Professional BoatBuilder - December-January 2018

54 PROFESSIONAL BOATBUILDER

DESIGN: Hybrid Wing

• Caliente, a 40' (12.2m) racing cat-
  amaran for wing research. Also instru-
  mented, this cra is tted with a spec-
  tacular 62' (18.9m) hybrid wing with a
  large, so element and headsails (see
  the photo on page 59).


• Eagle, a 53' (16.2m) racing/week-
  ending catamaran—under construc-
  tion in carbon fiber prepregs, honey-
  comb, and foam core—which is
  destined to incorporate the results
  of all the research at Fast Forward.
  is vessel is designed to operate either
  with or without hydrofoils, and to
  accept either a standard racing rig or,
  ultimately, a hybrid wing.

In the shop, we learned that Eagle is

herself a test bed, intended to serve as

a half-size model of the next phase in

this signicant undertaking. She is

being built for nancier Donald Suss-

man, owner of Sunshine, a 90' (27m)

Gunboat catamaran skippered by

Tommy Gonzalez. Sussman’s vision

is to create a fully hydrofoil-borne,

hybrid-wing-propelled, cruising/rac-

ing superyacht.

is goal may be speculative, but it is

not hypothetical. Eagle was designed

by Seattle-based Paul Bieker and his

masterful CAD drasman Eric Jolley—

a partnership with extensive America’s

Cup experience. (For more about Bieker,

see “Bieker’s Boats,” PBB No. 74.)

On the shop oor we examined the

components of a hybrid wing up close.

Smyth and Gonzalez explained several

reasons why rigid wings are more

eective than so sails. e wing can

maintain a precise foil shape in a range

of wind. And the wing, unlike a con-

ventional mast, can maintain a very

smooth transition between the rigid

and so elements, minimizing turbu-

lent ow. ese wings in particular

also have extremely high-aspect ratios,

which account for the favorable li-

to-drag ratios. All these factors result

in more thrust driving the boat ahead

for less resistance through the wind

and, consequently, less heeling eort

trying to overturn the boat. Most

other modern rigid wings comprise

multiple articulating rigid elements

Peppered with instruments and electric

rams, it allows extensive tweaking of

the foils while under way. Resulting data

are transmitted directly to the shop.

• Pilot, an autonomous, electronic
  hydrofoil-control system to achieve
  automatic “smart” hydrofoiling ight
  in ocean waves at high speed. (Devel-
  opment of the algorithm was o-site.)

boatwrights. e sta of roughly 20 was

spooked by the presence of “the press,”

especially the cameras, until Gonzalez

announced, “e time has come, guys.

We’re showing them everything!”

“Everything” included:

• Stiletto, a 23' (7m) catamaran test
  vessel rigged for hydrofoil research.

HybridWing170-ADFinal.indd 54 11/1/17 8:16 AM