Hydrofoils have been lifting boats out of the water since 1899 when Italian designer, Enrico Forlanini motored over a lake in his native land. More recently, we’ve seen hydrofoils allow America’s Cup yachts to achieve blistering speeds of 45 knots. Now this technology has taken another step closer to the recreational market thanks to a company called Hydros Innovation and its HY-X prototype. With a 21-foot LOA and twin 35-horsepower engines, the HY-X has two hydrofoils that deploy at the push of a button, raising the boat about 3 feet off the water and on to speeds near 30 knots, according to the builder. Besides the impressive top speed, she also boasts 30 percent less fuel consumption when foiling. Hydros Innovation ▶
