BirdyFish S — Sailing World Best Foiler 2025

Sailing World Best Foiler 2025. The most versatile boat in the BirdyFish range. Solo or double-handed, freeride or structured sailing, beginner session or extended coastal passage. One boat that does everything.

The award that changes the conversation

When Sailing World named the BirdyFish S its Best Foiler 2025, it was not a niche result in a specialist publication. Sailing World is the most widely read sailing magazine in the English-speaking world. That award is the first thing every serious sailor who looks at this boat will find. In Australia, where the foiling scene is already active and growing, it is a credential that opens doors.

Our Australian demo fleet includes a BirdyFish S. When we run demo events this coming summer, the S is the boat people will step off shaking their heads.

Designed for flight, not complexity

Easy to set up, minimal adjustments, quick takeoff. The BirdyFish S has been designed to let you experience the thrill of flight with ease. The cockpit is shaped specifically around solo and tandem sailing. Wide enough to be comfortable with two people, optimised for a single sailor who wants to move freely and use body weight to trim the foils. No complex control systems, no specialist sail handling skills required, no intimidating learning curve to get through before you are having fun.

The single Dacron mainsail at 9.8m² is all the power you need. The mast is 6.40 metres of black anodised aluminium with stainless steel rigging. Clean, low-maintenance, and built to handle Australian conditions.

The integrated launching system

One of the BirdyFish S's most distinctive features is invisible until you need it. Integrated launching wheels built directly into the hull. Roll it to the water's edge on its own wheels, float it off, remove the wheels once afloat, stow them in the dedicated onboard bag, lower the carbon foils, and fly away. The entire sequence takes minutes and requires no additional equipment.

Carbon foils, serious performance

The BirdyFish S uses three carbon fibre epoxy foils weighing 11kg total. The same high-specification foil material as the BirdyFish Double Race. These are asymmetric curved foils, providing the same self-regulating lift and righting moment that defines all BirdyFish foilers. The faster you go, the more stable it becomes. Get airborne from 8 knots of wind and 6.5 knots of boat speed. Cruise at 15-20 knots. The foils are factory-set.

One handling note: the BirdyFish S's foils are asymmetric and cannot be inverted or swapped between sides. This simply means taking a little care at launch.

Solo or two-up. Your choice, every time.

The BirdyFish S accommodates one or two crew with a maximum combined weight of 150kg. Fly it solo when you want pure focused flight. Take a partner out on the weekend when sailing should be shared.

Where the S sits in the range

The BirdyFish S sits deliberately between the Ioda and the Double Race. More capable and more refined than the Ioda. Simpler and more freeride-oriented than the Double Race, which is built specifically for one-design competition.

If the Ioda is for first flights and club fleets, and the Double Race is for those who want to compete, the BirdyFish S is for the sailor who wants to own one boat, fly it regularly, and enjoy every single session.

It is also our demo boat. When you come to a BirdyFish Australia demo event, you will step off a BirdyFish S.

What sailors say

Barrett learned to sail in June 2025. By December that year he was racing a BirdyFish in a regatta in Pensacola, Florida. His fourth time on the boat. His first time flying it solo. He says the sound the foils make when you are flying is addictive.

Jérome has 30 sessions logged and says he still has not found the limits. Sylvain has covered 497km, reached 22 knots, and reports that every crew member, including complete beginners, has been delighted.