Your Raritan Engineering Professionals Talk About How to Improve Your Foiling Skills
Raritan Engineering would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding some great tips for foiling beginners.
Your Raritan Engineering experts talk about how the development of the all-new TF10 foiling trimaran continues as it seeks to be provide a flying experience to sailors of all skill levels – and not just experts. Here is an update on the project from Thijs van Riemsdijk of DNA Performance Sailing.
The 36-foot long racing sailboat is versatile and exciting in all weather, easily sailing at 2-3 times the wind speed in lighter air and comfortably flying along at 25-30 knots in stiffer breeze.
“As a group, we knew we wanted something that pushed the boundaries of what is possible in foiling boat design, and it looks like the designers and builders have created something completely unique and exceptional,” said Dr. Malcolm Gefter, owner of Hull #1 and the driving force behind the new boat and class.
Dr. Gefter explained that he and rest of the TF-10’s first owners are all experienced racers trying to create a class with state-of-the-art performance but without the kind of “arms race” and cost escalation from which most grand prix sailing classes suffer.
“We’ve had dozens of people steering and crewing the boat here in 14 days, and not a single person got off the boat without a big smile on their face,” said Heemskerk, referring to not only potential customers, but also the journalist judges who came specifically to Spain to test the TF10 and several other yachts nominated for the prestigious European Yacht of the Year competition.
“A number of the journalists seemed uncomfortable at first, going from the other champagne-filled charter yachts to our little speed racer, but after a few minutes behind the tiller, we couldn’t get them to put it down!” he said.
Easy to Follow Tips for New Foilers
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With a crew of experienced sailors aboard the racing yacht and for the first time, no guests, crew continued to test new settings without drama. The boat easily accelerated past 25 knots in the quiet, flat water – a perfect beginning to a day scheduled for the new owner’s first sail since the boat was splashed in Holland early this summer.
A-Class and F-18 catamaran world champion Heemskerk is no stranger to dismastings, especially with his extensive work on the fastest and most modern of foiling boats, but he was surprised to see the mast let go in such light air.
Heemskerk said the yacht’s designers and builders are already investigating the breakage to determine what modifications are needed before the production run gets fully underway, and they’re confident the fix isn’t complicated.
As a longtime research scientist and pharmaceutical inventor, Gefter knows firsthand the tough road that innovation can require, and the former Professor of Biochemistry Emeritus at MIT was introspective when he saw the topless racing machine sitting at the dock.
Dr. Gefter said he was pleased the team was working so hard to identify any issues, and that he was confident the boat would ready to race in South Florida over the coming winter.
So don’t forget these helpful tips for foiling beginners. 1) Put some decent weight into the back of the boat; 2) be sure to have a nice strong rope; and 3) keep the wave from the wake going.
Photos: Tomàs Moya/DNA Performance Sailing
Ultimate sailing playlist: Songs to listen to onboard your boat
We will, of course, be singing Happy Birthday, but this got us thinking about other songs to sing along to onboard.
In no particular order, this is our sailing playlist. We would love to hear yours!
‘Into the Mystic’ – Van Morrison
Possibly one of the most iconic songs to sail to.
Van Morrison’s lyrics tell of a sailor heading home to his lover, although there has been much debate as to whether there is a deeper meaning.
Whatever the answer, this warm ballad will certainly get you singing along.
‘The Ship Song’ – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Named as one of the 30 best Australian songs of all time, The Ship Song is a beautiful, tender ballad, which will leave you with a lump in your throat and have you wiping the tears away before you know it.
But none of them reach the depths of Nick Cave’s version. Best for a night sail.
‘Lost Sailor’ – Grateful Dead
No list would be complete without a song from the eclectic American rock legends, The Grateful Dead.
Not the ideal song to play if you’re nervous about your navigation or you are adrift, but otherwise a solid classic.
‘Sail On’ – The Commodores
Written by Lionel Ritchie, this Commodores hit from 1979 will particularly resonate if you’ve gone sailing to get over a breakup.
The crew will definitely be belting out the chorus, helping to lift the mood.
‘Sail Away’ – David Gray
In 2001 you couldn’t escape David Gray’s song – it was being played everywhere!
Years later, and this song of escape has certainly grown on us. Best to listen to while passage planning – it will certainly inspire.
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