Boat with stowable hydrofoils

Abstract

A fully electric hydrofoil boat comprises an elongated hull, a front canard hydrofoil supported by a front support system configured to raise or lower thereof, and a pair of independently-controlled port and starboard rear stowable hydrofoils supported by their respective first and second rear support systems, in turn configured to raise or lower the first and second rear hydrofoils to a selected depth or tilt them out of the water when docking or transporting the boat on a trailer. The hull has a cut-out section in the front portion sized to fit the front canard hydrofoil to be out of the water if desired. The boat may operate energy-efficiently in a hydrofoil flight mode at high speeds or in a displacement mode at slow speeds when the hydrofoils are in their raised positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hydrofoil boat comprising:
 an elongated hull defining a front portion and a rear portion,   wherein the hydrofoil boat further comprising:   a front canard hydrofoil positioned in the front portion of the hull,   a pair of independently-controlled first rear hydrofoil and second rear hydrofoil, each of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear mounted on a respective first rear support system and a second rear support system in the rear portion of the hull, each of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear is equipped with a respective first motor-driven propeller and a second motor-driven propeller,   wherein the first rear support system and the second rear support system are further configured to:
 raise or lower the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil between a raised position and a lowered position, and 
 retrieve the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil out of the water when the first and the second rear hydrofoils are in the raised position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated hull defines a longitudinal axis of symmetry along a length thereof, and wherein a center of the front canard hydrofoil is located along the longitudinal axis of symmetry thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second motor-driven propellers are rotated using battery-operated electric motors, thereby the hydrofoil boat is entirely electrically operated. 
     
     
         4 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second rear support systems respectively comprise a first rear strut and a second rear strut, configured to support respectively the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil. 
     
     
         5 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the hull has a cut-out section on a bottom thereof sized and configured to fit the front canard hydrofoil therein when in the front stowed position. 
     
     
         6 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the front canard hydrofoil is equipped with a flap configured to be tilted up or down to control the operation of the hydrofoil boat. 
     
     
         7 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the hull has an inverted bow in the front portion thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and the second rear support systems is respectively rotatably supported at the rear portion of the elongated hull to facilitate tilting of the first and the second rear support systems while in the raised position, thereby retrieving respective first and second rear hydrofoils out of the water.