If you thought the current trend for foiling boats resulted in some strange looking craft you ain’t seen nothing yet. A specialist shipyard in La Rochelle, France has started building a range of wing-shaped catamarans that rely on aerodynamics rather than hydrodynamics to help them ‘fly’ over the water. Known as Advanced Aerodynamic Vessels, or A2Vs, they are capable of speeds up to 50 knots while also halving the fuel consumption of a typical craft of this size and pace.
They work by taking advantage of an aerodynamic phenomenon known as wing-inground effect. Conventional plane wings are shaped in such a way that as they pass through the air they generate low pressure on the top side and high pressure on the underside. The combined effect is lift. The closer the wing is to the ground, or in this case the surface of the sea, the more efficient it becomes as the high-pressure air is sandwiched between two surfaces. This is even more effective in the case of a catamaran as the hulls prevent the high-pressure air escaping from the side as well, creating more lift relative to speed.
Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
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Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
