Strong wind for a first navigation
For this Befoil 16 Sport The first postponement was due to snow in Brittany, but the wind was there. No sun, but a strong north-east wind, between 15 and 20 knots. For a flying boat neophyte, the conditions in front of the Centre Nautique de Kerguelen, in Larmor Plage, are quite challenging. I will be able to be used as a guinea pig to measure the famous accessibility of the boat.
After some preparation and adjustments detailed in the rest of our report, we can rig our sails. The jib and its zipper line are quickly hoisted. The battened mainsail is hooked up and we lower the boat, ready to sail. If you have to be careful with the appendages not to hurt yourself when removing the cart and getting on board, it turns out to be almost as easy as for a classic sport catamaran.
A crew member who can enjoy the spectacle of the boat flying
To start, Morgann Blayo, in charge of the tests for Befoil on the Atlantic and Channel coasts, takes the helm. Once away from the beach, we lowered the foils and the boat quickly picked up speed. While the wind seemed to have died down while we were rigging in the shelter, the 20-knot gusts are still there on the water. Without reefing, we are slightly over-sailed. However, the boat remains reassuring. We chose to install the optional ladders and the crew member that I am can safely go from one side to the other to ensure the rappel without the need for a trapeze. The self-tacking jib appreciates a boost in maneuvers but could almost do without it. Once the boat is well in hand, as is the case with Morgann, taking neophytes on board in manageable conditions seems perfectly accessible. The boat fulfills this first criterion of its program of democratization of the foil. To feel the pleasure of flying, above the waves without hitting them, while reaching 20 knots as a spectator, could give rise to vocations.
Steering a flying boat with (almost) no anxiety
I am not a specialist in light sailing and sport catamarans. Even less so for foil boats. But it's time to take the helm. Morgann keeps the mainsheet. I quickly manage to get the little multihull up and running. The rocks of Larmor Plage at low tide are not conducive to long tacks, but the boat flies upwind and downwind. Following Morgann's explanations, I watch my bows and put the boat back on the flat as soon as it seems to heel too much. This does not prevent me from unhooking my rudders. The boat heels over and comes back flat. We restart and make stable flights, faster than the wind.
If the regulation of listening to my crew member is surely a big part of it, the trust is there. I imagine being able to manage the boat with a crew member quickly after a few sessions of coaching in more manageable conditions to start with. The manufacturer claims that the boat takes off from 8 knots of wind. With its reasonable size of 16 feet, the Befoil 16 Sport is technically an accessible entry point to flying boats.
