Construction has started on the Airborn Foiler, the single-handed sailing dinghy with electric foil control designed by naval architect Thomas Tison. Tison says more than ten boats have already been sold on drawings, ahead of the first hull being completed.
Among the buyers, Tison reports a mix of sailors new to foiling and racers moving across from established keelboat classes, including the Cape 31, J/70 and TP52.
An Airborn Class Association has been established alongside the start of construction, with one-design rules now in place governing the class. Tison says the association's aims include running official world championship events and supporting a commercial racing circuit that could give sailors a pathway toward professional-level competition. Whether the class actually reaches world championship status will depend on how far the fleet grows and whether it gains wider recognition within the sport, both still some way off at this stage.
The one-design structure keeps every boat built to the same specification, removing differences in hull or equipment as a factor in racing and putting results down to sailing ability instead. Tison has framed the Class Association as one of the foundations for the fleet's longer-term development, alongside the racing calendar itself.
First deliveries are expected in August or September, with the fleet's first event scheduled for October in the Bay of Naples, Italy.
