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It flies! The first tests of the BirdyFish have just taken place in La Rochelle (end of November 2018) and for its first tacks, this new dinghy took off. Jean-Baptiste Morin tells us, " All it takes is 8 knots of wind for the boat to take off. It was great to see the two crew members come back to shore with huge smiles on their faces! ".
The BirdyFish project that is being launched today was born in the minds of two engineering students in La Rochelle, who were quickly joined by Jean-Baptiste, who graduated from a business school: " The pitch is simple: to offer to all the practitioners the possibility of flying on the water with the sail. To make fly all those who can't do Class A or Moth foil. "and to add with malice, " Personally, I have never bathed as much as when I tried to take off in a Moth... "
The BirdyFish has been designed to offer a support to sailing schools for learning to fly. It must be easy to sail and made at an affordable price. So this dinghy has 2 carbon L-foils that stay down all the time during the sailing. The boat leans on the leeward foil and the windward one stabilizes it. A supporting plane on the rudder keeps the boat in flight.
To simplify the maneuver (and the price) no flight adjustment is possible: no feeler or adjustable trim. It is the weight of the crew that is used as a rake. We move backwards or forwards to manage the boat's attitude.
Designed by Etienne Bertrand, this BirdyFish has a hull that looks like the Fireball. No doubt its chines and its marotte bow recall this legendary dinghy. " We wanted a scow hull because we want to offer a versatile dinghy. It must be able to sail without its foils and remain pleasant. "This dinghy, which measures 4.65 m, keeps a width of 1.80 m for effective recall.
Today the BirdyFish prototype is sailing. It will be exhibited for the first time at the Nautic de Paris 2018. The will of the design team is to meet sailing schools and future customers to work well on the target and offer a finished product as close as possible to their expectations before launching the mass production.
But a price has already been set: 12 500 HT, a little more than a sailing school catamaran.
