Innovation Award | Silver manus® 2019 – Foiling Sports catamaran
iFLY15 honored as the Award Winner for the FlySafe® Foil Control System
Silver IGUS manus ® 2019 – Sports catamaran
Few areas in sailing place higher demands on engineering than stable flight on hydrofoils. At Hannover Messe 2019, that challenge has now received international recognition: the iFLY15 has been honored with the Silver IGUS Manus® Award 2019 for the application of IGUS plain-bearing technology within the FlySafe® Foil Control System developed by CEC Catamarans. The Manus competition by IGUS recognizes creative, economical, and sustainable applications of polymer plain bearings.
What makes this recognition meaningful is its technical focus. The FlySafe® Foil Control System itself was developed by CEC Catamarans as a fully mechanical solution for one of the central problems in hydrofoil sailing: achieving precise, repeatable, and reliable flight control under constantly changing loads. The IGUS Manus® Award does not change the authorship of that concept. It highlights the quality of the IGUS plain-bearing application within that demanding mechanical system.
A mechanical system for real foiling conditions
The design brief from the beginning has been clear. A hydrofoil sailboat needs a flight-control system that reacts cleanly and without hesitation. Once the platform rises onto foils, even small mechanical inaccuracies can become major handling problems. Electronic or hydraulic solutions were never the preferred route, because they add complexity and require energy storage and supply. The objective behind FlySafe® has therefore been different: develop a precise, robust, and practical mechanical system for real sailing use.
This is not an abstract engineering exercise. The components inside such a system must continue to function in humidity, spray, temperature swings, sand, dust, and impact loads from floating debris. Tight tolerances and high reliability are not optional in that environment. They are fundamental.
Why the IGUS bearing application stands out
Within that CEC-developed foil-control architecture, selected IGUS components are used where lubrication-free function, dependable movement, and durability under load are required. On its application page, IGUS describes the iFLY15 solution with products from the igubal® and drylin® ranges. The same page notes the demands behind the application: tight tolerances, maintenance-free operation, resistance to harsh environmental conditions, and an overall solution that remains realistic for a high-performance recreational sailing platform.
That matters because, in a foiling catamaran, detail engineering is never secondary. Precision at component level directly affects control quality, flight stability, and long-term function. This is exactly why lubrication-free bearing technology becomes so relevant here. In normal sailing use, lubrication attracts dust and sand and can quickly accelerate wear. A maintenance-free plain-bearing solution is therefore not just convenient. It is part of the engineering logic of the system.
Why this award matters for iFLY15
The significance of the Silver IGUS Manus® Award 2019 lies in what it points to. It does not suggest that the foil-control system came from a supplier. It points instead to the technical depth of the iFLY15 and to the fact that even within a highly specialized CEC-developed mechanical system, the bearing application itself stands out as an award-level engineering solution.
For iFLY15, this is an important moment. It confirms that the FlySafe® approach is not only convincing on the water, but also compelling when examined through the lens of mechanical execution. Stable hydrofoil sailing depends on far more than headline speed. It depends on precision, consistency, and the quality of every detail inside the control architecture. That is what this award recognizes.
Engineering made visible
The iFLY15 has been conceived as a high-performance foiling catamaran with a fully mechanical control philosophy at its core. The Silver IGUS Manus® Award 2019 now gives external recognition to one specific part of that engineering effort: the successful use of IGUS polymer plain-bearing technology within the FlySafe® Foil Control System.
Put simply, this award is not about decoration. It is about technical execution. And in a boat designed to rise clear of the water and remain controlled at speed, that is exactly where recognition matters most.
The IGUS manus® award is an international competition that recognizes innovative industrial applications of polymer plain-bearing technology. In 2019, the iFLY15 was honored with the Silver IGUS Manus® Award for the application of IGUS plain-bearing technology within its FlySafe® Foil Control System.
FlySafe® is the fully mechanical foil-control system developed by CEC Catamarans for the iFLY15. It is designed to deliver precise, repeatable, and reliable flight control under real sailing loads, without depending on electronics or hydraulics.
The bearing application had to operate with tight tolerances, high reliability, and lubrication-free function in a harsh marine environment with spray, sand, dust, temperature swings, and impact loads. IGUS describes the iFLY15 application in exactly that context.
