round six years in development, the
Hydrofoiler XE-1 is an ingenious, hybrid
machine comprising components of a bike,
a propeller and carbon-fibre hydrofoils. It
‘rides’ on water – at quite a decent speed –
and as an ‘all-terrain’ model it’s suitable for
lakes, rivers and sea.
The brainchild of a pair of Waikato designers/inventers/
entrepreneurs – Guy Howard-Willis and Roland Alonzo – the
Hydrofoiler is now in production at their Cambridge-based
company, Manta5. Getting one for this year’s Christmas
stocking might be a little tricky, but you won’t have to wait too
much longer.
Their respective skills have proved a winning combo. Though
a keen cyclist, Guy also has a passion for watersports. He also
has business nous – he established Torpedo7 a few years ago
and it’s now a leading outdoor and adventure sports retail chain.
Alonzo’s an accomplished bicycle designer who operates at the
rarified end of cutting-edge technology.
They’ve been working on the hydrofoiler since 2011 –
coming to grips with the subtleties of hydrofoils and propeller
profiles. You’ll be familiar with the foil concept: like AC50 cats,| subscribe | magstore.nz/boatingnewzealand Boating New Zealand 33
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HydrobikeWORDS BY LAWRENCE SCHÄFFLER
PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED