Funny thing is, we can buy all the gear for like <3000$ and besides the board the rest is just stock standard gear available in anyshop.

Then you got these guys spending millions of dollars building totally impractical vessels and still havent managed to crack 50 knots officially (I'm sure they are capable).

It is a joke that kiters hold the record when some people spend so much effort and money trying to get that fast.

I was going to ask where you got that pic from, but I managed to find it.

More details here for anyone that is interested:

www.sail-world.com/Australia/lHydroptere-hits-61-knots!/52084

The thing about Hydroptere is that it's running in open seas! i challenge all the other contenders to do those speeds in the ocean.
Imagine if they could get the boat into some flat water 70knots?

choco said...

The thing about Hydroptere is that it's running in open seas! i challenge all the other contenders to do those speeds in the ocean.
Imagine if they could get the boat into some flat water 70knots?

That is very impressive and different for sure and is a feature of hydrofoil craft. There are some great pictures and videos on the net of Hobie Trifoilers going very fast over choppy water. Remember that a Trifoiler, 'Longshot' has held world speed records as well.
Longshot actually ran in the French Canal. I don't think they went significantly faster in the super flat water. Because their foils run below the surface, surface conditions do not help or hinder them as much as planing craft.

One of the major limitations of hydrofoils will be foil cavitation. I recon Hyrodpter are very close to the limits of their foils now. 70 knots if probably more likely from Kite boards where that issue does not arise in the same way.

I imagine if the foils started cavitating they would sure feel it.

I would really like to see this boat take the record because it can achieve those speeds in open water.

It surprises me all that technology and they leave it up to a person to trim the sail, stick your head out of a (quite slippery) car's window at 100km/h and try to pick the gusts.

I am thinking about putting similar foils to Hydroptere on the bottom of a windsurfer. What do you think would be the advantages / disadvantages of such an exercise. The aim obviously is to go fast but also to create a board that is fast in choppy water & hopefully the ocean. I have seen plenty of single foil hydrofoils windsurfers but none using three foils. The stability should be better. You could mount the front two on a track for easy adjustment. The type of board to use is the question! A formula board or a short/ wide slalom board perhaps. There should be no need for a small speed board as it will ride up on the foils. Has anyone tried it?