How can a boat go faster than the wind? How can it lift out of the water and fly? With the next America's Cup destined to be fought with the most advanced foiling machines that the sailing world has ever seen, Shirley Robertson investigates the phenomena gripping the sport. Though the first experimental foiling crafts came many years ago, the last America's Cup brought the world's attention to multi-million dollar carbon fiber machines racing with both hulls out of the water and just the daggerboards and rudder touching the surface. At the lighter end of the spectrum, the International Moth Class features small, highly maneuverable, state-of-the-art boats that can foil in light winds. This is Formula 1 style technology using computational fluid dynamics and composite materials that are pushing the boundaries of what a boat is and just how fast it can go. This month, the MainSail team investigates the development of foiling, explains just how it works and how it's rapidly changing the very nature of the sport. We also meet the new generation of sailors come pilots who are dominating this new world.
