Flying high

摘要

Hydrofoils have transformed the America's Cup. "Flying has spoiled us... the race won't return to displacement boats now", admits double Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy. Likewise, 'flying' may have the same effect on a swathe of commercial craft. "Water has almost 1,000 times the density of air," says Percy, so a foil just a fraction of the size "will generate the same force as a huge aircraft wing". With this in mind, Percy is now leading Artemis Technologies, a tech spin-off of the racing venture, to apply the concept to an issue that's previously held back all-electric vessels: range. Recently, the company has begun working with an eclectic mix of companies on a ferry demonstrator which will help reduce congestion in Belfast, the crowded capital of Northern Ireland.