Our Story

The Story of Code Foils

Code Foils began as a passion project among a group of friends and foil enthusiasts—Marcus, Ben, Dan, and Jimmy—who turned their shared interest into an innovative foil brand. The origins of the company trace back to Marcus and Jimmy’s longstanding relationship, which began over a decade ago when they started collaborating on watercraft design. Both Marcus and Jimmy have been at the forefront of ocean racing during this time, consistently performing at the top level while honing their expertise in designing high-performance equipment. Jimmy’s athletic abilities and success in ocean sports were a huge asset to the formation of the brand, providing not only practical insights but also a competitive edge that helped validate their designs on the global stage. Their partnership kicked off when they worked together on race boards for another company, laying a strong foundation for their eventual venture into foils. Ben, Marcus’s brother, was a natural addition to the team, bringing a deep familial bond and a shared history of water-based pursuits. Marcus and Ben have been sailing together since a young age, fostering a lifelong passion for watercraft design that has evolved over the years. From their early days navigating the waves as kids to their adult collaborations on cutting-edge foil technology, the brothers have continuously fueled each other’s enthusiasm and creativity, making their partnership a cornerstone of Code Foils.

Dan, an architect with 20 years of design and CAD/CAM experience across multiple design disciplines, joined the group in a stroke of serendipity when Marcus, after moving halfway between his home and his girlfriend’s in Perth, ended up living just four doors down from him. Dan already knew Jimmy, Ben, and Marcus from their shared history of downwind racing in stand-up paddle, which fostered an instant connection. Already working on foil designs with Ben, Marcus recognized Dan’s exceptional technical expertise as a game-changer for refining their concepts into functional products. Marcus invited Dan to become a core member of the venture, solidifying the team.

The early days of Code Foils were defined by a hands-on, DIY ethos. The team purchased a CNC machine and set it up in Dan’s garage. With Dan at the helm, they spent late nights tinkering and testing designs, leveraging his extensive CAD/CAM background to bring precision to their work. Marcus and Ben also brought years of experience in composite construction to the table, enhancing the team’s ability to craft durable and high-performing foil components. For about a year, they experimented with cutting tails, fuselages, and other components from G10 material, refining their craft through trial and error. Communication across distances—particularly with Jimmy in Sydney and Ben on the other side of the country living on the Gold Coast—was facilitated by FaceTime, enabling collaboration despite the geographic divide. Eventually, they transitioned from garage prototypes to factory production, assembling their first foils and testing them in real-world conditions.

The name “Code Foils” emerged spontaneously when Marcus, doodling on a piece of paper during a drive to Exmouth for foiling, wrote down the word “code” (possibly inspired by something he heard on the radio) and paired it with a simple triangle logo. The team embraced its ambiguity—comparing it to Nike’s swoosh—allowing it to evolve into its own identity. The orange color scheme nodded to the desert hues of northern Western Australia and their admiration for Formula 1 aesthetics, like McLaren’s livery, reflecting their view of foiling as an “arms race” of design and performance. A key component of the brand is that all four directors—Marcus, Ben, Dan, and Jimmy—are proficient foilers, each having now completed the grueling Molokai to Oahu race. Having all directors skilled in foiling means the feedback loop in prototyping, testing, and design is tight and seamless, allowing rapid iteration and refinement based on firsthand experience.

The company’s breakthrough came with their first major test in Hawaii, where their prototype foils—particularly the 860R—proved competitive in races like Maui to Molokai (M2M) and Molokai to Oahu (M2O). Jimmy’s strategic choice of the 860R, initially dismissed as too big, showcased its versatility, enabling him to win M2O by excelling in both flat starts and headwind finishes. This success validated their designs and propelled Code Foils toward expanding their range, aiming to serve a broader spectrum of foilers—from beginners to racers—while maintaining their reputation for high-performance, reliable foils. What began as a serendipitous collaboration among friends, rooted in their downwind racing camaraderie and decades of collective experience in design, has grown into a promising brand, driven by ingenuity, technical expertise, and a relentless pursuit of foiling excellence.