There is a video clip of the model, very impressive. Intend to keep an eye on these guys though cant decide wether to watch the sailing press, the aviation press or the obituaries
There have been several cats powered by wind turbines. There is one in the Maritime Museum in Irvine Scotland that uses a modified Helicopter tail rotor. I believe that they can go straight up wind !!!!
I HAD shares in the Walker wingsail which attempted to marry standard form, luxuriously equipped cat hulls with a venetian blind style set of lift generating "wings". In function , not dissimilar to the one illustrated.
Walkers didn't deserve to go under. Another British invention that someone else will take on and make successful.
I hope this one works, but the idea of lumps of cold water hitting the cockpit canopy at 100 kts is a bit daunting.
What modifications will be needed to Colregs to cope with that sort of sustained speed ?
I remember in the 80s there was a Prout cat that went to a couple of E Coast boat shows and maybe Earl's Court too, that was powered by a bloody great fan.
As for this thing, hmmm. Like others here, I'll wait until I see the real thing in action. There've been so many great ideas on a screen that don't work so well in the flesh.
No, I haven't seen any wind turbine driven boats. I did see a solar powered cat in Sydney harbour but that's something different again. I do know it has been dmonstrated that with a turbine drive it is possible to go straight into the wind.
What would worry me about this flying machine is that everything relies on a small area of foil staying below the surface. That may work fine on a lake or at Weymouth speed week but how about the open sea? If that foil comes out of the water when emerging from a wave the whole thing will be off downwind out of control.
As far as I can tell it only 'sails' on one tack. Fine for speed trials but how would the go round the IOW for example?