Second act: Here’s how this company is propelling hydrofoils into the mainstream

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In conversation with Eric Lockman, CEO of Vessev, a company developing the next generation of electrically powered hydrofoils.

“The new breed of hydrofoils today is totally different than what came before,” Eric Lockman, CEO of Vessev, tells IE.These futuristic-looking boats, skimming on wing-like foils above the waves, once seemed destined to revolutionize water transport. Yet, they remained a fringe curiosity for decades, needing more efficiency and complexity.

The America’s Cup yacht race has been a crucial catalyst for hydrofoil advancement. “You now had boats that could sail at three times the wind speed,” Lockman explained. This push for extreme performance has led to more efficient hydrofoil designs and cheaper composite materials instead of expensive metals.The electric vehicle revolution has played a pivotal role in making hydrofoils commercially viable. “Marine’s a big industry on its own, but it’s not as big as automotive,” Lockman noted.

“Think about smaller lakes,” Lockman suggested. “With traditional boats, waves can make the ride unpleasant. Hydrofoils can offer a smooth, comfortable experience on those same routes, even with smaller vessels.” “Whereas the computer that was on the Boeing Jetfoil took up an entire room with analog circuits, you can now buy a consumer drone for a couple hundred dollars that has all the same computing hardware,” Lockman explained. “The math has got better in the way we control vehicles, and low-cost actuators have now become more available on the market. So what we’re seeing today is an entirely new class of vessel.

 

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