AMSTERDAM –In 2023, the Metstrade show here (Nov. 15 – 17) – an annual high mass of the global marine equipment and materials sector –will debut a foiling pavilion. Together with the Rome-based Foiling Organization, it will provide a stage for foiling hardware and technology manufacturers in Hall 7. Making room for foiling acknowledges the technology’s impressive inroads across the water sports and boating sectors.
The foiling pavilion “will serve as a one-stop shop for boat builders and designers who want to know more about what is involved in employing foiling within sail and power yachts of the immediate future,” Metstrade said in a statement. Foiling Organization President Luca Rizzotti says that in the age of climate change, foiling meets the decarbonization targets set by the EU, the UN and the IMO, adding, “The foiling pavilion will provide a significant boost to innovation and economic growth in the segment.”
Over the years, Metstrade has become a powerful knowledge platform highlighting “developments that will move our industry’s essential decarbonization efforts from ambition to reality,” he added.
While hydro foiling may look like a recent development, it is not. The first evidence of a hydrofoil appears on an 1869 British patent granted to Emmanuel Denis Farcot of Paris. He claimed that “adapting to the sides and bottom of the vessel a series or inclined planes … will have the effect of lifting it in the water and reducing the draught.”
An Italian inventor, Enrico Forlanini, obtained British and US patents between 1899 and 1901. Scottish-born Alexander Graham Bell tested a hydrofoil craft in 1908 that boasted five variable pitch fins. And in 1909, British boat designer John Thornycroft built a 22ft (6.7 m) power boat equipped with a hydrofoil.
The Foiling Organization is part of the We Are Foiling events ecosystem today. It has built a global reputation as the convener of the annual Foiling Week. It is the first unique international event dedicated to fast-foiling boats, their sailors, designers and manufacturers.
This year’s Foiling Week in June on Lake Garda will mark its 10th anniversary. The Foiling Organization is “an accelerated networking path towards foiling development for builders, designers, universities, clubs, events, classes, teams and sailors.” Its primary goals are to:
- promote foiling for cruising, racing and commercial shipping;
- create a network approach for sharing ideas, skills and resources;
- grow the economic value of foiling by organizing events and initiatives;
- incubate and assist in securing funding streams;
- act as a central education hub for the foiling segment.
Metstrade is the world’s largest trade exhibition for equipment, materials and systems for the global leisure marine industry. Organized by RAI Amsterdam together with the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), Metstrade’s target audience includes yacht builders, naval architects, refit yards, distributors, dealers, wholesalers, captains, marina owners and marine equipment manufacturers worldwide.
Metstrade’s long-standing efforts to promote the importance of sustainable approaches in the industry include investment in forums, presentations and blogs by subject matter experts, creating innovation showcases within Metstrade and a determination to keep the environment at the forefront of its frequently accessed communication channels.
