Hydrofoil Sailboats are Faster than the Wind

         Small sailboats are as fast as the wind but hydrofoil sailboats are faster than the wind. This is possible through construction of foils under the hull. You might think this hydrofoil concept is a new concept when actually the concept was born in1906. William E Meacham was the first to explain the basic principles of hydrofoils. He was a peer of Alexander Graham Bell who considered this idea to be monumental. Bell drew the early plans of a hydrofoil and in the summer of 1908 the first hydrofoil experiments began. Casey Baldwin teamed up with Bell and an Italian named Enrico Forlanini and they developed the first hydrofoil watercraft.  The first rides took place in Italy and Baldwin described it to be as smooth as flying. Top speeds at that time were almost 90 mph. In 1919 the record of 114 mph was set.



Be sure to look up Sailing Hydrofoil videos on YouTube!