Regenerative surfing is utilizing a controllable regenerative braking system to regulate speed while surfing. A vertical sculling hydrofoil boat, utilizes the regenerative braking system and includes a vertical sculling drive system for both propulsion and regenerative braking. The regenerative surfing boat also may include ballast tanks to tune the speed at which the maximum lift to drag ratio appears. The regenerative surfing boat may use an automated surfing control system to control the boat. A method of controlling the trajectory of a surfing boat by controlling a regenerative braking device utilizes a hydrodynamic power collection device for trajectory control as an energy harvesting method.