FISA grant approval for the RANDALLfoil

Published Tue 14 Aug 2018

In early August 2018, FISA has certified the RANDALLfoil for use in all international regatta's. The World Governing Body confirming that the design conforms to all current laws and is allowed to be used in competition, including all World Rowing events.

The RANDALLfoil is a simple 90-degree strip attached to the top edge of the blade and restricts the depth that an oar may be buried under the water during the stroke. The design serves as a hydrofoil and was discovered after considering how to eliminate all contact between the oar shaft and the water during the rowing stroke. The design appears to go against the long-held assumption that the deeper the oar is buried the more 'grip' it gets, however researched conducted by Bio-Mechanical scientist Dr. Kleshnev measured this drag effect or "braking splash" on boat speed and found it to be a significant limiting factor on speed.

The Hydrofoil Oar is the result of an “open” design project led by Ian Randall after the efficacy of hydrofoil lift effect on a blade was discovered. The effect of adding a hydrofoil to an oar has been tested independently showing a 3-5% speed increase and a reduction in catch slip. Early adopters in NZ, UK, US and Australia are also replicating results. There are currently no patents on the design or copyright limitations.