Air Step

I have seen a few Beneteau powerboats with this technology.

I have to say I am dubious that it would live up to some of the claims http://www.beneteau.com/Motorboats/Air-Step-R.
Especially
"Exceptional seakeeping"
and
"Cutting through waves made easier"

It might be my ignorance but I don't see how an increased laminar boundary at the rear end can facilitate this.

Could anybody explain?

Cheers

 

It's not revolutionary. Maybe they have done some minor improvement to a ventilated hull design. When a boat goes fast enough, it needs less bottom surface to stay on a plane. Some air can be introduced to reduce skin friction. Also, if there is less lift aft, the boat will ride more level.

 

Good point Gonzo. I didn't think of that. any ideas about the seakeeping?

 

I've been on some that ride great, but some can be unpredictable.

 

Mentioned in a previous thread: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/air-ventilated-planing-hull-design-38431.html

 

Cheers David

 

I would love to see a video taken by a camera placed BELOW the hull, where the ventilated steps are. I am very sure that they would discover that air behaves very differently from what their brochure and the BoatTest.com video claims.
They have simply re-invented a stepped hull, with all the related benefits to the ride comfort (pitch stability) and hull drag. All those stories about air bubbles doing a magical work down there are just another marketing hype.

We are currently witnessing a boom of marketing efforts by major boatbuilding companies, all based on some (claimed) revolutionary hull forms, but none of which has ever been fairly tried against more traditional solutions, based on equal hull and propulsion parameters.