Foiling dayboat features joystick-controlled forward cockpit
Want the sensation of flying across the water in complete serenity? This could be the boat for youThe radically updated Foiler, a James Bond-style foiling dayboat capable of hitting 40 knots and controlled via a joystick mounted in the bow to give the best view in the house, has had its official reveal.
Penned at Enata Industries, a Swiss, French and Singapore-based company with its boat-building hub located in the United Arab Emirates, the Foiler is a concept “equipped to the highest standards, offering luxurious features to meet the requirements of the most influential and demanding patrons”.
Its party trick is a pair of seats built into a windowed bow that creates what Enata says is a forward cockpit.
“Have you ever seen a boat with the pilot comfortably seated in the bow?” it asks. “The new joystick creates a unique and instinctive driving experience. You sail, or should we say fly, in complete serenity.
“With power and controls at your fingertips, you overtake conventional slamming and rolling powerboats effortlessly.”
Million-dollar boat
The boat, due in 2020, is priced from €764,000, which at current exchange rates translates to a hefty $A1.3 million.
It’s also available in three different layouts; a lounge-heavy Venturi with the forward helm, the indulgent and sun-loving Royale, and the traditional-looking Azure.
The boat uses four retractable foils that deploy at the press of a button to help the Foiler rise 1.5 metres off the water at 18 knots while carrying up to eight passengers. That distance from the water means it can foil in winds of between 30-35 knots.
Its top speed – rated at 40 knots – happens to be its best cruising speed, too, Enata says.
The Foiler uses an outboard engine-style 740hp hydrostatic propulsion system sending its drive to the water via a brace of “torpedoes”, with power coming from a pair of 370hp turbodiesel V8 engines.
In foiling mode, the Foiler measures 7.2 metres wide by 9.8 metres long, and will sit 3.7 metres high off the water. With the foils tucked in via its “float” mode, the beam measures just 3.3 metres, and the height 2.8 metres.
Its maker even suggests it could be used as a tender, measuring 10.0 metres long and 2.3 metres high in “garage” mode.
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