Flying Machine Tops 30 Knots

A sail-powered carbon fiber vessel that tops 30 knots has been hovering over the waters off Rhode Island. With drag reduced to that on the surface of a couple of stabilizers, the only part of the vessel in the water when it is at speed, top speed may only be limited by wind speed.

The Moth as a class goes back to the 1930s, but technology has led the evolution to carbon fiber and other 21st century materials. The model at the Maine Boatbuilders Show was built at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, Rhode Island. It is a 12-foot wedge-shaped vessel that lifts out of the water to ride on a horizontal stabilizer and a dagger board/rudders.
The design combines windsurfer, Hobie Cat, carbon fiber and a lot of physics to break free of the restraints of the traditional sailing vessel hull. Some of this technology has been scaled up to larger vessels by other organizations where larger bugs are still being worked out.

View video of a Moth in action.