The Complete Valkyrie Video

Here is the edited video showing my hydrofoil sailboat's design and testing process. Two years of work building this boat on the deck of Te Natura (a 43 foot sailboat) in Grenada has finally been worth it. This new edit has some added footage of Valkyrie under sail, being designed, and of course more girls in bikinis as the fans have requested! Enjoy!

Valkyrie Under Sail!

Finally, Valkyrie made her first voyage under sail. It's been a lot of work to get to this point and I feel encouraged by the results from the test. Next, I'll put up an unreefed mainsail and a jib and see if it will get foiling under sail. I think it will! The new footage starts at 5:37 in the video. Enjoy!

Valkyrie's Maiden Voyage!

Well, not really a maiden voyage since she still had to be towed back to the dock, but it was a success overall. The (intentionally) underpowered rig barely gave steerageway in the light winds, but the balance felt good and with the addition of a jib and an unreefed sail performance will improve dramatically. In fact, performance today was better than expected. I will be editing the footage into a new video soon. In the meantime, check out these pictures:

Valkyrie's Mast

Finally the bamboo mast is in place and rigged... sort of. There are still many temporary lines in place of the wire rigging that will be permanent. This is the first time that all of the major components for Valkyrie have been in place. A few days ago I got hold of a mizzen sail off a 45 footer. I have already modified the sail to fit Valkyrie, and after a little more tweaking of the rig, it will be time to hoist and get underway! I'm sure a lot of tuning will be required...

Publicity

Some people are starting to notice the Valkyrie. So far, I have found two articles about the boat. The first one is at the site Sailing Anarchy and can be found here:

Sailing Anarchy

You have to scroll down to find the bit about the Valkyrie. The second article gives a more in depth discussion. It was written in French, and when I ran it through the google translator, well... I think the translator has a tough time with sailing terms. I'm not sure what a "mainsail supermarket" is! Anyway, still worth reading here:

Foilers!

Latest Valkyrie Video!

Finally you can see the new rudderboard in action! I chopped up a bunch of older footage and I know I keep recycling the same songs over and over, but I hope you still enjoy it!

Two Person Test

I finally convinced two people to get in the boat at the same time for a float test. As you can see, the boat handled it fine, even without the floats (for extra buoyancy) and with the AOA beam fully extended! Plus, wouldn't you really rather see pictures of the boat with girls in it? :)

The Next Equipment Failure

I'm just flying along in my hydrofoil, everything going smooth, when the control stick breaks off in my hand! Ha ha! The boat put itself back down on the surface just fine and the repair will be quick and easy. Just a fun moment.

Tow Testing

On Nov.15th '10 I had a very successful day of tow testing Valkyrie. The changes to the rudderboard worked better than I had hoped and steering is simple now. The ailerons were smooth and very effective. Finally, I was able to log some flight time!

Superman Boards

I've been meaning to post pictures of these boards for a while, but keep forgetting. The blue board is a fourth generation superman design. You simply hang on to the front or the handle in the middle, tow it SLOWLY behind a dinghy, take a big breath, push down, and suddenly you are flying underwater with a feeling much like Superman flying through the sky! The pink board is a commercially made board, but I don't know it's name or origin. Although slightly more maneuverable, it requires higher speeds that put too much pressure on your mask. It's still fun though!

The Cockpit

It's not quite finished. Notice the stereo hasn't been installed in the dashboard yet.

More Pictures of the New Aileron Control System

New Aileron Controls!

Here you can see pictures of the new aileron control system. I did away with the clunky aluminum brackets, the bulky bungees, and the cables dragging through the water to create a system using fiberglass sail battens that is lighter, stronger, much more streamlined, and reduces the loads on the whole system dramatically. I can't wait to test it out in a few days!

Rudderboard Improvements

I moved the shoe back on the board so that the nose will rise better as speed increases. I think it might have the added benefit of easing rudder pressure. We'll see!

Cory Craft Foilboard

Year Built: 2008
Draft (at rest): 3'
Board: Liquid Force Trip 138

For more pictures and videos, check out this site HERE!

Features:

- Low speed take off.

- Comfortable wakeboard bindings

- Reversible bindings for regular or goofy footed riders.

- Smooth, quiet flight above the waves.

See it in action!

Cory Craft Valkyrie 18 (Hyrdofoil Sailboat)

Length: 18'
Beam: 8' 8"
Draft (wing down): 4'
Draft (wing up): 4" - 8"
Propulsion: Sail
Seating: 2

For more pictures and videos, check out this site HERE!

Cory Craft 14 (Power Cat)

Length: 14.5'
Beam: 5'
Draft: 6"
Fuel: 24 gallons (2 X 12 gallon tanks)
Horsepower: 15 - 60
Electrical: 12 volt
Seating: 6

For more pictures and information, click HERE!

Features:

- Foam filled hulls for peace of mind in any seas state.

- Self bailing. Can be left on a mooring unattended or taken into turbulent water without the need for a pump.

- 24 gallons of fuel for all - day running.

- Rugged yet lightweight hybrid construction for a durable hull able to handle daily use.

- Stowage under the seats for fenders, dock lines, anchor, etc..

- Aft deck with swim ladder for scuba diving, skiing, and other water sports.

- 3 towing eyes.

- Retractable running lights to protect them from the elements when not in use.

- Color GPS Chartplotter.

- Recessed cleats to allow bulky items to be carried on deck.

- Varnished wood cap rails.

- Bimini top.

- Ski pole centrally located for good maneuverability and performance.