Boat with hydrofoils retrievable above a water line

Abstract

A hydrofoil boat incorporates an elongated hull with front and rear portions and deployable hydrofoils for enhanced performance and maneuverability. A front canard hydrofoil is mounted on a front support system positioned at the hull's front portion, configured to be moved between a stowed position and an operating position. The rear portion of the elongated hull supports a pair of rear hydrofoils, each mounted on respective rear support systems. Each rear hydrofoil integrates a motor-driven propeller, with the rear support systems configured both to raise or lower the hydrofoils between stowed and operating positions and to rotate the propellers about vertical axes to facilitate directional steering. The arrangement allows selective deployment of the front and rear hydrofoils above or below the water line, enabling efficient lift, reduced drag, and improved control. The system further enables the retrieval of one or all the hydrofoils above the water line when not in use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hydrofoil boat comprising:
 an elongated hull defining a front portion and a rear portion,   a front canard hydrofoil mounted on a front support system positioned in the front portion of the hull and configured to raise or lower the front canard hydrofoil between a front stowed position and a front operating position,   a first rear hydrofoil mounted on a first rear support system in the rear portion of the hull, the first rear hydrofoil is equipped with a first motor-driven propeller, wherein the first rear support system is further configured to raise or lower the first rear hydrofoil between a raised position and a lowered position,   wherein the hydrofoil boat defines a water line,   wherein the hydrofoil boat is configured to retrieve at least one of the front canard hydrofoil while in the front stowed position or the first rear hydrofoil while in the raised position above the water line.   
     
     
         2 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the elongated hull has a cut-out section on a bottom thereof sized and configured to at least partially fit the front canard hydrofoil therein while the front canard hydrofoil is in the front stowed position. 
     
     
         3 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 2 , wherein the cut-out section of the elongated hull extends above the water line of the hydrofoil boat. 
     
     
         4 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 3 , wherein the cut-out section of the elongated hull is sized to accept the front canard hydrofoil to be out of the water while the front canard hydrofoil is in the front stowed position. 
     
     
         5 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 2 , wherein a hull bottom area adjacent the cut-out section is curved to minimize hydrodynamic drag caused by the cut-out section of the elongated hull. 
     
     
         6 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 5 , wherein the hull bottom area adjacent the cut-out section of the elongated hull extends lower than the front canard hydrofoil when in the front stowed position, thereby protecting the front canard hydrofoil from debris or bottom ground when operating in shallow water. 
     
     
         7 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the first rear support system is further configured to rotate the first motor-driven propeller around a first vertical axis to facilitate steering of the hydrofoil boat. 
     
     
         8 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 7 , wherein the first rear support system comprises a first rear strut configured to support the first rear hydrofoil. 
     
     
         9 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 8 , wherein the first rear strut has an elongated cross-sectional shape aligned with a thrust vector of the first motor-driven propeller, thereby rotating the first motor-driven propeller around the first vertical axis allows the first rear support system to operate as a rudder of the hydrofoil boat for steering purposes thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , wherein the first rear support system is further configured to tilt the first rear hydrofoil out of the water when the first rear hydrofoil is in the raised position. 
     
     
         11 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 10 , wherein the first rear support system is rotatably supported at the rear portion of the elongated hull to facilitate tilting the first rear support system while the first rear hydrofoil is in the raised position, thereby retrieving the first rear hydrofoil out of the water. 
     
     
         12 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 1 , configured to retrieve both the front canard hydrofoil while in the front stowed position and the first rear hydrofoil while in the raised position above the water line. 
     
     
         13 . A hydrofoil boat comprising:
 an elongated hull defining a front portion and a rear portion,   a front canard hydrofoil mounted in the front portion of the hull,   a pair of a first rear hydrofoil and a second rear hydrofoil, each of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil is mounted in the rear portion of the elongated hull on a respective first rear support system and a second rear support system, each of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil is equipped with a respective first motor-driven propeller and a second motor-driven propeller,   wherein each of the first rear support system and the second rear support system is further configured to independently raise or lower the respective first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil between a raised position and a lowered position,   wherein the hydrofoil boat defines a water line,   wherein the hydrofoil boat is configured to retrieve the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil while in the raised position above the water line.   
     
     
         14 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 13 , wherein the elongated hull defines a longitudinal axis of symmetry along a length thereof, and wherein the pair of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil is located side-by-side in the rear portion of the elongated hull and symmetrically along the longitudinal axis of the elongated hull. 
     
     
         15 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 14 , wherein the pair of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil is located adjacent to each other and configured to operate together as a single main wing of the hydrofoil boat. 
     
     
         16 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 13 , wherein each of the first rear support system and the second rear support system is further configured to rotate the respective first motor-driven propeller and the second motor-driven propeller around respective a first vertical axis and a second vertical axis to facilitate steering of the hydrofoil boat. 
     
     
         17 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 13 , wherein the first motor-driven propeller and the second motor-driven propeller are turned using battery-operated electric motors, thereby the hydrofoil boat is entirely electrically operated. 
     
     
         18 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 13 , wherein the first rear support system and the second rear support system respectively comprise a first rear strut and a second rear strut, configured to support respectively the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil. 
     
     
         19 . The hydrofoil boat, as in  claim 18 , wherein each of the first rear strut and the second rear strut has an elongated cross-sectional shape aligned with respective thrust vectors of the first motor-driven propeller and the second motor-driven propeller, thereby rotating the respective first motor-driven propeller and second motor-driven propeller around the respective first vertical axis and second vertical axis allows the first rear support system and the second rear support system to operate as rudders of the hydrofoil boat for steering purposes thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A hydrofoil boat comprising:
 an elongated hull defining a front portion and a rear portion,   a front canard hydrofoil mounted on a front support system positioned in the front portion of the hull and configured to raise or lower the front canard hydrofoil between a front stowed position and a front operating position,   a pair of a first rear hydrofoil and a second rear hydrofoil, each of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil is mounted on a respective first rear support system and a second rear support system in the rear portion of the elongated hull, each of the first rear hydrofoil and the second rear hydrofoil is equipped with a respective first motor-driven propeller and a second motor-driven propeller,   wherein each of the first rear support system and the second rear support system is further configured to:
 raise or lower the respective first rear hydrofoil and second rear hydrofoil between a raised position and a lowered position, and 
 rotate the respective first motor-driven propeller and the second motor-driven propeller around their respective first and second vertical axes to facilitate steering of the hydrofoil boat, 
   wherein the hydrofoil boat defines a water line,   wherein the hydrofoil boat is further configured to retrieve the front canard hydrofoil while in the front stowed position, the first rear hydrofoil while in the raised position, and the second rear hydrofoil while in the raised position above the water line.