Foiling Catamarans made the front page of the Wall Street's Off Duty Section today. Explains how the Flying Phantom Essential for $23,000 may help make foiling mainstream. Anyone seen one in action?

http://www.wsj.com/itp/20170422/us/offduty

--
Steve
Nacra Inter 20
Okemos Michigan
--

The premise of the article seems to me to be far from the mark. $23,000 without wing seats or spinnaker or shipping across the ocean is not tempting to buy a 380 lb boat. The carbon Whisper at half the weight is proof of that with a similar price point producing 40 boats in two years time. The boat that will make foiling mainstream is the UFO with 60 orders plus a container to go to Australia (where the dollar is 1.37) and a price of $7600 plus shipping. The reports of great stability, car top ability, early foiling of this 110 lb craft is what mainstream is about. Pete

great vid on the wall street webpage. since i don't subscribe i couldn't read the article... but this price point is non-issue with the WSJ subscriber demographic



Edited by MN3 on Apr 24, 2017 - 09:56 AM.

pbegle

The premise of the article seems to me to be far from the mark. $23,000 without wing seats or spinnaker or shipping across the ocean is not tempting to buy a 380 lb boat. The carbon Whisper at half the weight is proof of that with a similar price point producing 40 boats in two years time. The boat that will make foiling mainstream is the UFO with 60 orders plus a container to go to Australia (where the dollar is 1.37) and a price of $7600 plus shipping. The reports of great stability, car top ability, early foiling of this 110 lb craft is what mainstream is about. Pete

Maybe something along the lines of the UFO, but the lines of the UFO are a huge stumbling block. A nicer looking boat would make a WORLD of difference. I understand the Clarks and many other consider that non-sense but its something that should be taken very seriously IMO.

--
Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
--

Quote

Maybe something along the lines of the UFO, but the lines of the UFO are a huge stumbling block.

I would like to try one - but i have no interest in owning a UFO - much (MUCH) more interested in 2 person catamaran (not to mention foiling is a no-go in my neck of the woods, lots of shallows, tons of sea-grass and other really weird things that grow in the waters around here - like these grape-like things, and strings ands strips of algie that foul our boards)

Gotta make a shoutout for the Whisper, which I own, and sail. Essentially, the same segment as the Essentiel aims for. A fantastic boat, and about half the weight of the Essentiel (carbon fiber FTW!). Videos of our adventures at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoO1STST8XYRKpt4hfFSSxvsRftKCIA58

Hats off to Phantom's marketing