Meet the foiling catamaran for family sailors - the fantastic Formula Whisper

How you could be foiling in hours rather than years. Until now, sailing on hydrofoils has been largely for pro sailors and those with a surplus of talent and time. But as Matthew Sheahan discovers aboard a brand new production built foiling cat, flying could soon be for all

[@windchaser8771]

This amazing British flying boat just won American SAIL magazine's Best Boat 2016 award in the 'Performance Multihull under 30ft' category. Apparently it even took off with the magazine's "increasingly creaky and cranky 195lb, executive editor"! The Whisper's 2015 price is £20,000. Great film Matt and Richard.

[@marvinm8446]

The catamaran is extremely beautiful and impressive👍🏽🫶🏽⛵🚣🏽‍♂️.

[@adolfodelreyllaurado1145]

really, very interesting !!! ... the catamarans have changed a lot ... when I was young ... I had several, a Condor 16 (from Zygal Boats), a Mystere 17 (from Sailcraft of Reg White factory), a Dart 18 (from Panthercraft), a Hydra 16 (from JJ Australia) a vinylester Tornado (from Panthercraft) and all of them were very, very, very different from the current flying catamarans ... your Whisper seems to me to be an extraordinary ship ... and very aesthetic ...

[@funtosail]

Not sure why this would be a family boat, boat only accommodates 2 people, but ok. I looked at this boat and the iFly15. Whisper cat is good but with the wand being on the trailing edge of the forward foils is not great as than the flaps that control the angle of the foils reacts late to the waves, making inconsistent flight. Foil controls are basic. Plus with a foiling boat you really do not need hulls longer than 14-16 feet. More length is just a waste as your flying with no need for much in the water hull performance. The iFly has an amazing flight control system that make foiling amazingly easy. The wands are in front of the forward foils allowing the foil flaps to react on time. Still a nice boat if you take those issue into consideration.

[@markwarren2695]

Great approach to a complex problem, if the numbers (speeds) look good, I would not be surprised to see these in production soon.

[@kitersrefuge7353]

Fantastic. I want one.

[@geoffrobinson7104]

Awesome boat. Great stability on 4 T's. What has happened in the last two years?

[@benharris8445]

With the Whisper being tested at Weston SC, Southampton, and having been to visit it at the RYA Dinghy Show, I was pretty sure it was 18ft. The brochure/information leaflet given out at the dinghy show definitely says 18ft rather that 20ft.

[@bowwave59]

Nice boat. Like to try it.

[@waterworldcat]

So what speeds does it do ?

[@NeonsStyleHD]

Now that's a lot better length of video. Great boat, however you never mentioned what it would end up selling for when it hits the market?

[@7Andrzej]

+NeonsStyle The boat's designer, Ron Price, has been quoted as saying he has a target price of £15,000 for a complete boat when it hits the market.

[@NeonsStyleHD]

thankyou

[@ColinCren]

I'd be worried about those t-foils being outside of the boundary of the boat during mark roundings and tight racing though. I think that's the motivation of other cat classes to us L or C foils. Moths it doesn't matter so much because the beam is so wide from the board position with those wings.

[@victoriagrainger9446]

78kg - wow!

[@NigelLoller]

I bet the rudder pintles area is under a phenomenal amount of load when in a fully foiling bear away situation Also why do we only ever see foiling boats in flat calm conditions with an off shore wind ???

[@Kyle69777]

its calm water cause theyre sailing in places where its always calm

[@bowwave59]

What's it handicap?

[@RoughDiamondz]

Is it really that different from a Nacra? Also I'd say kite foiling is waaay cheaper.

[@vall1320]

You say it’s for everyone but it has like trapezes and stuff. I highly doubt it’s as easy to sail as like the hobicats many family’s have

[@ryanpalm6415]

Why would I buy this over a phantom essential with self stabilizing foils? They are only 2k apart in price so thats certainly a wash.

[@rgarro77]

When I grow up Im going to build my own one

[@dahlendol3581]

Video is 9:11 long and the boat is flying, what could that mean?

[@roythompson6137]

And the production price to public? That will make the real difference as to whether it takes off (pun) or not.

[@7Andrzej]

+Roy Thompson The boat's designer, Ron Price, has been quoted as saying he has a target price of £15,000 for a complete boat when it hits the market.

[@danielbrace4183]

plz give me one

[@zip7806]

TURN DOWN YOUR AUDIO!

[@homefront3162]

Almost as nice as the FCS

[@dundeedolphin]

Doesn't look so much faster on the foils.

[@Nils_Hammarsten]

HC 16 is mord rubust.

[@jonathanalea]

And cheaper

[@jonathanlevine8497]

Interesting, but buddy needs to stop rattling on about the Moth and get hip to the TriFoiler.

[@Engineeringcam]

Looks far less refined than the Flying Phantom

[@stevesugg2532]

6:33 amd still he is banging on about crap. How about the sailing.

[@timbarnes956]

Matthew, you are doing a voice over, we don't need your fat head on the screen getting in the way of the boat. Watch out or you'll turn into the Chris Packham of the sailing world . . .

[@sggr7708]

a piece of rubbish to sale ! its a bad ! catamaran ! work on it !