ES2993122T3 - Watercraft - Google Patents

Abstract

A powered stabilized vessel comprising a main hull extending in a fore-aft direction, a single stabilizer arranged to stabilize the main hull, extending substantially parallel to the main hull and spaced laterally from the main hull, and at least one hydrofoil located at or proximate the stern of the main hull. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, no legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Boat

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to a vessel and in particular to an outrigger stabilized vessel. Catamaran-arranged vessels (i.e. with two symmetrical hulls joined together) are well known in the art. However, when such vessels are used in rough waters, the vessel may have poor seaworthiness and be subject to large motions in response to waves. To improve seaworthiness, Small Waterway Area Double Hull (SWATH) vessels may be used. However, such vessels are typically sensitive to changes in the vessel's loading, for example when used to carry heavy machinery. This may affect the vessel's trim and make the transport of large loads by such a vessel unfeasible.

Monohull boats are known to have a better response to load changes. The drag on monohull boats can be reduced by making the hull shape more slender (i.e. increasing its length relative to its width, or beam). These boats may be provided with a stabilizer which is used to stabilize the boat. Such a boat may be known as a "bow" configuration boat. However, such boats may have high drag in the water due to the stabilizer, and reduced efficiency. Documents FR 2 978 420 and FR 2 534 874 disclose various arrangements of boats with stabilizers.

It is an object of the present invention to at least partially address the problems indicated above.Summary of the invention

In accordance with the present invention as claimed, there is provided a powered stabilizer-stabilised vessel comprising a main hull extending in a fore-aft direction, a single stabilizer arranged to stabilise the main hull, extending substantially parallel to the main hull and laterally spaced from the main hull and at least one hydrofoil mounted at or near the stern of the main hull. This may provide good seaworthiness, better response to load changes and lower aerodynamic drag, resulting in improved fuel efficiency. The stabilizer may also allow a slimmer hull to be used, which may also reduce aerodynamic drag, while the presence of the stabilizer may provide improved static stability even when a slender hull is used.

The hydrofoil is dynamically adjustable and is arranged to apply a variable force to the main hull. This can provide improved response to load changes and improve the seaworthiness of the vessel, as well as allowing control of the trim of the vessel.

Optionally, the stabilizer is a small waterplane area hull. This can reduce aerodynamic drag while maintaining stability.

According to the invention, the stabilizer comprises a first portion arranged to be submerged below the waterline during operation. This can provide buoyancy while avoiding a large increase in aerodynamic drag.

The stabilizer comprises an attachment portion that attaches the first portion to the vessel. The attachment portion has a width perpendicular to the fore-aft direction that is smaller than that of the first portion. The attachment portion may also have a length that is smaller than that of the first portion in the fore-aft direction. This may provide a small flotation area, which may reduce aerodynamic drag.

The stabilizer further comprises a second portion arranged to float during operation. The connecting portion joins the first portion with the second portion.

Optionally, the vessel further comprises an arm connecting the second portion to the main hull. Optionally, the first portion has substantially the same length as the second portion in the fore-aft (or anterior-posterior) direction.

Optionally, the length of the stabilizer parallel to the fore-aft direction is between 25% and 80% of the main hull length, preferably between 30% and 75% of the main hull length.

Optionally, the stabilizer extension in the fore-aft direction is between the stern and a point 80% of the total length of the main hull forward of the stern.

Optionally, the hydrofoil is mounted behind the stern.

Optionally, the dynamically adjustable hydrofoil mounted at or near the stern of the main hull is arranged to be adjusted such that the hydrofoil supports between 0% and 30% of the total displacement of the vessel, preferably between 0% and 20% of the total displacement of the vessel.

Optionally, the hydrofoil comprises a main hydrofoil body and a trailing edge fin arranged to move relative to the main body to thereby vary the force applied to the main hull. This may provide improved control of the lift produced by the hydrofoil. In some arrangements, there may be more than one trailing edge fin.

The angle of attack of the hydrofoil is adjustable to vary the force applied to the main hull. This can provide improved control of the lift produced by the hydrofoil.

Optionally, the hydrofoil is retractable. This can prevent damage to the hydrofoil when not in use and/or during operation in shallow water.

Optionally, the width of the hydrofoil is greater than the beam of the main hull.

Optionally, the hydrofoil is also attached to the stabilizer. This can increase the lift of the hydrofoil and improve seaworthiness.

Optionally, the hydrofoil is provided to control the trim of the boat.

Optionally, the hydrofoil is provided to compensate for changes in the boat's load.

Optionally, the main hull comprises a plurality of hydrofoils.

Optionally, the stabilizer further comprises at least one hydrofoil. This may provide improved roll control of the vessel.

Optionally, the hydrofoil on the stabilizer is dynamically adjustable and is arranged to apply a variable force to the stabilizer. This can allow the roll response of the boat to be adjusted.

Optionally, the hydrofoil on the stabilizer is located at or near the stern of the first portion. Optionally, the hydrofoil on the stabilizer extends towards the main hull.

Optionally, the hydrofoil on the stabilizer is arranged to control the roll of the boat. Optionally, the main hull supports 70% or more of the total static displacement of the boat, preferably 70% to 95% of the total static displacement of the boat.

Optionally, the stabilizer supports 30% or less of the total static displacement of the vessel, preferably 5% to 30% of the total static displacement of the vessel.

Optionally, the vessel further comprises a control system arranged to dynamically adjust the hydrofoil. The control system may optionally comprise an inertial measurement unit.

Optionally, the vessel further comprises a motorized propulsion device arranged to propel the vessel, wherein the motorized propulsion device is located forward of the hydrofoil in the forward-aft direction.

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will now be described, by means of a single non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a vessel according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a second perspective view of a vessel according to the present invention; Figure 3 shows a third perspective view (rear) of a vessel according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a profile view of a vessel according to the present invention;

Figure 5 shows a plan view of a vessel according to the present invention;

Figure 6 shows a front view of a vessel according to the present invention;

Figure 7 shows a first perspective view of a vessel according to the present invention including a small waterplane area hull stabilizer;

Figure 8 shows a second perspective view of a vessel according to the present invention including a small waterplane area hull stabilizer;

Figure 9 shows a third (rear) perspective view of a vessel according to the present invention including a small waterplane area hull stabilizer;

Figure 10 shows a profile view of a vessel according to the present invention including a small waterplane area hull stabilizer;

Figure 11 shows a plan view of a vessel according to the present invention including a small waterplane area hull stabilizer;

Figure 12 shows a front view of a vessel according to the present invention including a small waterplane area hull stabilizer; and

Figure 13 shows a modified version of the boat in Figure 3 with the hydrofoil extending to the stabilizer.

Detailed description

The present invention relates to an outrigger-stabilized vessel. As shown in Fig. 1, the vessel comprises a main hull 10 and an outrigger 11. The main hull 10 extends in a fore-aft direction, and the outrigger 11 extends substantially parallel to this direction, laterally spaced (i.e. spaced in a direction perpendicular to the fore-aft direction) from the main hull 10. The outrigger 11 is a single outrigger. That is, the vessel has only one outrigger and does not have a second outrigger, as in the case of a trimaran. The main hull 10 and the stabilizer 11 are connected by an arm 17. The vessel further comprises a hydrofoil 12 mounted at or near the stern of the main hull 10, as shown in Figure 2. In operation, the hydrofoil 12 is submerged (i.e. below the waterline), so that the flow around the hydrofoil causes a resultant lift force, which in turn is transmitted to the main hull 10. The vessel (and hence the main hull) may be operated in a displacement mode, a semi-planing mode, or a full planing mode, and may transition between these modes depending, for example, on the speed of the vessel.

In the configuration shown in Figures 1-6, it will be noted that the hydrofoil is shown mounted aft of the stern (i.e., aft of the transom, or at the rearmost portion of the main hull 10). However, it will be understood that the hydrofoil 12 (which may be referred to as the main hull hydrofoil 12) may also be located in a position near, but not at the rearmost portion, (i.e., aft) of the main hull 10. For example, the hydrofoil may be located in a position in the aft 25% of the main hull 10. It will also be understood that the point at which the hydrofoil is mounted (i.e., attached) to the main hull 10 may be the same in the anteroposterior (i.e., fore-aft) direction as the anteroposterior position of the hydrofoil itself, or that these two points may be offset relative to each other. For example, the hydrofoil 12 may be mounted to the main hull 10 by means of struts, which may extend vertically downward, or at a different angle relative to the vertical.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 1-6 (which is not in accordance with the claimed invention), the stabilizer has the form of a conventional displacement hull, where the lower part of the stabilizer hull is submerged and the upper part of the stabilizer hull is above the waterline. In other words, the stabilizer hull 11 can be considered to act as a small displacement hull, being smaller than the main hull 10. However, as will be described later, other arrangements of the stabilizer 11 are possible, such as the arrangement shown in Figures 7-12.

In the arrangements shown in Figures 7-12, the stabilizer 11 has the form of a small waterplane area hull. The small waterplane area hull comprises a first portion 13 which is completely submerged during operation. This portion may be referred to as an "underwater" portion. The small waterplane area hull may further comprise an attachment portion 14 which attaches the first portion to the remainder of the vessel. In particular, the attachment portion 14 is a thin attachment portion, having a width in the beam direction (i.e., the horizontal direction perpendicular to the fore-aft direction) less than that of the first portion 13. That is, in the view shown in Figure 12, the width of the attachment portion 14 is less than that of the first portion 13. The attachment portion may also have a length less than that of the first portion in the fore-aft direction. In some arrangements, the length of the attachment portion may vary with height. During normal operation, the thin bond portion is at the waterline, which provides a small cross-sectional area at the waterline. This provides the "small waterplane area" of this type of hull.

The small waterplane area hull further comprises a second portion 15 which is above the waterline, and which can float (during operation). The second portion 15 can contact the water and thus float, producing a righting moment, when the vessel has a large heeling (i.e. tilting) angle. Such a large heeling angle can occur due to wave motion, or during a turn in the direction which causes the main hull 10 to swing towards the stabilizer 11. The second portion is attached to the first portion by the attachment portion, and the second portion can be attached to the rest of the vessel by the arm 17. It will also be understood that the second portion 15 can be omitted. When the second portion 15 is omitted, the attachment portion 14 can be attached directly to the arm 17.

As best seen in Figure 7, the first portion 13 of the stabilizer and the second portion 15 of the stabilizer may have substantially the same length as each other in the anteroposterior direction. Alternatively, in some arrangements, the lengths of the first portion 13 and the second portion 15 may be different from each other. For example, the first portion 13 may be longer than the second portion 15. These relative lengths may vary depending on the desired volume of the first portion 13, which may be chosen based on the distance between the stabilizer 11 and the main hull 10.

Conventionally, small waterplane area hulls are typically used in vessels with a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) configuration, with two such hulls joined together. However, the present invention provides arrangements where only the stabilizer 11 has a small waterplane area hull, and the main hull 10 has a different hull shape. For example, the configuration of the stabilizer stabilized vessel arrangement shown in Figures 7-12 has a stabilizer 11 with a small waterplane area hull configuration, and a main hull 10 with a conventional hull.

The combination of a conventional hull 10 (such as a displacement hull, a semi-displacement/semi-planing hull, or a planing hull) with a small waterplane area stabilizer can provide particularly good stability and seaworthiness, for example, in rough water conditions, while allowing cargo changes (e.g., cargo) to be accommodated without compromising the trim or efficiency of the vessel. Furthermore, this configuration, when combined with the hydrofoil 12 mounted at or near the stern of the main hull 10, can offer particularly good seaworthiness due to the hydrofoil effect, while reducing fuel consumption due to the lower aerodynamic drag associated with a small waterplane area hull stabilizer. Furthermore, the use of a stabilizer can allow the main hull to be longer than that of a conventional catamaran for a given build area (i.e., amount of material used in construction) or deck area, which in turn can reduce drag and improve seaworthiness.

It will be understood that all options and variations set forth below are equally applicable to the hull and stabilizer embodiments shown in Figures 1-6 and 7-12.

The main hull 10 may have a slender hull form. In some arrangements, the stabilizer 11 and hydrofoil 12 may permit the use of main hull forms which, due to their slenderness (which may be measured by the ratio of length to displacement or length to beam) would be unstable and impractical to use. That is, the stabilizer 11 and hydrofoil arrangement of the present invention may permit the reduction in aerodynamic drag provided by such slender hull forms, while providing increased stability and improved seaworthiness.

In some arrangements, the hydrofoil 12 may be dynamically adjustable. In other words, the position of the hydrofoil when submerged in water may be varied, such that it applies a variable force to the main hull 10. This may allow for even improved seaworthiness and may actively control the trim of the vessel, in response to, for example, changes in water conditions (e.g. waves) and/or changes in the loading of the vessel due to, for example, cargo being carried.

In operation, the main hull hydrofoil 12 can typically support between 0% and 30% of the total displacement (i.e., the weight of the vessel), and preferably between 0% and 20% of the total displacement of the vessel. It will be understood that, when a dynamically adjustable hydrofoil 12 is used, the proportion of the vessel's displacement supported by the hydrofoil (i.e., the force applied to the main hull 10 by the hydrofoil 12) can vary as the hydrofoil is dynamically adjusted. In some circumstances, the hydrofoil 12 can also provide negative lift. For example, in some arrangements, the hydrofoil 12 located aft of the main hull 10 can typically support between -30% and 30% of the total displacement, depending on water conditions.

In some arrangements, the hydrofoil 12 may comprise a main hydrofoil body and a trailing edge fin arranged to move relative to the main hydrofoil body. In this arrangement, the main hydrofoil may be fixed. The trailing edge fin may move relative to the main body to provide dynamic adjustment of the force applied to the main hull 10 by the hydrofoil 12. Furthermore, in some arrangements, multiple trailing edge fins may be used on the hydrofoil 12 along its length (i.e., along the span of the hydrofoil). This may provide improved control of the force applied by the hydrofoil and hence the displacement of the vessel carried by the hydrofoil 12, by allowing the lift produced by the hydrofoil to be varied along its span. In particular, this may allow roll and trim to be controlled independently.

Alternatively or additionally, the angle of attack of the hydrofoil 12 itself may be variable. In other words, the position (or angle) of the hydrofoil when submerged may be varied such that the force applied to the main hull 10 by the hydrofoil 12 changes.

In some arrangements, the hydrofoil 12 may be arranged so that it can be moved to a position out of the water when the vessel is in the water. For example, the hydrofoil may be arranged to turn aft about a pivot point such that it is raised out of the water. The hydrofoil may also be retractable to within the main hull 10 or to a position close to the main hull. In the retracted position, the foil may preferably still be below the waterline, although a stowed position at or above the waterline is possible. This may allow the vessel to operate in shallow water even if the depth of the water is such that the hydrofoil cannot be used. This may also allow the hydrofoil to be protected when not in use (for example, when the vessel is docked, moored or otherwise stored).

In some arrangements, the span of the hydrofoil 12 (i.e. the width as shown in Figure 12) may be greater than the beam (i.e. the width) of the main hull 10. This may provide improved stability control. In the arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 12, the hydrofoil 12 extends inboard of the main hull in the direction of the stabilizer. It will be understood that the hydrofoil may alternatively or additionally extend outboard of the main hull 10 (i.e. in a direction away from the stabilizer 11, and to the left in the view shown in Figures 6 and 12).

Furthermore, in some arrangements, and as shown in Figure 13, the hydrofoil 12 may extend from the main hull 10 to the stabilizer, and be attached to the stabilizer 11. In other words, the hydrofoil 12 may extend between the main hull 10 and the stabilizer 11.

In some arrangements, a plurality of hydrofoils may be mounted on the main hull. Where more than one hydrofoil is present on the main hull, each hydrofoil may be used in any of the arrangements described above. For example, a plurality of hydrofoils may be mounted at or near the stern of the main hull. In such an arrangement, the hydrofoils may be mounted in the beam direction, with each hydrofoil being separately controllable (i.e. dynamically adjustable). In other arrangements, there may be a mixture of fixed and dynamically adjustable hydrofoils.

As shown in Figures 6 and 12, the stabilizer may also comprise a hydrofoil 16. That is, as well as the hydrofoil 12 provided on the main hull, there may be a separate hydrofoil 16 (i.e., a stabiliser hydrofoil) on the stabilizer 11. The stabiliser hydrofoil 16 may be located at any suitable location on the stabilizer. In some arrangements, the stabiliser hydrofoil 16 may be located at or near the stern of the stabilizer 11. In other arrangements, the stabiliser hydrofoil may be located at or near the position of the main frame, or at the centre of gravity of, the vessel. This may provide improved roll control of the vessel.

As described above in relation to the main hull hydrofoil 12, the angle of attack of the stabilizer hydrofoil 16 may be controllable to vary the force applied to the stabilizer by the stabilizer hydrofoil 16, and/or one or more trailing edge fins may be provided on the stabilizer hydrofoil 16. It will be understood that the arrangement of Figure 13 in which the hydrofoil 12 is also connected to the stabilizer 11, may also be considered as a main hull hydrofoil 12 and a stabilizer hydrofoil 16 joined together. It will also be understood that arrangements are possible where the main hull hydrofoil 12 extends to the stabilizer 11, and the stabilizer hydrofoil 16 extends to the main hull 10, such that there are two full width hydrofoils extending between the main hull 10 and the stabilizer 11. Furthermore, one of the main hull hydrofoil 12 and the stabilizer hydrofoil 16 may span the full width of the vessel (and thus be attached to the stabilizer or the main hull respectively), and the other may span only part of the width of the vessel, and not be attached to another component. Furthermore, additional hydrofoils may be added such that there are three or more hydrofoils. Such additional hydrofoils may be mounted on the main hull 10, on the stabilizer 11, or span between both the main hull and the stabilizer.

The stabilizer hydrofoil 16 may have any suitable configuration. In the arrangements shown in Figure 12, the stabilizer hydrofoil 16 is located on the inside of the stabilizer 11. That is, the span of the stabilizer hydrofoil 16 extends from the first portion of the stabilizer 15 towards the main hull 10 in the beam direction. However, it will be understood that the stabilizer hydrofoil 16 may also be provided on the outboard side of the stabilizer 11 (i.e. extending in a direction away from the main hull 10). The stabilizer hydrofoil 16 may provide improved control of the attitude of the vessel, in particular, the balance (roll) of the vessel and the amplitude of oscillation of the stabilizer. In arrangements where the stabilizer hydrofoil 16 extends and is attached to the main hull, the stabilizer wing may support part of the weight of the main hull, reducing the drag of the vessel.

In some arrangements, one or both of the hydrofoils 12, 16 may have an anhedral or dihedral arrangement. That is, the span of the hydrofoil may not be horizontal when in use, but rather at an angle to the horizontal. In the case of a dihedral arrangement, the hydrofoil may have two upwardly inclined portions, and in the case of an anhedral arrangement, the hydrofoil may have two downwardly inclined portions.

The vessel may further comprise a control system arranged to provide dynamic control of the position of the hydrofoil 12, and when present, the stabilizer hydrofoil 16. As explained above, the angle of attack of the one or more hydrofoils may be controlled by the control system, and/or the angle of a trailing edge flap of one or more of the hydrofoils may be controlled by the control system. The control may be optimized to control at least one of the trims of the vessel, rotational movements of the vessel (i.e., pitch, roll, and yaw), translational movements of the vessel (vertical translation, lateral translation, and longitudinal translation), and/or to compensate for load changes on the vessel. The control system may be arranged to provide the above control automatically and/or in response to input from a user. The control system may use an inertial measurement unit to measure the state of the vessel and control the hydrofoils accordingly. The control system may use, for example, at least one of rudder angle, steering input angle, yaw angle from the inertial measurement unit, and speed (e.g., from a GPS unit) in order to command the hydrofoils.

The upper surface of the arm 17 may be arranged so as to form part of the deck of the vessel. For example, it may be continuous with the deck of the main hull. This may allow for greater usable deck space, allowing for increased capacity of the vessels.

The stabilizer 11 may be of any suitable length, but is typically between 25% and 80% of the length of the main hull 10, and preferably between 30% and 75% of the length of the main hull 10. The stabilizer may be positioned so as to be located between the stern of the main hull 10 and a point 80% of the total length of the main hull 10 forward of the stern.

It will be understood that the static displacement (i.e. the weight) of the vessel is borne by the main hull and the stabiliser. In some arrangements the main hull bears 70% or more of the total static displacement of the vessel, and preferably between 70% and 95% of the total static displacement. Thus, in such arrangements the stabiliser may bear 30% or less of the total static displacement of the vessel, and preferably between 5% and 30% of the total static displacement. It will be understood that the proportions of the total static displacement borne by the main hull and the stabiliser are not fixed, and may vary due to loading conditions (which may change due to changes in external cargo such as cargo, due to the use of fuel and stores, and due to the movement of the crew) and dynamically as the vessel moves through the water.

The vessel is a motorised vessel (i.e. a motor boat). In such an arrangement, the vessel may be predominantly propelled by any suitable motorised propulsion system. For example, one or more propellers, water jets or azimuth thrusters may be located on the main hull 10, in any suitable configuration. The type of propulsion system and its location may be chosen taking into account the position of the hydrofoil 12 of the main hull, such that the hydrofoil and the propulsion unit do not interfere with each other. In particular, in some arrangements, the propulsion system (and in particular, a propulsion device thereof) is located forward of the hydrofoil in the fore-aft direction, or level with the hydrofoil in the fore-aft direction. It will be appreciated that other arrangements with different relative positions of the propulsion device and the hydrofoil are also possible.

In addition, an additional propulsion unit may be provided on the stabilizer. Again, the stabilizer propulsion unit may use any known suitable propulsion system. In arrangements with a propulsion unit on the stabilizer (i.e. an additional propulsion unit), the additional propulsion unit may be used to provide extra propulsion force to propel the vessel, and/or to provide additional manoeuvring capability (e.g. to act as a bow thruster).

The vessel according to the present invention has been described as a monohull vessel stabilized by an outrigger. However, it will be understood that the vessel could also be considered an "asymmetric catamaran", with the main hull 10 and the outrigger 11 forming two hulls of a catamaran. It will be understood that the vessel of the present invention incorporates the advantages of both monohull vessels (which can easily adapt to load changes) and multihull vessels, which can have improved seaworthiness characteristics and reduced aerodynamic drag.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, it is not limited to the illustrative embodiments disclosed. Various modifications, combinations, subcombinations, and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors as long as they are within the scope of the appended claims. Features of any of the examples or embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with features of any other example or embodiment of the present disclosure.

Claims (15)

1. A motorized stabilized vessel comprising: a main hull (10) extending in a forward-backward direction; a single stabilizer (11) arranged to stabilize the main hull, extending substantially parallel to the main hull and laterally spaced from the main hull; and at least one hydrofoil (12) located at or near the stern of the main hull, characterized in that the stabilizer comprises: a first portion (13) arranged to submerge below the waterline during operation; a joining portion (14) joining the first portion to the vessel, the joining portion having a width perpendicular to the fore-aft direction that is smaller than that of the first portion; and a second portion (15) arranged to float during operation, the joining portion joining the first portion to the second portion; and where the angle of attack of the hydrofoil is dynamically adjustable and is arranged to apply a variable force to the main hull. 2. The vessel according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer (11) is a small waterplane area hull. 3. The vessel according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an arm (17) connecting the stabilizer to the main hull. 4. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the first portion (13) has substantially the same length as the second portion (15) in the fore-aft direction. 5. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the length of the stabilizer (11) parallel to the fore-aft direction is between 25% and 80% of the length of the main hull, preferably between 30% and 75% of the length of the main hull. 6. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the extension of the stabilizer (11) in the fore-aft direction is between the stern and a point located 80% of the total length of the main hull forward of the stern. 7. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the hydrofoil (12) is mounted aft of the stern. 8. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the dynamically adjustable hydrofoil (12) mounted at or near the stern of the main hull is arranged to be adjusted such that the hydrofoil supports between 0% and 30% of the total displacement of the vessel, preferably between 0% and 20% of the total displacement of the vessel. 9. The watercraft according to any preceding claim, wherein the hydrofoil (12) comprises a main hydrofoil body and a trailing edge fin arranged to move relative to the main body to thereby vary the force applied to the main hull. 10. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of: the hydrofoil is retractable; The hydrofoil's wingspan is greater than the beam of the main hull; The hydrofoil is also attached to the stabilizer; The hydrofoil is arranged to control the trim of the vessel and/or compensate for changes in the vessel's load; and The main hull comprises a plurality of hydrofoils. 11. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the stabilizer further comprises at least one hydrofoil (16); optionally wherein the hydrofoil (16) located on the stabilizer is dynamically adjustable and arranged to apply a variable force to the stabilizer. 12. The vessel according to claim 11, wherein the hydrofoil located on the stabilizer is located at or near the stern of the first portion; and/or wherein the hydrofoil located on the stabilizer extends towards the main hull and/or wherein the hydrofoil located on the stabilizer is arranged to control the roll of the vessel. 13. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the main hull supports 70% or more of the total static displacement of the vessel, preferably 70% to 95% of the total static displacement of the vessel. 14. The vessel according to any preceding claim, wherein the stabilizer supports 30% or less of the total static displacement of the vessel, preferably 5% to 30% of the total static displacement of the vessel. 15. The vessel according to any preceding claim, further comprising: a control system arranged to dynamically adjust the hydrofoil; and/or a motorized propulsion device arranged to propel the vessel, wherein the motorized propulsion device is located forward of the hydrofoil in the fore-aft direction.