Windsurf Foiling Discussion

[KC7777]

Hey Dallas,

Nice to see you are foiling! Haha

My quiver down to just a Fanatic Foil board with a carbon AFS 85cm Foil and my 96L Fanatic Freewave windsurfing tri-fin. Way less stress just packing two boards!

Taking my foil set up to Hornby next week. Wouldn’t usually even get to sail there in summer, but with a foil set up most summer days are breezy enough in Lambert Channel to get going on my 6.0 Flyer. At 160 lbs I can fly on the foil in almost no wind. It’s kind of freaky. Haven’t yet tried my foil with small sails Just 5.2M and 6.0M.

Keith

[tempy]

Grantmac and others (who have one): I am curious to hear about your experiences with the Infinity 76 compared to the H2 wing.

I have the H2 dialed - up and downwind, swell surfing etc., but am still having trouble trying to foil through a gybe.

I hear it is easier on the Infinity.

Any feedback?

Anyone coming to NN in the next few week with an Infinity I could demo (on my setup)?

[juandesooka]

Grantmac and others (who have one): I am curious to hear about your experiences with the Infinity 76 compared to the H2 wing.

I have the H2 dialed - up and downwind, swell surfing etc., but am still having trouble trying to foil through a gybe.

I hear it is easier on the Infinity.

Any feedback?

Anyone coming to NN in the next few week with an Infinity I could demo (on my setup)?

Shaggy/Pete is stoked on his 76, at least for surf foiling but I think windsurf foil too. He said he found it much more stable. May want to pm him in case he isn't checking here.

[BigD]

Turning is not on the menu at the moment so I can't comment on jibing. I've heard the 84 makes it easy. I overheard Tony Logoz of Slingshot saying to "flip on the kiss" as in briefly touch down as you flip the sail for stability. He said eventually you'll just stop doing the kiss. He also said don't oversheet or you'll lose speed, let the sail almost get backwinded.

[KC7777]

Grantmac and others (who have one): I am curious to hear about your experiences with the Infinity 76 compared to the H2 wing.
I have the H2 dialed - up and downwind, swell surfing etc., but am still having trouble trying to foil through a gybe.
I hear it is easier on the Infinity.
Any feedback? Anyone coming to NN in the next few week with an Infinity I could demo (on my setup)?

Hey Tempy,

Have you done measurements on the Frankenfoil? I remember that board being so much harder to foil on than my current Fanatic Blast Foil Edition set up.

Specifically, what is the measurement from the mast to the front Tuttle box bolt/screw? My distance from mast to front tuttle screw is 43”. And when I look down through board, when in both footstraps, the front foil wing is equal distance from each foot, between my feet, and I have no pressure on either the front or back leg when in both the footstraps.

I think any foil board is doable, but with those specs above I noticed a huge difference in ease of use? Like not even close.

Big D,

I have the AFS-85cm carbon windfoil (front wing area is 779 cm²)...spent the extra $ so I don't have to worry as much about aluminum corroding in salt water.

https://www.sailworks.com/the-gear/foil ... dfoil.html

Italy ate up my lake time in June. Likely not at Nat until late August or Sep now. Hornby and Kootenay Lake for 5 weeks. Which is basically foil only.

PS Just noticed that AFS has a maximum light wind front wing now (1,120 cm² area front wing) for the AFS-85?

K

[tempy]

The board foils awesome with the reduced size. 6'8" about. Zero swing weight. I switched the fuselage to get the wing a little further forward and it is very comfortable now. The foiling part is "easy" now. It is the turning that is challenging.

[shaggy]

Since I got the Infinity 76 I haven't got back on the H2. 76 is more stable for roll(especially surf foiling), gets going in a bit less wind and seems to be less breachy at higher speeds. I'll have to get a sesh on the H2 to really analyze the differences. I was getting some jibes on the H2 then after a few sessions on 76 jibes clicked. It's helped bearing off straight downwind, 1/2 jibe, and carving upwind/downwind instead of just sailing a straight line. All the while figuring out how to maintain steady pitch/even flight while carving. I switch my feet after sail flip but would like to learn the the before switch too. And of course duck jibe, duck tack, heli tack, upwind/downwind 360 and the backie.
I've glimpsed the light, as others in the wind community have, with a foil and the possibilities are amazing. So much fun in marginal to skunk conditions.

[Bobson]

Interesting this thread started in July of 2018 and lasted until July 2019. Seems like when most doods started the WIND foiling and now the WING foiling is starting to possibly take over. I started WIND foiling in June 2020 so I'm a bit late to the party but trying to make up for my late entry.

So I thought I'd try to resurrect this discussion, although many have experience WINDfoiling but are now 'trying' WINGfoiling. I would like to try the WING-THING one day but for right now I'd like to complete my fully foiling gybe and get it on camera first and make some advances in my speed over 40 km/h. Honestly, I don't think the WING is a fad. I believe it to be the progression, moving to less gear, easier for the massess (people without previous windsport background) and doable (yup, that's a word) in light, medium or strong winds. I do see some positives over the WINDfoiling and KITEfoiling.

Okay, since there are still 3 or 4 guys that WINDfoil here goes...

I have 2 full sets of foils, one built for speed and one for ease of use and to get the gybe.
The speed set is as follows:
95cm mast, 115cm fuse, 800 front and 255 stab.
The gybe set is as follows:
85 mast, 95 fuse, 1100 front and 500/330 stabs.
Both fuses are the 'plus' which means I can angle my stabs for more/less lift(speed).

I will be testing the different angles on the stabilizer to see how it effects top speed, foiling out, ability to foil in lighter winds etc. The Starboard website basically says more wind, less stab angle which makes sense. The -2 angles is the least angle there is going right up to +1 which I would think would slow things down quite a bit and give 'possbily' too much lift in anything except very, very light wind. I will definitely share my findings (if anyone cares).

Wondering if anyone else has had experience with the stabilizer angles..??

All the parts are interchangeable so can switch the mast/fuse combo's. I chose the longer mast and fuse on the speed set so that it was steadier with longer fuse and I had more room for error going fast with the longer mast. I started out on a 75 mast and 75 fuse but remember it was very sensitive and wondering if that was just me not being as good at the balance yet or if the 75cm fuse is that much more sensitive. I'm hoping the 95 fuse is going to be much steadier than the 75 but still have the 75 fuse to also try again. I'm hoping for some steadier thermal winds this summer to do lots of testing with different combinations. The thing with any type of foiling is that there are so many variables, standing more upright, hiking out in the harness, position of foil, foot straps, mast foot, foil size, stab angle, sail size it's a testing nightmare but I figure if I try to keep everything the same and just change 1 thing at a time I will be able to get some concrete data, at least data that makes some sense.

I will add to this thread with my findings but also wanted somewhere for others that are still WINDfoiling to add their findings and thoughts.

I look forward to hearing/reading your input and sharing what I find as well as testing with some of you Doods.

See you 'over' the water,
BOBSON!! (yes, you have to yell it)

[KC7777]

Hey Bobson,

I'm hoping to sail again after a 4 year hiatus. Funny how you can do something every year and then you get busy with other stuff. I'm gonna be pretty rusty at sailing I figure (but I'm a much better mtn biker and waterskier now).

So time to get back into windsports. I'm foregoing high wind windsurfing (Gorge etc) as I only kept my 96L Fanatic Freewave Tri (for Nitinat) and my foil windsurf board for light winds. Also committing to Winging as well.

Here's my windsurf foiling set up.

Board:

Fanatic Blast 145L Foil/Freeride board, deep tuttle built for foil, 235cm x 77cm...ya it's big but the Blasts sail small, it rips with a 38 cm and 44cm fin and a 6.2M in 15....super fun to jibe. Feels like the old Harrison Lake days on my 6.5M and JP Freerace 142L.

Foil:

AFS-2 carbon freeride windsurf foil
Deep tuttle
85cm mast
90cm fuselage
Front wing #1: 1,120cm² (7-15 knots)
Front wing #2: 780cm² (16-30 knots)
Rear wing: 320cm² (all)

3 sails: 4.8M, 5.3M and 6.2M. That's it!. All Sailworks Revos, with 3 RDM masts. I had a 6.0M Flyer, but think the Revos are better for me as I can use also them with my 96L Fanatic FreeWave tri.

I found this windsurf foil set up to be very balanced the few times I sued it....when I bought the board, I measured it against one of the pure foil boards at Sailworks, and it was pretty close. I have the front footstraps all the way forward.

First day foiling on this at Nitinat I was flying on the foil on my 1st run, and by 4th run was sailing on the foil, in both footstraps, and hooked in the harness, feeling very balanced, planing in very low winds (barely capping) on a 6.0M Flyer, using the small front wing. I don't think I'm that good a sailor, so I think the set-up is pretty balanced. I actually have never used the big front wing, which should be much better in low winds, and more stable. Looking at the pics of the wings....the bigger wing is way bigger and should make me go in very little wind with the 6.2M.

Would love to hear/see more windsurf foil setups and gear info.

I'm likely getting the full Armstrong foil set-up for my Wing Foil....could see adding onto that in future (smaller wing, longer fuselage), to make it a windsurf foil....and sell the AFS foil....but that means I would need a windsurf board with the twin A-boxes?

[grantmac]

Bobson,

If you think the 1100 is a gybe machine you should try the Supercruiser 1700 some day, so easy even I can do it.

[tempy]

I started windfoiling on Keith's first setup - the Roberts flapper and the original Slingshot H2 setup.

I pretty quickly determined the board was too big and used the Powerbox adaptor on my Fanatic Skate 110l. It was awesome, except I was very nervouse about the single powerbox screw holding it all together.

As "luck" would have it, I lost the entire foil on my last day on the lake when the2 powerplate to mast screws sheared off (man. defect).

Slingshot sent me a brand new set as a replacement.

In year 2 I had MFW cut down the Roberts to make me Frankenboard Mark I. I also had him fill in the flapper slots and strengthen the fin box as there were creases starting. Same thing with the Skate - so he reinforced that as well.

Frank 1 was great and I added an Infinity 84 for the sub 10 knot days.

Frank 1 must be about 110-115l or so, I think and is super stable.

My sails are Ezzy Zeta's from 4.2 to 5.8 and I have an older Ezzy 3.7 (for the higher wind days).

In year 3 I sold the Skate and bought another Roberts board for MFW to convert into Frank II.

I also bought Grantmac's Slingshot set to get an Infinity 76.

I pretty much use the 76 80% of the time and the 84 20% f the time. (84 on Frank I with the 5.

Frank II is a lot "smaller" and has maybe 90l volume. I had MFW reinforce the tail and put in a trackbox, which I haven't used yet.

I run the 76 in position C and it is super balanced 9now, not at first).

It was a challenge getting used to the setup and I have it pretty dialed now and gybes are coming along nicely.

i have taken the back bootstraps off both boards and like that setup.

So, I have 2 boards - "bigger" and "floatier" Frank I that I use with the 84 and 5.8, and then Frank II that I use with the 76 and 3.7 to 5.2.

This year I will see how the 84 works on Frank II to see if I can go to one board.

I am also going to learn kitefoiling as well, just to keep it interesting.

Here is a pic of the 2 Franks.

[tempy]

And I am sticking with the Slingshot system and always looking for more parts, so let me know if you switch and want to get rid of yours.

[jim mckenzie]

Hey Tempy, I'm using the other end for smaller boards. Here's an old Cobra 260 with my scaled up fiberglass Neil Pryde foil and a Roberts slalom chopped off with my new 1m. carbon foil. Salvaged Tuttle boxes and reinstalled. Foils are wood core with hand layup. Both boards worked well behind the boat and await a 6m wing. Both foils have been good for windfoiling. I was up with a 6.5 sail in wind so low I can't really estimate. I think 5 or 6 mph. I'm only 125 lbs so it's all pretty nice.

[Bobson]

GREAT! So there still are a couple of WIND-foilers out there.
Really interesting 'chop-shop' boards (and foils).
I am really looking forward to a comparison (hopefully at the lake) this summer.
I'm going to post a new thread for speed/distance if anyone else wants to join in.

Something like this: (leave comments if you have other ideas)

May 1 - 800 front, 330 rear, 7.0m
Top Speed - 35.7 km/h
Distance travelled 40 kms
May 3 - 800, 255, 6.0
Top Speed - 36.3
Distance travelled 45

Totals
Speed - 36.3 km/h - 800, 255, 6.0
Distance - 95 kms

[tempy]

Very cool, Jim!

Frankenboards are great, however they are not "plug n play" and take some getting used to.

Also, you don't always know if "failures" are in technique or setup, until you get it dialled in.