Are You Foiling Ahead or Dragging Through the Water?

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to sail as a guest on a top-tier racing catamaran that literally hovered above the sea. With the wind in our sails and a speed of around 40 km/h, the crew and I were ‘flying’ over the water…

…all thanks to foiling technology—special underwater wings that lift the vessel above the water’s surface when it reaches sufficient speed. The feeling? Truly similar to flying.

Currently, the pinnacle of competitive sailing is represented by F50-class catamarans—high-performance sailing ‘beasts’ that, powered solely by the wind, can exceed speeds of 100 km/h! But they’re not the only vessels using foiling technology. Today, foiling dominates most racing classes. Those sailors who failed to adapt and stuck to traditional approaches are simply no longer competitive.

Younger generations, who grew up with foiling technology, have a huge advantage over experienced skippers who spent decades sailing classic boats. For young sailors, adapting was a natural process, whereas older ones faced a tough choice—adapt their approach and technique to learn something new or remain stuck in the past.

Who Can React Faster to Market Changes?

This draws a clear parallel to the business world. Companies that have taken a step forward—leveraging digital technologies for data collection and personalized offerings—have an undeniable edge over those still relying on pen and paper.

Who can identify customer needs faster and more accurately? Who can react to market shifts more swiftly? The one processing real-time data, or the one struggling to sift through piles of notes day after day? The answer is obvious.

Yes, adopting new tools requires new skills. Adapting to innovation—especially for older generations—isn’t always easy, but it’s essential for progress. The good news? Learning new business technologies is far easier than catching up with the technological revolution we’ve witnessed in the sailing world.