Wow, Just Wow

Saw this on SA and had to share.  If this is the future of cruising with foils, I am all in.  Enjoy!

Travis Rice is a pro snowboarder from Jackson Hole.  He is also stoked for sailing a fast cat across the Caribbean with a rock star crew.  Many publications have named him the top snowboarder of all time!

Just before the snow started to stack this winter I (Travis) had the opportunity to take a 1000 mile sea trial of the new F4 with Shannon Falcone (@racingsf). This trip blew my mind to what the future of offshore sailing has in store and was by far the most intense sailing I have ever done personally. This future craft is a 46 foot carbon performance catamaran built for foiling offshore. 

Enter two-time winning America’s Cup sailor Shannon Falcone who invited Rice to sail from Bermuda to Antigua onboard a new, first of it’s kind, foiling offshore catamaran. The boat (a DNA F4) is probably one of the coolest boats on the water at the moment, as not only is the boat sturdy enough to withstand all the elements of sailing for thousands of miles off the coast, but you can foil – aka fly – above the water.

So, over the course of 1,000 nautical miles, Rice, Falcone, and the rest of the crew unleashed the DNA F4 and experienced all the things that make offshore sailing amazing: sending it in perfect conditions, breathtaking sunsets, star-filled nights, a few squalls for the books, a splash of rum, and flying over the waves.

And throughout the adventure, Rice’s stoke for offshore foiling is clearly hard to contain as he takes the wheel in 15-20 knot winds. “This is unreal,” Rice said. “This is just so fu*king good. We’re just hover-crafting.”

But wait – it gets better. You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy the experience because Travis Rice made a daily video diary of the adventure. However, that said, after you watch the above you’ll probably want drop everything to go sailing.