"Hydrofoils have been used on different watercraft for more than 100 years. They have been used on engine driven watercraft both large and small, sailboats, human powered boats, windsurfers, wakeboards, and water ski(s).

The first hydrofoil boat dates back to 1906 designed and built by the Italian Inventor, Enrico Forlanini (1948-1930). The foil design was made from the classic "Ladder" type construction which has multiple struts coming down with multiple wings between them. It had a 60 hp engine driving two counter-rotating air props and during testing in 1906, the craft reached a top speed of 42.5 mph.

Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin developed a boat based on Floranini's Ladder style foil in 1919. Bell was the primary designer and Baldwin built the boat based on their designs. The boat was called the Hydrodrome 4 (HD-4) and set the record for the fastest hydrofoil boat speed at 60 knots (114 km/h) which stood until the 1960s.

In the 1960s, many countries developed their own version of a hydrofoil ship for their militaries. The US Navy and Boeing developed the first Jetfoil, the Patrol Hydrofoil Missileship (PHM), which was the predecessor to the Jetski. They also developed a commercial passenger version.

In Germany, Baron von Schertel worked on hydrofoils prior to and during World War II. After the war Schertel's team was captured by the Russians. As Germany was not authorized to build fast boats, Schertel himself went to Switzerland, where he established the Supramar company. In 1952, Supramar launched the first commercial hydrofoil, PT10 "Freccia d'Oro" (Golden Arrow), in Lake Maggiore, between Switzerland and Italy. The PT10 is of surface-piercing type, it can carry 32 passengers and travel at 35 knots (65 km/h). In 1968, Hussain Najadi the Bahraini born banker, acquired the Supramar AG and expanded its operations into Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, Norway and USA. General Dynamics of the United States became its licensee, and the Pentagon awarded its first R&D naval research project in the field of supercavitation. Hitachi Shipbuilding of Osaka, Japan, was another licensee of Supramar, as well as many leading ship owners and shipyards in the OECD countries.


During the same period the Soviet Union experimented extensively with hydrofoils, constructing hydrofoil river boats and ferries with streamlined designs during the cold war period and into the 1980s. Such vessels include the Raketa (1957) type, followed by the larger Meteor type and the smaller Voskhod type.

One of the most successful Soviet designer/inventor in this area was Rostislav Alexeyev who some consider the 'father' of the modern hydrofoil

In the 1970s Alexeyev combined his hydrofoil experience to create the Voshkod which is considered the most successful passenger hydrofoil design. Currently, Voshkods are in service in more then 20 countries such as Canada, Greece, Japan, China, the Netherlands and Austria among others."