Abstract: A ski structure for use with a boat hull to support the hull above the water when the boat is underway, the ski structure comprising an air tight housing in the form of an inverted U-shaped shell and a floor which forms a main ski surface and which extends between opposite sides of the U-shaped shell. The ski structure also includes a pair of assist skies or glides positioned lower than the main ski surface which extend substantially the length of the shell and which are adapted to plane on the surface of the water.

Abstract: The disclosed is for a specifically designed ski structure to support a vessel's hull above the water surface while the vessel is underway so that the hull encounters minimal or no resistance from the water, the viscosity of which is 800 times greater than air. The skis, which may number more than two per vessel, are arranged in parallel to the vessel's direction of travel and support the hull from beneath via stanchions that may be of a fixed nature or capable of lifting and lowering the hull relative to the ski structures' planing position on the water surface. The skis would normally be positioned to the sides of the hull's beam to impart maximum stability to the vessel. The ski structures are designed to have multiple functions: a.) to enable sea vessels to travel at very much higher speeds than conventional designs afford; b.) To provide a lightweight, rigid structure that is able to be reinforced within itself; c.