A great first
Whilst the IMOCA hydrofoil boats have only just reached Les Sables d'Olonne after the Vendée Globe, the Mini 6.50 of SEAir has just taken a new step forward. Whilst the IMOCA hydrofoils only relieve the hull of the boats and give them more power, the appendages installed by SEAir on its Mini 6.50 literally make it fly.
This is the first time an ocean racing monohull has taken off over the waves. The Mini SEAir reached a speed of 15 knots with a true wind of 8 knots.
A boat already a pioneer
To conduct these flight tests, SEAir adapted foils on a boat that has already made its mark on the Mini class and naval architecture. It is the Mini 747, Magnum, by David Raison, who was the first to present a voluminous bow in the manner of a scow. The skipper-architect had won the 2011 edition of the mini-transat with his sailboat, then devoid of foils, but whose power already outperformed many prototypes of the class.
Future developments
The objective of SEAir, the company founded in Lorient by Bertrand Castelnérac and Richard Forest, is to prepare the nautical industry for the democratization of foils, by improving the knowledge of the mechanics of boat flight. Fully instrumented, the new Mini 6.50 flying, will allow to collect a maximum of data, in order to find the best technical solutions. To be continued, hopefully with beautiful pictures!
