Foiling Sailboats!

[PonoBill]

OK, the Skeetah is pretty cool. I was thinking more like UFO, but all the boats look like too much fun. I'm in. Fixing bent and twisted stuff is just part of the adventure. The lake Garda lessons look cool and would probably be a reasonable first step. It is, however, in Italy, which is hard to drive to and would require eating a lot of food. It's also the start of the Dolomites which means other travels in the area would be required. The website is apparently in Klingon, but there is, fortunately, a Klingon to American translate button. I don't know what currency the prices are listed in, from what I recall of the the lake Garda area (been there once on a motorcycle trip) it might be in Krugerrands.

[Admin]

This guy is hitting 25 MPH in his Skeeta.  So cool.  I am guessing he is hitting the limits of the foils.  They certainly are yelling at him.



We are sure to do some damage if we get near those speeds.  On the upside, there is an incredible aftermarket moth part business, a lot of which should be adaptable. 

These guys are making the Skeeta carbon bits Mast booms, etc, but check out the sexy moth stuff: https://cst-marine.com/moth/

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-fni6c0u228/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/126/700/2021-3-24_10.24.18__68523.1627869413.jpg?c=2?imbypass=on

and these 3D sails are the shit (and cheap ):

https://www.northsails.com/sailing/store/international-moth-bi-9dsx-mainsail

We clearly need this!

[Solent Foiler]

Lake Garda is a stunning place to sail and spend time. Raced there a few times and has never disappointed. Hoping to go out for foiling week with my brother in law at some point with the wing.

The sexy carbon stuff is like moths to a flame. Almost irresistible, and costly! Having said that, I'm looking forward to getting my 999 just so I can show my Moth buddies that yes, we also have thin, high aspect foils too now!

Perhaps unfair, but interesting to compare the footage of the Skeeta going downwind vs a well sailed Moth or Waszp, which basically has the main pinned on the centre line the whole time as the apparent wind is always forward, irrespective of the direction you're sailing.

Can you foiling tack a Skeeta? That was a bit of 'holy grail' in Moth foiling initially, a bit like a winging back flip. Once it was demonstrated possible, it caught on pretty quick, but it did making racing a bit uneven, split between those who could and could not for a time. Still pretty challenging to learn, by all accounts...

[Admin]

Can you foiling tack a Skeeta? That was a bit of 'holy grail' in Moth foiling initially, a bit like a winging back flip. Once it was demonstrated possible, it caught on pretty quick, but it did making racing a bit uneven, split between those who could and could not for a time. Still pretty challenging to learn, by all accounts...

He does a couple of foiling tacks in this vid.  It is a very cool technique!  I have always wanted to visit Lake Garda.  This may be an excuse!

[Admin]

The sexy carbon stuff is like moths to a flame. Almost irresistible, and costly! Having said that, I'm looking forward to getting my 999 just so I can show my Moth buddies that yes, we also have thin, high aspect foils too now!

Perhaps unfair, but interesting to compare the footage of the Skeeta going downwind vs a well sailed Moth or Waszp, which basically has the main pinned on the centre line the whole time as the apparent wind is always forward, irrespective of the direction you're sailing.

Hah!  You will like this.  His conclusion, "They're pretty simple, the moths".  Yeah coming from an America's cup background .  Check out his vang system.  They have those rigs crazy tensioned.  So cool, and massively efficient like you said.

[PonoBill]

It does seem quite weird that the alternative boats to a moth have such an unusual and probably inefficient sail-to-mast connection. You just don't see loose-footed and loose-luff sails very often.

[tarquin]

As solentfoiler has said moths are full on race boats. The Skeetas and Ufo's are get you out there foiling boats. Not in the same price or skill bracket. That boom and mainsheet system on the Moth probably costs more than the whole rig and sail on the Skeeta.
I nearly bought a UFO years ago. It was a demo boat bought to France. A mate was selling a moth at the same time. He laughed when I said I might be interested in buying it. He spent months of swimming and frustration to just get OK. Where as a Skeeta or UFO you can jump on and be foiling a few hours later.

[Admin]

Skeeta or UFO you can jump on and be foiling a few hours later.

Even a few months sounds great!  I am ready to fly again

[jondrums]

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/boa/d/sunnyvale-ufo-foiling-sailboat/7393400354.html

[Admin]

This is great.  Just the listings from October will keep you busy.  These guys are turning stuff over like wing foilers

I have no good reason to be looking at this stuff...but I love it.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/399647313568164/

[tarquin]

Yes the turn over of Moths is quick. Oh you bought that last week!!!!! Don't bother racing it anymore. Its why my friend sold his for half the price he bought it for. Another reason not to buy a Moth.

[tarquin]

Look at getting things fixed and replacement cost.
The UFO 's are well built. There is a great vid of how they build them and are constantly changing to keep things as efficient as possible.
The Skeeta was not in production when I looked.

[tarquin]

Like trying to compare anything these days. One gives overall weight one is just hull. Inches/cm.
How they are built. Epoxy or other resin. How the foils are built etc. Where they are made. Thats what I looked into. The Skeeta was only for sale in Oz.
Will they stay in production and bring out new foils and sails.

[Admin]

Look at getting things fixed and replacement cost.
The UFO 's are well built. There is a great vid of how they build them and are constantly changing to keep things as efficient as possible.
The Skeeta was not in production when I looked.

Those are all great points.  UFO looks nice as well.  The Skeeta design and videos drew me in but I can see advantages to both.  Skeetas are just now showing up here in the USA.  The distributor told me that the first container went to SailGP team who did some demos with them and I believe some made it into the wild.  They are expecting the first container in November for open order.  These are Cobra Epoxy boats.  Durability remains to be seen.   The partner brands and components that I have seen look good.  Not Moth level Sexy but well done.  This is all web stuff though, so always a bit of an unknown and a gamble. 

[Admin]

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