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Media Advisory: Media Invited to Ride Experimental Vessel Sea Flyer During San Diego and San Francisco Fleet Weeks

For Immediate Release: Sep 23, 2004

Arlington , Va -- The Office of Naval Research (ONR) invites the media to tour and ride the Sea Flyer, a 160-foot, 320-ton technology demonstrator vessel whose underwater "lifting body" technology provides an extremely stable high-speed ride, even in rough seas. Navatek, Ltd, of Hawaii designed the technology and modified an existing vessel to evaluate the sea keeping and load carrying capacity of a vessel with an underwater lifting body.

As the vessel’s speed increases, a portion of the hull is lifted above the water’s surface allowing it to reach higher speeds and seemingly "fly" over/through the water. When the vessel is "flying", Navatek's Advanced Ride Control System, incorporated in the underwater lifting body and underwater aft crossfoil, provides the stable ride.

*Interested media must contact ONR to reserve a space on the vessel. High resolution images of Sea Flyer are available for download at www.onr.navy.mil/media in the image gallery. B-roll is available in DVD-format is available upon request.

San Diego Schedule:
Departing from Southwest Marine

  • Friday, October 1


1 p.m. to 5 p.m.


  • Saturday, October 2


8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Sea Flyer will participate in the San Diego Sea ’n Air Parade


  • Sunday, October 3


8 a.m. to noon


1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

San Francisco Schedule:
Departing from Pier 27 along the Embarcadero

  • Friday, October 8

1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Saturday, October 9

8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Sea Flyer will participate in the San Francisco Parade of Ships

  • Sunday, October 10

8 a.m. to noon

1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

About the Office of Naval Research

The Department of the Navy’s Office of Naval Research provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps’ technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 55 countries, 634 institutions of higher learning and nonprofit institutions, and more than 960 industry partners. ONR, through its commands, including headquarters, ONR Global and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., employs more than 3,800 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel.