Top designer Paul Bieker talks with Armstrong Foils founder on the new t-Foil tips
by Kjell van Sice 22 Feb 2025 12:40 NZDT
9 February 2025
Detachable tip - Armstrong Foils has partnered with SailGP to be the Official Foil Tip Manufacturer of SailGP © Joshua McCormack
After years in development, SailGP's T-foils made their debut at the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland.
Safety is a major consideration with racing foils, particularly when they extend beyond the beam of the boat. In conjunction with Armstrong Foils, SailGP have developed incorporated a sacrificial tip on the T-foils which will detach on contact when racing.
As the Official Foil Tip Manufacturer for the 2025 season of SailGP's global racing championship, the composites manufacturing expertise Armstrong Foils has accrued in building high performance production foils, is now being applied to the cutting-edge of hydrofoil sailboat racing.
Top designer Paul Bieker talks with Armstrong Foils founder Armie Armstrong on the development of the new foils and the T-Foil tips.
There's plenty in here on foil design considerations and the work involved in constructing 24 foils for the fleet, and make each identical so there is no performance difference.
Paul Bieker explains what he was wanting to achieve with the new foils. Armie Armstrong explains how Armstrong's regular foil design and shape cross-over into the the new T-Foil.
Acclaimed by the SailGP competitors, which include seven Olympic Gold medalists, many America's Cup champions, the T-Foils take the performance of the F50 foiling catamaran to new heights with sailing speeds approaching 100kph (54kts). Armstrong Foils are stoked to have built a component of these foils, which complements their long-standing involvement with the SailGP Inspire program.
For more on Armstrong Foils and SailGP: armstrongfoils.com/pages/sailgp