Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

hydrofoils

Sailrocket 2 breaks sailing speed record at 68 mph

If you think wind power will never get you anywhere, take a ride on the Sailrocket 2, a specially engineered sailboat that has set a new sailing speed record.

Sponsored by Danish wind turbine maker Vestas, the Sailrocket accelerated to 59.23 knots (68.1 mph) on Walvis Bay off the coast of Namibia. The speed was the best average time over 500 meters (546 yards), but the craft was later clocked at 64.78 knots (74.5 mph).

The World Sailing Speed Record Council has certified a speed of 54.08 knots (62.2 mph) and is assessing faster claims.

The 40-foot, British-built craft weighs just over 600 pounds but skims along the water on hydrofoils. It was built from carbon fiber with a core of Nomex Honeycomb, a composite material. Titanium was also used in the construction.… Read more

Dreamboat for Orca?

Once again, technology finds inspiration in nature. This Orca-like craft is actually a catamaran.

Paritet Boat, the Moscow-based boat manufacturer, has released a successor to the glass-bottom Looker. The Looker is a hydrofoil boat--a boat with two wing-like struts mounted to the bottom of the hull. When you pick up enough speed, the hydrofoils raise the entire hull out of the water and you're essentially riding on the hydrofoils. This provides less drag and, therefore, less fuel needed for going fast.

Paritet's newest boat, the Ellips, has the same whale-shaped design, but is actually a catamaran. This means … Read more