Flyak
Encyclopedia
The Flyak is a hydrofoil
adaptation to the conventional kayak
. It uses twin hydrofoils designed to raise the hull
out of the water
to increase the speed. Speeds of up to 27.2 km/h (7.6 m·s−1, 16.9 mph) can be achieved on calm water.
. At high speeds the entire hull is lifted 15 cm (5.9 in) from the water, reducing the drag
and allows greater speeds – reportedly more than twice the speed of a conventional kayak.
and Peter Ribe
in Norway
and released in 2005. The hydrofoil
lift method is well established for motor- and man-powered water craft, but the Flyak is the first to incorporate the design into a commercially marketed kayak
. Initial price estimate is US$2500.
was performed pitting Olympic
athlete Andreas Gjersøe
in a Flyak against the four-man Norwegian
National Team in a K4 kayak November 13, 2005. This race was featured on "Beyond Tomorrow" broadcast on February 8, 2006. It was reported that the Flyak won by a boat length. A K1 sprint specialist in a conventional kayak would expect to be some five seconds slower than a four-man boat over 200 m.
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
adaptation to the conventional kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
. It uses twin hydrofoils designed to raise the hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
out of the water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
to increase the speed. Speeds of up to 27.2 km/h (7.6 m·s−1, 16.9 mph) can be achieved on calm water.
Design
The Flyak has two hydrofoil fins below the surface of the water to create liftLift (force)
A fluid flowing past the surface of a body exerts a surface force on it. Lift is the component of this force that is perpendicular to the oncoming flow direction. It contrasts with the drag force, which is the component of the surface force parallel to the flow direction...
. At high speeds the entire hull is lifted 15 cm (5.9 in) from the water, reducing the drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
and allows greater speeds – reportedly more than twice the speed of a conventional kayak.
History
The Flyak was designed by Einar RasmussenEinar Rasmussen
Einar Rasmussen is a Norwegian sprint canoer who competed from the mid 1970s to the late 1980s. He won ten medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with four golds , three silvers , and three bronzes Einar Rasmussen (born 16 July 1956) is a Norwegian sprint canoer who competed from the...
and Peter Ribe
Peter Ribe
Peter Ribe is a Norwegian sprint canoer who competed in the early to mid 1990s. He won a bronze medal in the K-2 10000 m event at the 1993 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Copenhagen....
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and released in 2005. The hydrofoil
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
lift method is well established for motor- and man-powered water craft, but the Flyak is the first to incorporate the design into a commercially marketed kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
. Initial price estimate is US$2500.
Comparisons and records
A 200 m sprintRacing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
was performed pitting Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
athlete Andreas Gjersøe
Andreas Gjersøe
Andreas Georg Gjersøe is a Norwegian sprint canoer who competed in the mid 2000s. He finished fifth in the K-4 1000 m event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens....
in a Flyak against the four-man Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
National Team in a K4 kayak November 13, 2005. This race was featured on "Beyond Tomorrow" broadcast on February 8, 2006. It was reported that the Flyak won by a boat length. A K1 sprint specialist in a conventional kayak would expect to be some five seconds slower than a four-man boat over 200 m.