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Foils deflect the water downwards as the boat moves forward – the upper surface also sucks the water down, both effects create lift, sufficient to lift the entire boat clear of the water. Compared with a displacement and planing surfaces, there is much less drag due to the greatly reduced surface area and elimination of wave making resistance – the boat can then easily go twice as fast as when pushing water with the hull!
Unlike cats and trimarans, which use 3 or 4 foils, we fly on just two foils which have less drag. A secret to dinghy foiling efficiency is that the boat can be heeled to windward, especially upwind, enabling the weight of both the hull and rig to provide righting moment, which helps keep the boat upright against the breeze. No other type of sailing craft uses the weight of the entire hull to provide righting moment. This means we can apply more power and go even faster, with less drag than multihulls and even sailboards. You will experience this yourself when you foil your dinghy past Hobie cats !!
Top speed
Our customers have already recorded over 22kts on a Laser dinghy. We have have yet to find the ultimate top speed, lets see what you can do!!
Low drag
Despite first appearances, the low streamlined profile of a dinghy has very low wind resistance. At 20Kts nearly half the drag is wind resistance, so this is very beneficial.
Detachable kit ready to sail in minutes.
Launch in shallow water from your trolley.
Foils are fully retractable.
Fit your foils Insert the centrecase insert and pin on the gear block. Clip your foils together and connect the rudder. Don’t forget the washer to hold it in place. Once in the water, tip the boat on its side and insert the centreboard foil. Always clip on the retaining key before heading out.
Now launch and sail off the beach in the normal way. Lower the rudder and hold it in place using the usual retaining cord. There are no other special controls or attachments.
Once on the water, pull the centreboard back and lock it in to full lift with the gear lever. You are now ready to lean to windward, sheet on and bear away to take off.
Once you lift clear of the water, the apparent wind kicks in quickly. Bear away hard and sheet in as the boat accelerates easily to 12-15 kts. Now you are up and away. Experiment with steering and leaning before heading up for a high speed reach and testing your upwind skill which requires leaning hard and to windward! Prepare yourself for an exciting ride and see what top speed you can achieve.
If you are interested to use our Glide Free kits, please give us a call to discuss.
Glide Free was started to develop sailing kits to allow existing sailing dingy to foil. Many lightweight high-performance sailing boats exist that foil.
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