To help you navigate the world of foils we’ve compiled a buyer’s guide to some of the latest offerings on the market, but first Sam Ross gives us the answers to some foiling FAQs
It seems that whether it’s sailing, kite or windsurfing, foiling is well and truly the word for 2017.Whilst we have had foils for a while it seems that we are now in a market that allows accessible light wind free ride and high wind foiling to the largest number of people as well as performance for those who want it. So here are a few quick pointers on foils:
WHO IS IT FOR ?
Minimum level would be a competent free rider who is in both straps blasting comfortably. They would need to be able to sail in outboard foot strap positions on a wide style board. Whilst this will benefit all windsurfers at this level in terms of learning something new, or gaining a fantastic experience, it has most benefit to heavyweight riders who want to get more out of lighter winds.
WIND RANGE
I currently use two sail sizes down from what I’d normally be on. So I’d be using around a 6m in 7.5 weather, a 4.4 in 5.2 weather and so on. The lightest I’ve foiled in is 6 knots on a 7.8, but for comfortable performance, 8-10 knots is great.
FINBOX
The finbox on foil suitable boards needs to be deep tuttle. This would be found on most slalom and Formula boards from the last few years. Many brands have stated that you would need finbox reinforcement. This may well be true for long term durability but I haven’t come across this problem yet.
BOARD DESIGN
Brands are now releasing foil specific boards and foil ready boards. Foil ready boards have an already reinforced fin box. Specific foil boards tend to be tweaks on wide slalom designs with a bit of double concave to help with nose diving. The biggest tweak tends to be the width in foot strap placement. Ideally a wide strap spread helps with control when really loading up the foil.
BOARD WIDTH
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