THE FOILS

JUST as an aircraft wing lifts a plane off the ground, the foils raise the boat out of the water. It uses its shape to guide the water around it and the flowis faster over the top than below. That creates the pressure below to provide lift.

These T-shaped carbon fibre wings, manufactured at Mercedes HQ by Formula 1 engineers, can drop up to five metres below the hull but can also pivot up and away to help control and steady the boat.

A battery-driven hydraulic power unit gives the force to lift the foil arms. The foils have flaps at the back of their wings, similar to an aircraft, which can rotate to control the amount of lift and provide precision.