suffered by the Imoca class, particularly in testing, have been significant, not limited to foils in the water but to the windward foil as well (echoing issues the big tris experienced when ‘over-stiff’ ama construction led to failures through wave impact on the windward float).

(There have also, in passing, been a great many – unpublicised – foil failures during testing for this year’s 35th America’s Cup. However, this is a different situation where lightweight constructions are consciously being explored and tested to the ultimate limit. Still, it does confirm that this is a complex area of development when the best engineers and designers in yacht racing still have to place more than a little reliance upon good old trial and error.)

Safety and reliability have always been the watchwords in our development of foils at DSS. If it was not going to work reliably or safely then we could not see the point of investing heavily in R&D and practical testing. It will not always be possible to get a client to write endless cheques to cover ‘development’, or if it is then the class will go the way of the Orma 60s and others.

So we stand at a key point in the development of foils within the industry; it is no longer the preserve of the lunatic fringe, and it is crucial that future development needs to prioritise safety and reliability.

Modern history 2016 began with the Welbourn-designed DSS Quant 23 winning its division in the European Yacht of the Year awards. The first fully flying keelboat for production, and designed to be very much the everyman design that would allow a new generation, young and less young, to fly in safety and without the need to swim if it all went wrong.

Hugh Welbourn’s flying scow, the Quant 23, uses a curved foil to achieve essentially the same lift effect as is enjoyed on the Infiniti 46 with its straight DSS foils. However, in the case of the Quant the result is full flight in just 8-10kt of breeze. Compared with the Imocas, the Quant benefits from a keel fin to resist leeway, dispensing with the Imoca’s large foil tips. But the similarities, especially between the little foiler and Hugo Boss, are evident. Yet there is still a huge amount to learn, particularly in solving the Imoca puzzle with its rule constraints. Hugo Boss’s 24-hour record was, ultimately, only 2nm better than François Gabart managed four years ago without any foils at all…

To date 10 Quant 23s have been sold, and with the original Q23 now on Lake Garda and available for all to try, more and more people have seen what is available without spending a king’s ransom and requiring America’s Cup levels of skill.

The launch of the Infiniti 46 offshore racer, again Welbourn designed, caused a few raised eyebrows and comments when she first arrived in Europe in May, particularly with respect to the ability of such a boat to sail to its IRC rating.

Class wins and podiums in the Rolex Middle Sea Race and then the RORC Transatlantic Race, all with a Corinthian crew, demonstrate that perhaps the rating office might have been closer to the mark than the armchair experts.

What has been more interesting has been the amount learnt in the 10,000 miles of sailing in 2016 that the first Infiniti 46 has now completed. Zero structural failures, zero foil issues, zero issues with foil exits and, interestingly, zero UFO strikes…

We have always built our foils with Dom Pedron of Isotop and to date they have all been engineered by either Gurit or Will Brooks and, so far, they have all performed to expectation.

An interesting fact taken from the Infiniti 46 is that while the displacement of the yacht is 5,500kg, the foil exits are engineered for 9,500kg of load. Conservative? Probably, but avoiding failure as far as one can through a little extra diligence just seems smarter than saving a gram or two, with the consequential risks, as seen with some of the failures in the Imoca 60 fleet.

Another interesting launch was the prototype FLO1 from Aeronamics. A dinghy that flies but is not a Moth, and as with the Q23 is designed to introduce the averagely capably sailor to an easier and safer flying experience.

As 2016 drew to a close two larger projects emerged. First the CQS, Ludde Ingvall’s inspired reincarnation of his previous yacht, expertly handled by Brett Bakewell-White and launched a few weeks before the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race – making it to the startline against all the odds. That process was bittersweet for us, as the DSS foil itself, built in Vietnam, failed early in the race, having shown glimpses of the performances we have come to expect; with just a few days of sailing with the foil prior to the race there is much to learn. 2017 will no doubt be an interesting year of development for this team, with an all-new boat also in the air…

Finally, we completed our collaboration with Farr Yacht Design on the creation of a new 40m+ fast-cruiser that is now under construction. The process of due diligence took over six months with exhaustive studies of various foil geometries – necessarily in conjunction with different interior layouts. Details are still under wraps but we expect this yacht to demonstrate the same strong performance relative to its conventional peers as the Infiniti 46.

In terms of market appeal, according to our clients not everyone prefers the final designs from a previous generation.

And ratings… The rating story persisted throughout 2016 and into 2017, which will also see updated ratings for retrofits such as the Reichel-Pugh 60 Wild Joe. Faced with the challenge of a single-figure rating for allcomers, IRC have given a great deal of thought to how best to address DSS when rating the boats. Clearly, when executed intelligently, like most yacht designs, these boats can sail to their rating; what has been identified as undesirable is fitting foils that are not particularly effective or have a limited range and then asking IRC or ORC for a rating credit to ‘help’.

There are no rating credits for poorly designed rudders or keels so the same should apply to the foils and how they make up the overall balance and performance of a yacht.

We have conducted many studies internally and with both Farr Yacht Design and Brett Bakewell-White, plus comparison routeings with navigator Ian Moore, and while there is no silver bullet it is clear you can no longer dismiss DSS when you are considering an offshore/coastal programme, be it ORC or IRC focused.

We continue to work closely with the rating authorities, with both poacher and gamekeeper reasonable bedfellows as we look to provide confidence for owners who wish to move forward, while the rating managers ensure that their current fleets remain competitive… (Strangely the best sailed and prepared boats still seem to do well regardless of configuration).

2017 will bring more DSS ratings to the fore and so more performance data with which to validate the rating numbers.

Imoca 60s Bittersweet also best describes our experience within this class so far and this is where a history lesson is perhaps appropriate. In 2008 Hugh Welbourn and DSS were approached by Alex Thomson Racing to look at the possibility of collaborating with Finot-Conq in incorporating DSS into a new design for the next Vendée cycle. The base boat was not suitable so we declined; an opportunity missed.

Vendée Globe yacht design… in a nutshell. Five of the latest-generation Imoca 60s, including Banque Populaire (left), were committed to similar VPLP/Verdier designs when Alex Thomson (shrewdly) pressed the button with the sixth… Hugo Boss (right). Thomson’s boat used a simpler, more DSS style of horizontal foil than her foiled rivals; but as significant is that with extra dynamic righting moment his team ‘risked’ a slightly narrower hull – which contributed to some devastating pace downwind and in light air. Thomson powered away from the fleet on the opening leg, at times sailing 2-3kt faster

However, work on other Open 60 proposals led us towards slimmer, lighter design concepts using DSS as the starting point, which in hindsight may well have turned a well-established fleet on its head. At the same time we opened discussions with the Imoca class, and eventually DSS did end up being accepted… but with an expensive sting in the tail.

A single transverse ‘traditional’ DSS foil would be counted by Imoca as two of five allowable moveable appendages; assuming a traditional wide hull requiring twinrudders, plus canting keel, then any foil solution would now need to deliver dynamic lift and increased righting moment (RM) plus enough sideforce to resist leeway.

In the end a complex hybrid solution with an assortment of vertical tips became the norm for the most recent VPLP/Verdier designs, but these brought into focus the risks – and costs – of introducing complex angled sections into highly loaded composite boards (a pair of typical Dali foils will set you back €300,000–350,000 plus).

Effectively then, these boats had put their eggs very much in one basket – side force and RM all combined in one item, with the failure risk increased with the tip additions. Hit something with a relatively straight, flattish foil and the shock loads fore-and-aft can be designed for… hit something just with one of those long tips and suddenly you are also dealing with torque loads on the inner foil and cassette that are much harder to resolve accurately.

Not surprisingly, the phonecall came in from ATR early in 2014. One of their in-house technicians had been working with Infiniti Yachts on a 30m project for Danish Yachts before joining ATR and had had plenty of sea time on the Infiniti 36 and our 27ft test boat and so was well informed as to DSS and its potential.

‘What are your thoughts on a DSS-type 60 to the current Imoca rules…’ So Hugh ran some comparisons which demonstrated that, executed properly, significant gains could be made over both the existing fleet and the new designs we were then aware of. Hugh and Will Brooks developed several design options, which to our eye looked normal but in the context of superwide Imoca 60 world the boats did look quite radical! We then provided ATR with some basic lines and a couple of appendage configurations which went into the Qinetiq tank for evaluation; soon afterwards we learned that ATR had opted to sign an agreement with VPLP for their new boat.

However, the story did not quite end there. ATR asked: ‘Would we collaborate with VPLP?’

So we arranged to take VPLP sailing and ATR chartered the first Infiniti 36 for a number of months. We arranged further tests with the ATR team on DSS boats and generally headed in the right direction. Sadly, while all was well during the sailing trials, back on land matters of exclusivity between DSS and ATR started to creep in and ultimately the working relationship ended. However, the information and thoughts that we had already shared could hardly be unlearnt, but clearly we had done enough to convince them that foils were the way forward.

If nothing else, even with some of the starboard foil broken off, Hugo Boss did at least prove to be the fastest Imoca 60 in the Vendée Globe. Encouragingly for us, the boat that Alex took around the world was also indeed narrower and lighter than the similar but not identical new boats of his French rivals, moving closer to the design tested at Qinetiq.

The Vendée design directions are very clear – the race is usually decided on the run down the Atlantic and being first boat into the Southern Ocean systems. Ice limits then corral the boats into narrow strategic options riding the weather systems around the bottom, and finally around the Horn after which it is a case of protecting your position – far from easy when passing through the Doldrums and dealing with the complex weather on this final stage of the course. So the slimmer, lighter, more easily driven option scores heavily here on the Vendée course matrix – add in the pace from fully utilising foils in the design and it’s a no-brainer. Or at least it should be.

Whether through lack of insight and/or just a lack of confidence in a new technology, or simply timing, the other five new Imoca 60s all featured ‘standard’ fatter hulls with added Dali foils of varying configurations, that could revert to standard configuration if the experiment failed.

Although they are quicker than the previous non-foil generation, the speed of the slightly slimmer Hugo Boss implies that five very expensive recently built yachts may already be past their prime. It would also have been interesting to see PRB’s time without her own keel problems.

The technical conclusion seemed clear. With two foils Hugo Boss was demon – strably quicker than any other yacht in the class; in particular the undesirable ‘crashing and about to crash’ operating mode of the Dali is softened, with a DSS-style foil plus narrower hull making for higher sustainable average speeds.

As the 2016/2017 Vendée Globe reached its conclusion it was interesting to read in Seahorse that some Imoca designers are already thinking about the next generation of narrower designs, something we have been doing for some years.

Nor, it seems, has the DSS effect been lost on the wider market as we already have interest in new designs to move the game forward again in the Imoca class.

Anything but DSS? As we move from the lunatic fringe into the mainstream DSS is increasingly being accepted. We have technical partnerships, licensing agreements and design arrangements with companies building boats from 4.5m to 40m plus. Farr Yacht Design, McConaghy Boats, Seair, Mer Forte, Bertrand Design, Infiniti Yachts, Quant Boats, Brett Bakewell-White, Aeronamics, Baltic Yachts and a few others we cannot talk about are proving the appeal of DSS across a wide spectrum.

The price of the DSS licence fee is oft discussed but we feel it is fair, particularly when one considers it is a one-off cost that equates to a couple of sails. For an Imoca 60 at the time we were in discussions the licence was €50,000. The cost for one set of Dali foils was, as mentioned, up to €350,000, then you break a few, develop a few and before long it is almost real money. The complete package for the DSS retrofit of the 60ft Wild Joe, including all costs is significantly less than half that of one set of Dali foils… in a new build it would be even less.

Does DSS really work? DSS foils have been proving themselves for some years now and continue to do so. Whether you want an IRC pocket rocket, a gentleman’s daysailer or a fully flying keelboat DSS has delivered, first time, out of the box, without a failure – not very exciting, but sometimes boring is good.

Inevitably ‘not invented here’ is something we have to address from time to time. Indeed, one client was advised by a leading firm of naval architects that fitting DSS would make his yacht unsafe – his question to us was, ‘hy did they say this?’

Our reply was that perhaps they did not want to lose him as a client. ‘Well, they lost me as a client,’ he replied.

In an industry where we are struggling to bring new people to the sport, and often struggling to retain even the people who already love the sport, how can we continue to take risks with the goodwill of the very people we rely on for an industry, the client? We need to tread carefully to bring a new generation to the world of foilassisted sailing.

But there are some worrying ‘foil developments’ being looked at elsewhere that may harm this gradual softening of resistance. Ever more complex arrangements – or proposed arrangements – have been sighted that can only ever be more expensive and less reliable in use. None of us needs to see things go backwards for the sake of costly efforts to reinvent the wheel. Failure always attracts more coverage than success. We all need to be mindful of that.

2017 New DSS projects for 2017 include more work in the fast cruising market in partnership with Farr Yacht Design for the Infiniti 50, 56 and 85 designs. The further adoption of DSS by Farr for their new 42m makes an ever more compelling case for DSS in this sector, where comfort and performance are the primary drivers but not traditionally the most comfortable of bedfellows. Less pitching, less heeling, more performance and shorter passage times are all high on every owner’s wish list.

We continue to work on DSS projects from 4m to 40m-plus whether flying or just cruising faster. Not all projects can be listed here sadly; however, they are all challenging and rewarding in equal measure.

Seahorse is the dominant international magazine for anyone serious about their racing. Take advantage of their subscription offer or order a single copy of Seahorse online at www.seahorse.co.uk/shop or for iPad download the Seahorse App at the iTunes store. Contact by email at [email protected] .

Tags: DSS , foiling , Seahorse

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