Skeeta is the latest high-performance foiling dinghy. It is claimed to be both stable and safe, while being easy to rig, launch and sail, making it suited to sailors of all ages and abilities.
The wide wings provide the power necessary for upwind foiling, while the highly developed scow hull makes the boat stable, comfortable, fast and easy to sail in all conditions.
Performance on foils is simply breathtaking, but this boat is also highly versatile as it can be sailed in displacement, planing or gliding modes, so it can be sailed in any wind strength and to suit your skill level. Even without lifting foils Skeeta easily planes upwind as do high performance trapeze dinghies.
Skeeta lifts off easily in light winds and can gybe and tack on the foils. Ride height control is fully adjustable with the retractable wand providing safe foiling in all conditions without crashes.
The hull is production moulded of high-quality glass epoxy and foam, making it robust, durable, affordable and unsinkable.
Launching is greatly simplified as the centreboard and rudder are inserted from above and lifting foils clip on and off and can be held in position with a brake to improve handling. The boat can launched from the beach trolley provided.
Skeeta comes with a choice of two rigs, to suit your body weight, skill level and local sailing conditions. The option of spreaders enables fine tuning to suit your body weight, greatly increasing the competitive wind range for all skippers.
The low free-board of the hull makes it incredibly easy for people of all ages to be able to get on board safely and quickly when launching or from a capsize.
The unique integral curved vang track enables the high-performance sail to provide power and depth down low in the sail where it is most effective and keep the leach tight for upwind foiling performance.
The wide wings which provide the power necessary for foiling are easily clipped on to the hull in seconds. No need to lace up trampolines and the boat can be easily stored in standard racks.
The Skeeta rig consists of a full carbon, two-piece mast with sail track, making hoisting of the sail easy on-shore with a halyard and the sail can also be lowered on the water for safety.
The patented Glide Free foiling system used on Skeeta greatly simplifies foil control, eliminating the need for complexities such as adjustable tiller, gain or rake control etc.
Safety
Crashing while foiling can be quite dangerous, making learning to foil difficult for inexperienced sailors. Crashes normally occur when foiling too high. While most foiling boats are set up to fly at maximum ride height, especially at high speeds, Skeeta has a fully adjustable wand system, which allows you to choose the ride height to suit the conditions and your skill level. This unique feature enables you to sail on the water surface in ‘foil-assist’ or “Glide” mode which is safe in all conditions.
If the wand is lowered a little, the boat flies very accurately just above the water surface, low, fast and exciting, but without fear of crashing. This mode is ideal for training and learning to foil, as the foils cannot breach and the boat cannot “crash”, but you experience the full thrill of foiling at high speed and gradually ‘feel’ how the boat behaves when lifted on foils.
As your skill develops, the wand can be lowered further, so you are flying higher and even faster, enabling manoeuvres such as gybing and tacking on foils.
Versatility
Skeeta provides the opportunity for sailors to experience and develop their skills on winged boats, with apparent wind sailing, and to learn all foiling manoeuvres as it is one of the very few boats able to tack on foils along with the Moth, GP50 and AC75.
Skeeta is a great boat to learn sailing and foiling as the skills are transferable to high performance winged dinghies and skiffs, as well as one design racers and all foiling dinghies.
The systems are very simple, making an easy progression for inexperienced sailors. There is no major learning curve to manage the boat or rig as there is with narrow skiffs, trapezes, kites or sailboards.
Skeeta is quick to rig and launch. The wings unclip, so the boat can be easily stored in standard racks or on the trolley and can be transported on the car top.
For those wishing to experience the sheer thrill of foiling for the first time, Skeeta provides the perfect way to begin.
Start out sailing low and stable in an easy to manage dinghy, then lower the wand to just lift clear of the water to feel foiling experience.
Options
Specifications
Length: 3655mm/12ft
Width: 2300mm with wings
Weight: 42kgs
Sail area: 8.5m², 9.5m²
Sailor weight range: 60 – 100kgs
Sailor Age: 13 – 80 years young
Skeeta is available from:
Glide Free Design
www.glidefree.com.au
Email: info@glidefree.com.au
