The Evolution of Hydrofoil sailing became a revolution

The incredible hydrofoil sailing revolution, with the International moth class and the almost casual hydrofoil centerboards of the AC72's, is the result of a much longer evolution with surprisingly old sailing hydrofoils. The speedtrials of the 1970's has led to a temporary increase in the evolutionary speed, but carbon reinforced polymers have caused the current revolution. I hope you enjoy my collection of photographs, from the internet, but also some old scans from books and magazines. May you be inspired.

This website has, apart from this gallery, two hydrofoil sailing pages discussing/presenting specific early sailing hydrofoils.

Monitor

The 1950's hydrofoil, using a mechanical computer they sailed at 30 knots.

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#@hanno; june 1995 View »

FD H40

Flying Dutchman H40 on hydrofoils in 1980, an experiment to increase the max speed of a single hulled sailboat.

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#@hanno; May 1980 View »

The really Old sailing hydrofoils

The group that started it all, Apollina, Nig, Baker and the slightly later Keiper Williwaw.

The not so ancient Sailing hydrofoils

The group that was centered around the speedtrials trying to break the absolute speed sailing record. In the 70's and 80's the strangest concepts were tried, many of thes had/have great potential but through the lack of funds and the lack of good materials many of them were unsuccesfull.
All nowadays succesfull concepts were however first seen at the Weymouth speed week.

The current group of Sailing hydrofoils

These years the price and possibilities of carbon fibre composites have allowed for a totally new breed of hydrofoils. Particlularly the International Moth class (the only development class in sailing) and the America's cup "class" AC72's are showing the way. In a different segment there also is the speed record breaking French Hydroptère, a slightly older developing type of hydrofoil, which has its origin/heritage in the Eric Taberly Paul Ricard hydrofoil assisted Atlantic crossing boat.

The 8 categories of sailing hydrofoils.

The AC72's wingsailed, catamaran monsters.

The international Moth class

The French Hydroptère ocean going speed machine.

The Vestas speedrocket inverted hydroil, exoplane.

The Swiss Mirambaud "hull-less" hydrofoil.

Hydrofoil kiting

Hydrofoil windsurfing.

All the other sailing hydrofoil projects.