{"id":82244,"date":"2025-06-30T16:04:57","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T20:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=82244"},"modified":"2025-06-30T16:06:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T20:06:26","slug":"birdyfish-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/sailboats\/birdyfish-race\/","title":{"rendered":"BirdyFish Race: Your Easy Ticket to Fly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2426-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"BirdyFish Race \u00adEdition\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2426-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2426-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2426-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2426-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2426.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The BirdyFish (Race \u00adEdition) was designed with the goal of providing stable and safe \u00adfoiling for newbies and fanatics alike.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>For the second day of our 2025 Boat of the Year winter edition in St. Petersburg, Florida, in February, we wake up to the welcome sounds of breeze through palm fronds, knowing that the first sail of the day is a foiling session. On tap is the curious 15-foot BirdyFish, said to be the best entree-to-foiling craft there is. With a distinct scow hull, J-shaped foils, a rudder with an elevator, and a powerful sail plan, the boat is plenty quick. Bonus points there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"x8aa2rgac1\" src=\"https:\/\/Sailingworld.dragonforms.com\/x8aa2rgac1\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>But there are also two compelling attributes for wannabe foilers: It doesn\u2019t tip over when it stops, like every other monohull foiler. That means more time sailing, less time swimming. And second, the thing is beginner-proof, which of course means more time sailing, less time fixing or figuring it out. Moth sailors can relate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }<\/style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/\/wAgeMDYLRI4' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Easy flight is the premise of the BirdyFish, whose French designers and builders dabble in the IMOCA space and have figured out how to make this little scow fly so effortlessly. If you can sail a dinghy, you can \u00addefinitely sail the BirdyFish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis boat sails like any other boat,\u201d Hardy Peters, of East Coast Sailboats, says. He\u2019s the boat\u2019s distributor in North Carolina and has been sailing the foils off it since he got his hands on it this past fall. \u201cBut once it takes off, you\u2019re following your apparent wind. It\u2019s that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2569-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"scow dinghy hull\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2569-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2569-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2569-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2569-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2569.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The scow dinghy hull, the judges noted, is as comfortable and fun to sail in displacement mode as it is in flight.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Hardy\u2019s 20-minute \u00adpresail boat tour is all that the judges require. While the BirdyFish looks complex on its dolly, there actually are not many ropes to pull, and everything is sorted. The J foils slot into casings like leeboards (and can be reversed if need be) and are stored in their upright position, with a lift line leading up to the mast. Once they\u2019re in their slots, the rest of the rigging procedure is cake: Hoist the jib, the gennaker on a furler, and the main up the groove of the carbon rig. Nothing to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One important piece of gear, Peters points out, is the bungee keeper that goes from the transom corners to the forward tip of the tiller. \u201cThat keeps you honest by keeping the rudder centered,\u201d he says. \u201cThe rudder movements with this boat are incremental\u2014I\u2019m talking inches only. The only time you\u2019re pushing the rudder hard is when you\u2019re tacking. The bungee is a safety feature for learning to foil, to dampen the turn and keep you from spinning out. When you get good, you can take it off\u2014if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest challenges for Moth and Waszp sailors is launching, but the BirdyFish comes with no drama. Lower the rudder and foils about a foot, get the boat past the shallow, unfurl the jib to get to deeper water, put the rudder down (at 3 feet of depth), and then push both foils down into their cassettes. Put the keeper bungee over the top, cleat the foil lock-down lines, and you\u2019re off and running. No further adjustments required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2527-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"BirdyFish rudder\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2527-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2527-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2527-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2527-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-2527.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The J foils and T-foil rudder do not adjust on the fly, but the J Foils can be inverted and reinserted through the casing if need be.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Following this very procedure, Shampain jumps in first with Peters, and they\u2019re promptly off and foiling, hovering only 2 feet above the surface\u2014that\u2019s maximum ride height. There are no mechanical adjustments to foil. It\u2019s all about shifting weight forward, building speed, waiting for liftoff, and then shifting weight aft to let \u2019er rip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think they nailed it,\u201d Shampain says after he singlehandedly sails the boat in 10 to 12 knots of breeze and flat water. \u201cWithout a lot of experience, and having sailed Moths once or twice\u2014barely successfully\u2014I felt pretty successful. It was really intuitive. What was amazing is how much real apparent wind it was making.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shampain\u2019s true-wind angle was about 65 to 70 true when foiling, noting that the boat goes upwind just fine with the jib and fairly deep with the gennaker, which would make it a good one-design course-racing boat. When it\u2019s in displacement mode, it delivers the same sensation as a scow.&nbsp;\u201cWhile it\u2019s not going to be the fastest foiler at the club,\u201d he says, \u201cit will be the most accessible. Adults and youth sailors can experience and learn how to foil in a safe way, where there\u2019s much less risk of crashing and getting hurt. Safe, easy entry to foiling, that\u2019s what this boat is about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ingham, who was rehabbing a shoulder surgery, has his reservations about jumping into the BirdyFish, but after watching Shampain and Peters, he\u2019s keen to give it a go. He\u2019s glad he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe innovation on this boat is like, wow,\u201d Ingham says. \u201cIt is an easy foiler, but it\u2019s so responsive to fore-and-aft weight movement, so you can tweak it to get good at it, but at the same time, to get it foiling, you don\u2019t have to be good at it. It\u2019s just kind of automatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-0166-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"BirdyFish during Sailing World&#039;s BOTY trials\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-0166-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-0166-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-0166-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-0166-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BOTY2025_BIRDYFISH-0166.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Fore-and-aft weight adjustments are essential to getting the BirdyFish to take off and maintain flight as shifting weight changes the angle of attack of the foils.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>The boat does, however, have a tendency and ability to turn really fast if you let go over the tiller, he adds. \u201cI felt like I had to hold the rudder really firm and stable, but I also had to drive with a purpose\u2014like if I wanted the boat to go up, I had to make it go up, but when I wanted it to go straight, I had to work really hard to go straight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the class active in Europe, Peters is confident that US class racing is not far behind. He has imported a half-dozen boats, with a vision for a one-design circuit soon. The boat is currently available in a Fun version for $24,000 and a Race version for $25,000, but the next batch, Peters says, will have price increases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Drop the foils, trim the sails and enjoy the easy flight of the BirdyFish race, a Boat of the Year nominee from the shores of France<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":82245,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Dave Reed","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[160],"tags":[3001,2992,164],"class_list":["post-82244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sailboats","tag-2026-boat-of-the-year","tag-print-spring-2025","tag-sailboats"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82244\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}