The first VS—9 touches the water

The very first VS—9 flight was a success!

On Friday - May 10th, the first VS—9 touched the water at Oram’s Boat Yard located in West Haven Marina. This was a very large moment for the team at Vessev.

Sea trials commenced on Monday, May 13th. While the team did not anticipate flight on the first day, a glimmer of optimism was present. Thanks to the team's testing of the designs before the vessel's launch, there was little left to be analyzed. To the teams pleasant surprise, the VS—9 sailed through all its initial trials with ease on the first day - slow speed maneuvering, high speed turns, full throttle on the motor, and more. The last test before “full flight” was the 'foil stabilisation mode' test.

At a speed of 12 knots, the 'foil stabilisation mode' kicked in, significantly reducing the vessel's motion even when not foiling. The hydrofoil systems demonstrated their authority, making the vessel feel like it was cradled by a large hand, insulated from the water's motion. With this successful test, the next logical step was to attempt flight.

With 90% of the battery still remaining on the first day of sea trials, all tests had been passed and the decision was made to attempt flight. Max Olson reported that he was only aware that the vessel was flying from the sound made by the team from the nearby chase boat. The transitions were so smooth in and out of the water.

The first VS—9 flew successfully on the first day of sea-trials. This was a monumental achievement for the team at Vessev and bodes well for the continued testing campaign and future launches of new vessel models.