Foiling Week: Ifly 15 Camp Report & Video

Good video above and report below sent by Michael Miller. On board footage of the iFly15 looking well foiling upwind.

E-Michael Miller, the developer and manufacturer of the iFLY:

“Here at Foiling Week I was testing for the first time the prototype of iFLY mainfoil differential under race conditions. The boost in vmg upwind is breath-taking. With system set correctly, I was able to hold the pace of the Flying Phantoms upwind. The iFLY was full foiling upwind. We are developing the advanced technology of mainfoil differential since 2 years. Such a system needs to be simple and user friendly. Notably increasing righing moment allows sailing more powerful rigs, which brings further performance advantages in light wind conditions. In good winds, we stay convinced, that iFLY standard size rig of 7.5m is the best choice for most sailors. Very skilled sailors ambitious to win races against other classes can consider iFLY15 with oversized rig and mainfoil differential. The positive effect of the iFLY differential rake is especially strong as we are working on the rake of our powerful T-shaped mainfoil. This increases righting moment way more efficiently than by working on the rudder foils only.

I am currently as a test pilot gaining more experience with this new performance feature, exploring the boundaries. On race day one I was pushing the new technology to the limits in conditions, that were a bit strong for the oversized mainsail used (5Bft. gusting 6Bft.). So I did a couple of capsizes and could only finish 3 of 6 races after some material breakdown. Considering this, the race result of the four Flying Phantoms and the A-cat ending up in front are quite natural. Also 2 of the 7 other  could sneak in front of me is painful for me as the developer, considering the much higher performance potential of the iFLY and being able passing them before and after my involuntary sailing pauses.

All the more, I am happy to see Jentje de Boer with his iFLY on the podium. Third place at Foiling Week after starting sailing just 2019. An amazing learning curve for a beginner! Congratulations to the jubilant winner from Holland, who has taken advantage of the 5 days iFLY training session before the start of the Foiling Week and celebrating this great success!