F1 CAR FOR THE SEA

Finnish start-up Foil. One has built a single-seater foiling electric boat that draws inspiration from F1 cars of the 1960s.

- Hugo Andreae investigates

Foiling electric surfboards may have seemed like the ultimate superyacht toy, but wait until you see one of these new Pegasus foilers come flying past your boat.

Developed by Finnish startup Foil.One, it's an all-electric single-seater that combines the thrill and excitement of a high-performance foiling craft with the ease and simplicity of a bicycle. Built entirely out of carbon fibre and with styling inspired by Formula One cars of the 1960s, it is capable of speeds up to 30 knots while flying a couple of feet above the water.

RIDES LIKE A BIKE

The secret of its user-friendly design is a unique analogue foiling setup that combines steering, balance and ride height in a single intuitive mechanism. Originally discovered by Japanese foiling pioneer Kotaro Horiuchi over 40 years ago but refined and perfected by Foil.One's chief designer Eric Smits, it uses a steerable front foil linked to a pair of handles in the cockpit similar to those in a rowing eight or on a recumbent bicycle.