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The SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran | |
The SYZ & CO is a high-performance catamaran equipped with hydrofoils (wing-like foils mounted under the hull) that enable her hulls to lift out of the water at a certain speed, thus drastically reducing the vessel’s wetted area, which results in minimised drag and greatly enhanced speed compared to classical sailing craft.
World-leading specialists have implemented leading-edge technologies in the development of this prototype. Its construction revealed to combine minute crafting precision and highly advanced materials such as titanium or high-grade carbon fibre. She has been launched on 1 October 2008.
| Summary |
| Concept |
Patrick Firmenich, Jean Pfau, Jean Psarofaghis, Alex Schneiter |
| Architects |
VPLP (Van Peteghem – Lauriot Prévost) |
| Engineering/Structure/Composite Materials |
Clemens Dransfeld and the Polymer Engineering Institute of the Haute Ecole Universitaire of Northwest Switzerland |
| Hydrodynamics |
Giorgio Provinciali; Michel Kermarec |
| Construction: |
Psaros Shipyard in Vésenaz (Geneva) and ZR Concept in Echandens (Vaud) |
| Specifications |
| LWL |
9.8 m |
| LOA |
11.8 m |
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BOA |
10 m |
| Mast Length |
15.4 m |
| Air Draught |
16.5 m |
| Weight |
700 kg |
| Crew |
4 |
| Sail Area |
85 m2 (close haul), 150 m2 (running) |
| Materials and technologies used |
| Hulls |
Carbon-Nomex |
| Appendices |
High module carbon |
| Beams |
High module carbon |
| Mast |
Very high module carbon tilting wing mast |
| Rigging |
Carbon rig |
| Sails |
3Di / 3DL / North Sails (Switzerland) |
| Hydraulic system |
Foil dihedral, foil flaps, main sheet, mast tilting |
| Foil details |
| Overall length V-Foils |
4.5 m |
| Overall length T-Foil |
2.5 m |
| Overall span T-Foil |
1.6 m |
| Functionalities |
Straight V-shape main foils with flaps and winglets. Individual vertical and dihedral adjustment. Foils serve as daggerboards in archimedean mode. Incidence of T-Foil can be adjusted. |
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| SYZ & CO: « Foilie Dure en Eau Douce » |
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14.06.2011 Voiles et Voiliers, one of the leading sailing magazines in France and Europe, dedicated a double two-page spread to the SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran in their 40th anniversary issue in June. The feature was published as part of an article dedicated to the lake’s fastest sailing boats.
To read the article, please click here.
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| Speed record attempt 14 October 2009 |
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| First flight - 1st April 2009 |
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| First sailing test - Xmas 2008 |
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