World News for Students of English

24-09-2021 15:00

Athletes in France competed in the first ever flying boat race, a new type of foil cycling that allows cyclists to ’fly on water’ aboard pedal-powered boats.

Annecy-based startup JetCycle created the boats. According to JetCycle’s CEO Nicolas Picard, the pedaling system resembles the concept of boat cycling while laying down.

However, there is an innovation of foil at the front and at the back. A pushing system allows pedaling at the speed of around 9 kilometers per hour, and it start a small flight controller, just like in a plane, to fly on water by using the foil.

This mix between sailing and cycling is intended to be a new fitness activity with no carbon dioxide emissions. It combines performance, endurance, and the pleasure for boat sports. Sold for 12,000 euros each, the JetCycle is for rental professionals, and Picard hopes to sell 100 JetCycles within three years.

Difficult words: innovation (a new method or idea), propulsion (the action of driving or pushing forwards), carbon dioxide emissions (the gas that comes from vehicles which move), endurance (the ability to do something for a long time).

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