What Does Foiling Mean In Sailing?

Foiling is a technique where a boat or board lifts above the water on specially fitted hydrofoils, reducing drag and increasing efficiency and speed, especially in lighter conditions. The North Sails What Is video series aims to answer complex questions about foiling. A hydrofoil is a lifting surface that operates in water, and the GC32 is fitted with four of them. The foils are attached to each of the two hulls, the J-foil.

The advantage of foiling is that it reduces drag, increases speed, and provides additional lift at planing speeds. The enemy of fast boats is the amount of effort required to push them through the water. Planing boats go some way to address this issue by using hydrofoil yachts equipped with wing-like foils that lift the hull out of the water as it gains speed. This reduces drag, increases speed, and provides a more efficient sailing experience.

The shape of the foil means that water travels faster over the top surface than the bottom. Physics dictates that the faster velocity over the top of the foil is faster than the bottom. A sailing hydrofoil, hydrofoil sailboat, or hydrosail is a sailboat with wing-like foils mounted under the hull. As the craft increases its speed, the foils generate more lift, raising the boat and reducing the amount of foil in the water until equilibrium.

Foiling refers to the use of hydrofoils attached to the hull of fast boats, providing additional lift at planing speeds.