Video: America’s Cup ‘Phenomenon Of Foiling’
Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill and Performance Manager Ian Burns recently discussed the “phenomenon of foiling” in a video, comparing foiling to “flying” and saying “it’s something that every time brings a smile to your face.”
Team skipper Jimmy Spithill said, “The feeling for me was foiling was a lot like flying; when you start gaining speed on a small plane and then instantly it takes off and leave the ground, it’s very, very similar on the water.”
Oracle’s Performance Manager Ian Burns said, “Now a days when the boat’s flying, the hydro foil is like a wing on your airplane as it moves through the water; it eventually makes enough lift to lift the boat up out of the water, and this reduces the drag and you go faster and faster.”
“The whole game is that efficiency of the boat, the instability which generally makes it faster but harder to sail, your crew’s reaction time, and the system the connects the crew to the boat.
“All of these things will determine how fast the boat can potentially go. Our goal is to increase our top speed.
Mr. Spithill concludes by saying, “The boats around now are very, very fast, and that’s an incredible feeling, it’s something that every time brings a smile to your face because it is one of the things you have to experience to really feel it.”
