Have you seen the Optimist dinghy built by students and researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology and SSPA Sweden, a maritime consulting company?
It’s not your average Optimist — it’s fitted with hydrofoils and the hull is composed of carbon fiber and graphene.
During a sea trial in early April the hydrofoils enabled the dinghy to sail at a maximum speed of 12 knots in only 12 knots of wind. An unmodified Optimist is typically limited to speeds below 4 knots.
This Chalmers University video has more:
Stable, robust and relatively small, the Optimist is one of the most popular sailing dinghies in the world; more than 150,000 boats are registered. Designed in 1947 by Clark Mills, the boat is intended to be sailed single-handed by children.
