| F4 FEATURES | ||
|---|---|---|
| ONE-DESIGN DISTANCE RACING | ||
| Aimed at owner-drivers | ||
| All out racing machine | ||
| Strict one-design | ||
| Offshore races up to 1000 nm | ||
| Dynamic inshore sailing | ||
| Maxi speeds, mini running costs | ||
| Safe space for passengers |
The DNA F4 is an exciting carbon 46-foot foiling One Design catamaran designed and built to push the boundaries of long-distance racing.
The boat is the result of an extensive design collaboration between DNA’s engineers and America’s Cup winner Shannon Falcone. The platform was validated from the fall of 2016 until the late spring of 2017 to have all items signed off for One Design approval. America’s Cup Team Oracle USA skipper Jimmy Spithill foiled the first F4 with a small crew from NYC to Bermuda, for a documentary titled Flying on Water.
The DNA F4 exceeds the speeds of much larger mono-hulls whilst providing the safety and comfort of a similarly sized cockpit. More importantly, racing an F4 requires a fraction of the crew needed to competitively operate a comparable mono-hull, substantially lowering the cost of ownership.
- Dihedral hydrofoils ensure stable foiling while reaching speeds in excess of 35 knots
- State-of-the-art carbon prepreg & nomex construction
- Racing-focused cockpit layout
- Low-drag aero profile
Each yacht is hand built in The Netherlands, bespoke and built to the highest industry standards by a small team of craftsmen.
| F4 SPECS | ||
|---|---|---|
| LOA | 46.7 ft | 14.2 m |
| BOA | 22.8 ft | 6.95 m |
| Draft daggerboards up | 6.25 ft | 1.9 m |
| Draft rudders down | 6.75 ft | 2.05 m |
| Mast clearance | 70 ft | 21.35 m |
| Displacement lightship | TBA | TBA |
| Displacement max load | TBA | TBA |
| Salon height at entrance | 5.4 ft | 1.65 m |
| Water capacity | 55 gal | 210 l |
| Beds | 4 | |
| Motor | 10 kW electric, retractable | |
 Sails |
||
|---|---|---|
| Supplier | North Sails 3Di offshore ply | |
| Main | 786 sq ft | 73 m2 |
| Staysail (on furler) | 173 sq ft | 16 m2 |
| Jib (full battens) | 377 sq ft | 35 m2 |
| FR0 (vertical battens – on furler) | 549 sq ft | 51 m2 |
| MH0 (laminated sail – on furler) | 1454 sq ft | 135 m2 |
| F4 Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sails | North Sails 3Di Endurance | |
| Mast & boom | Hall Spars and Rigging | |
| Composite rigging | Future Fibres ECsix | |
| Rigging | Gorilla Rigging | |
| Deck hardware & hydraulics | Harken | |
| Motor (electric) | Torqeedo | |
| Racing yacht logistics | Sevenstar Racing Yacht Logistics | |
| Other |
||
|---|---|---|
| EQUIPMENT | ||
| Carbon Y-spoke steering wheels either side | ||
| Reinforced AC45T steering setup with JEFA bearings | ||
| Great sight lines from steering positions | ||
| Cockpit features pit area | ||
| Halyards running in roof tunnels for flush roof | ||
| Custom made constrictors | ||
| Flush mast rotation system | ||
| Three head sails on separate KZ furlers | ||
| Harken AC35 grinder pedestal operating primary winches mechanically | ||
| Grinder pedestal can switch using hydro board to provide hydraulic power for: | ||
| > Main sheet cylinder ram | ||
| > Tack cylinders for furling staysail, FR0 and MH0. | ||
| > Jib cunningham cylinder | ||
| Daggerboards rake fore and aft with separate hydraulic cylinders | ||
| Retractable electric 10 kW Torqeedo motor | ||
| Motor aperture sealed off at deck bottom when racing | ||
| Motor will provide regeneration function while sailing in future | ||
| Lithium ion battery bank 102 amp hours at 48V | ||
| Offshore liferaft located in cockpit floor, accessible from top and bottom | ||
| Lomolight LED navigation lights | ||
| Bottom of deck features nonskid and jackline | ||
| Electric toilet with macerator in hull | ||
| Emergency bilge pumps | ||
| ACCOMMODATION | ||
| Protected salon in pilothouse with seated headroom | ||
| Full size bed areas on either side of central seating area to sleep 4 persons | ||
| Separated wet gear area at entrance | ||
| Basic food preparation and navigation areas in pilothouse | ||
| Functional and ergonomic cockpit layout for distance racing | ||
| Open aft end with pilothouse enclosed by Strataglass panels or optional screens | ||
| CONSTRUCTION | ||
| Platform is all carbon prepreg with Nomex honeycomb, vacuum bagged and post cured at 110 C | ||
| Hulls feature collision bulkheads fore and aft | ||
| Hulls feature various watertight bulkheads | ||
| Foils are all carbon prepreg, processed in our autoclave | ||
| Rotating carbon mast and boom |
The F4 is a one-design racing boat, meticulously hand-built in The Netherlands.
Shannon Falcone and Thomas Loughborough have set out to create a unique owner-driver class with the F4 as the class boat; the class has been named Tour De Foil and its website has launched at www.tourdefoil.com.
The first F4 has featured in two documentaries. Red Bull created the mission ‘Flying on Water’ with sailing legend Jimmy Spithill as offshore foiling skipper from New York City to Bermuda, for more information please visit Red Bulls microsite. A longer, 45-minute edit, of this cool trip aired at Outside TV in the US however is regrefully not available online.
When the F4 got into Antigua, Shannon reached out to his friend and snowboarding superstar Travis Rice to join them on their second offshore foiling trip from Bermuda to Antigua. Another, and really cool, documentary of this trip can be seen here. Recommended!
The goal is to offer speeds normally associated with maxis – for a lesser budget. Performance should be impressive at the least however we will hold off making any claims until we can validate more our ambitions with the sea trials.
Interested in the F4? Please fill in your contact details, make reference to the F4 and drop us a message, we will be happy to respond.