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Geislinger not only equips the fastest ferries, the lightest super yachts, the largest container ships, the biggest excavators and locomotives, the largest wind turbines and the most demanding industrial applications. Under the sports brand Levitaz Hydrofoils, Geislinger also equips the world’s fastest kite- and wingfoil racing athletes with high-performance hydrofoils, made in Austria.
For four years in a row, Levitaz athletes have won the female and male World Championship titles in kitefoil racing with the R5 Race Series hydrofoil.
Innovation and exceeding the limits by producing products of the highest quality is what drives the engineering company. We have the necessary manufacturing technologies, over 30 years of experience in the design of composite components, part design, and manufacturing, so all prerequisites are in place to develop and manufacture the fastest high performance hydrofoils.
In 2017, the decision was made to develop the fastest hydrofoil for kite racing. At that time, there were already first signs that Formula Kite Racing would become a new sailing discipline in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Due to the high forces acting on the system, the design of extremely rigid interfaces between the individual components was the biggest challenge. An intelligent material mix is our solution to achieve the stiffest connection between the mast and the fuselage and between the front wing and the rear wing. The development of a front wing-fuselage unit, consisting of a carbon fiber front wing and a steel fuselage, underlines our expertise in the processing of steel and composite materials. Although not visible from the outside, the rear wing was also developed using intelligent mix of materials. A small steel component in the rear of the fuselage allows the angle of the rear wing to be adjusted. This makes it possible for the athletes to adapt the hydrofoil to different conditions as well as personal preferences.
Picture 1: The Levitaz R5 Race Series Hydrofoil consists of a mast, front wing, fuselage, and rear wing.
Picture 2: An intelligent mix of materials is our solution to create the most rigid connection between the individual components of the hydrofoil.
Each of these modules was considered separately and was validated with prototypes. The final challenge was to develop the fastest frontwing design, considering many influencing factors.
One example of this is the kinematic viscosity of water. This describes the quotient of the dynamic viscosity and its density and influences the buoyancy and drag of a hydrofoil. Fluctuations here are about 40 % depending on temperature and salinity.
All assumptions that are made in the design phase can lead to a theoretically better design, which may prove to be unsuitable in testing. The corresponding buzzword is "drivable performance". The hydrofoil will only be successful if the athlete can exploit the full potential of the design. For this reason, our hydrofoils are tested globally by the world’s best athletes.
In 2020, Levitaz Hydrofoils became a licensed equipment manufacturer by World Sailing and started to equip athletes competing in the Formula Kite sailing class at the 2024 Olympic Games. Now it is time for the athletes to prove their skills. The best may win.
Learn more about Levitaz Hydrofoils on levitaz.com and follow Levitaz on Facebook, Instagram & YouTube.