The first experimental hydrofoils appeared 120 years ago. And even from the time when a brilliant Soviet designer Alekseev put on the wing, the first Russian passenger ship, after more than 60 years. During this time he built a lot of cruise designs: and commercial vessels, and various boats. Only one on the market has seen something particularly interesting, such that it would draw attention. And at the same time the sailors are sailing for ten years will literally fly at unimaginable wings at the speed boats.
And finally, the two met manufacturer: shipyard Princess and company BAR Technologies, which sailors must “cosmic” speed cruise AC 45 yacht for the America’s Cup. And some Englishmen did not disappoint in the new boat Princess R35 got those qualities that no one model or one manufacturer of boats with underwater wings.
Forget the popular expression “goes like on rails” in relation to the boat: you do not fully understand what it is until you take a turn on the R35. The boat leaves the water it clings to her whole body. And all this thanks to two small independent wings under the bottom aft of the hull. The case of engineers to tell you how this system works; I would like to share personal feelings.
These tests took place in Valencia. The open sea, a long wave… can’t tell you how to behave Princess R35 on short-wave and long — sensations are very unusual.
Yes, a good body, Yes, powerful engines, but apart from the design nothing special, at least from the outside. Wings speed to 15 knots retracted in the casing, but even being nominated, they are not so noticeable in the water — they just a little. When waste-the approach to the pier and even at the speed of 20 knots — all on a conventional boat. But it is necessary to limit, as start to suspect something. The boat is almost on an even keel, licking each wave. Jump on the wave, oncoming or passing, does not work: R35 goes smoothly not only for “pitch”, but on the rolls. Most interestingly, and oblique course it is a wave as well, and at any speed — and we clocked it up to 48 knots!
The turns began to tighten with 30 knots and finished on a full stroke. The feelings, it’s not even a rails — with them and fly away “in the bushes”; it’s a monorail, where physically can’t go anywhere. What kind of circulation nor put astern is perfectly flat jet Wake. Drift or slippage is zero, a complete zero! The flip side of the “monorail” is a relatively small roll in cornering (roll depends on the Sport mode or Comfort, which is mounted on the dashboard), and, accordingly, a significant overload for the passengers. Still need to hold on tight! But these overloads predictable and not accompanied by a separation of the body from the water, i.e. the side not suddenly become vertical, and this smacks of a feeling in sports car racing, not during racing.
A very significant moment: when the steering seized upon one of our comrade, without thinking, he put the pen down, and was just to turn the steering wheel in all directions. And even in this situation, the wings never disappoint, and the body never lost contact with the water. However, the representative of the shipyard after that I said enough for today…
Why am I all that? And the fact that it looks like two small “smart” wing doing on our eyes, if not revolution, but evolution in the manageability and comfort of a small high-speed boats. Actually, Princess and calls his new line of R/Evolution.
