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.
Design
The Flyak has two hydrofoil fins below the surface of the water to create
lift
Lift or LIFT may refer to:
Physical devices
* Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods
** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop
** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobil ...
. 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.
History
The Flyak was designed by
Einar Rasmussen
Einar Rasmussen (born 16 July 1956) is a Norwegian sprint canoeist who competed from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s. He won ten medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with four golds (K-1 10000 m: 1981, 1983 ...
and
Peter Ribe
Peter Ribe (born November 7, 1966) 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.
Ribe also competed at the ...
in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
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.
Comparisons and records
A 200 m
sprint was performed pitting
Olympic athlete Andreas Gjersøe
Andreas Georg Gjersøe (sometimes shown as Andreas Gjersø, born 6 August 1976 in Bærum) is a Norwegian sprint canoer who competed from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s. He finished fifth in the K-4 1000 m event at the 2004 Summer Olympics i ...
in a Flyak against the four-man
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
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 and a half. A K1 sprint specialist in a conventional kayak would expect to be some five seconds slower than a four-man boat over 200 m.
See also
*
Kayak
*
Human-powered hydrofoil
A human-powered hydrofoil is a small hydrofoil watercraft propelled entirely by the muscle power of its operator(s). Hydrofoils are the fastest water-based vehicles propelled solely by human power. They can reach speeds of up to ,
easily excee ...
*
Human-powered watercraft
*
Hydrofoil
References
External links
YouTube video of Flyak in motionHuman-Powered-Hydrofoils.com
{{Canoeing and kayaking
Kayaks
Hydrofoils