If it doesn't float, is it a 'boat'?

2:24 PM Thu 14 May 2009 GMT

'Mirabaud LX - the ’’boat’’ with no buoyancy' Mirabaud LX

The experimental sailing boat Mirabaud LX has successfully completed its first ride with no buoyancy whatsoever. The foiler will participate in Weymouth speed week this year. But is it a boat?

The 2009 version of the Mirabaud LX foiler was presented to the public and media this morning during a press conference at the Soci?t? Nautique de Gen?ve. Supported by Mirabaud & Cie, Banquiers Priv?s, Thomas Jundt's foiler captivated the national and international sailing audience last year thanks to its revolutionary concept. The 2009 version of the 'boat' represents a new step forward.

The Mirabaud LX 2009 has a new 'hull' that favours speed and stability in light wind. Its mast has also been reinforced in order to improve the upwind sailing angle, as well as the reactivity of the boat. Finally, the sensors used to trim the foiler's flaps have been improved, allowing a better precision whilst sailing.

Mirabaud LX is now a brand new 'boat'; none of the elements of the original 18-footer have been kept, and every single part of the boat has been created specifically.

The first sailing sessions of the 2009 season have allowed Thomas Jundt and his crew to validate their choices. The 'boat' flies better; it is also faster and easier to sail when the wind doesn't allow flying.

Mirabaud LX - who needs a hull, anyway? - Mirabaud LX

The sailing programme for this season is now finalised. Mirabaud LX will participate in Lake Geneva's most important regattas, including Gen?ve-Rolle-Gen?ve and the Bol d'Or Mirabaud. It will also defend its title in the Bol d'Or du lac de Neuch?tel next week-end. The highlight of the season will be its participation in Weymouth Speed Week. A campaign of records on Lake Geneva will also take place and the team hopes to break some new records.

Introduced in 2008 as 'the boat with no hull', the Mirabaud LX has recently proved that this wording could be translated into reality by sailing on its hydrofoils with no buoyancy at all. Thomas Jundt and his team have accomplished this challenge and validated a different and creative way to consider the sport of sailing.

They said:

Antonio Palma, Associ? Commanditaire, Mirabaud & Cie, Banquiers Priv?s : 'We have been seduced by the audacity of this concept since day one. The technological evolution and the entrepreneurship spirit of its masterminds have allowed the first ever navigation with no hull, proving that the most extraordinary dreams can come true if a project is well managed, even with a small team and budget.'

Thomas Jundt, master mind of the project and crewmember: 'We really wanted to try to sail the boat without a hull, and we are proud to have achieved this goal. This configuration could prove interesting, for example when we try to break a record. During this hull-less flight, we have been able to measure how important the lightness of the structure is to the performance of the 'boat'. Indeed, the 45 kilos gained by removing the hull have resulted in an extraordinary feeling and control of the 'flight'.

[Editor's questions: It looks just like an overgrown foiling Moth to me, so how revolutionary is it really? What happens when the breeze claps out completely? And... IS IT A BOAT?]

by Mirabaud LX/Sail-World.com