VIDEO and PHOTOS Seven boats to fly (really) from 3,900 euros

In recent years, the foiling craze has produced a new generation of affordable boats that you can buy tomorrow morning. Not only in the world of kite and surf sailing but also among monohulls. It starts with the simplified evolution of the Moth, the Wasp (it weighs only 45 kg!) that you take home with just over $10,000, or you can equip any Laser with the magical fins for 3,900 euros. Catamarans with not even 18,000 euros include the Stunt S9 from Italy’s Bimare, which is extremely easy to transport and steer at 4.16 meters in length. Just go up in price to enter the cat world that approaches America’s Cup performance. For cruising cabin cruisers, mono or multi, there is still a while to wait, although the first series racing boat will arrive from Beneteau for the summer. But rest assured, we will get there. For now, settle for the seven open boats and boards below in Martina Orsini’s stunning photos. Have a good flight.

1. LASER MAKEUP AT 3,900 EUROS
Even the “old” Laser can fly. Autralian Peter Stephenson came up with it, inventing a very simple kit to equip the Laser with foils (more than 200,000 boats produced). The kit costs 3,900 euros and can be found HERE

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2. AT 24 KNOTS WITH 11,500
The Waspz is the affordable monohull with foil. Derived from the Moth, it is easier to use and, most importantly, affordable. It costs $11,500 including shipping and is mass produced, disassembled and easily transportable, and is m long. 3.35, weighs 45 kg and achieves over 24 knots. It can be purchased online at: www.waszp.com

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3. WITH THE KITE FOIL YOU FLY TWICE AS CHEAPLY

One and a half million practitioners worldwide make the Kite, the board propelled by the wind thanks to a wing, the world’s most popular flying object. Also the least expensive. The adoption of the foil has made the board, if it was needed, even more performant and, most excitingly allows it to fly both 20 meters above the water and 30 nods while sailing at the surface of the water. There are endless choices; just type in Kite Foil on the Internet and an incredible world opens up. Kite, with or without foil, is a candidate for a place in the next sailing Olympics.

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4. A GOOD USED CAR IN THE 10,000 EURO RANGE
The progenitor of the flying monohulls, the Moth, was born in 2001 in its final form, measuring 3.25 m and weighing 26 kg, new costs from 20,000 euros, good used ones can be found on 10/12,000 euros. In Italy there is a very active class, IMCA Italy, and a nice national and European regatta circuit: www.moth.it

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5. IDEAL TO START FLYING (AT LESS THAN 18,000 EUROS)
It’s all-Italian Stunt S 9 catamaran with foil, ideal for getting started in the air. Measuring 4.16 and weighing only 78 kg, it was designed by Michele Petrucci, who produces it in his Bimare shipyard. It costs 17,990 euros including VAT. www.s9team.eu

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6. THE FORMULA ONE OF SAILING AT 38,500 EUROS

A foil catamaran of only 5.52 m, the first in series, is unveiled at the December 2013 Paris boat show; it is called the Fying Phantom. This little Formula 1 of sailing costs around 38,500 euros all-inclusive, and there is a large European race circuit. www.phantom-international.com

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7. FLY LIKE THOSE IN AMERICA’S CUP
The open catamaran specialist shipyard has equipped its F 20 model with “Flight Control System” to make it fly. The Nacra 20 FCS (m. 6.20×3.20) is designed by Pete Melvin and Gino Morelli, the authors of the 2013 America’s Cup rulebook, and its foils are reminiscent of those apputo the AC72s. www.nacrasailing.com

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