Woollahra Sailing Club, Sydney. At mid day offshore wind, 0 to 30 knots and 45 degree wind shifts and moored boats and first time on a foil, what could possibly go wrong.
Result rescued by a laser coach, then swam the gear back in after 10 very dodgy and frustrating minutes. Think I'll wait for a cross shore or cross onshore seabreeze about 10 to 15 for next time.
Severne S1 5.6m. AHD SL2 132 litre (233 x 79.5) and Windfoil.
Can someone help with this please, I weigh 108kg (including wetsuit, harness and PFD), the rig at a guess is at a guess 7 kg, board weighs about 7kg and foil maybe 3kg = 125kg.
How is it that a 132 litre board can be a sinker (both fore and aft) half way up your shins when up hauling? I would have thought it would have at least had neutral buoyancy.
Maybe with everything wet it weighs a lot more and maybe the board isn't as big as its numbers?
Can a foil designed for kiting be used on a windsurf board?
Anyone experience or good advice?
Select to expand quoteneilpete said...
Can a foil designed for kiting be used on a windsurf board?
Anyone experience or good advice?
That's what I'm doing. Early indications are that the front wing needs to be bigger.
Right,….. It is either a bigger front wing or more wind.
But what about the position mount.
The foil mounted on a kiteboard seems to be more upfront.
How does that turn out using a kitefoil on a windsurfer?
Select to expand quoteneilpete said...
Right,….. It is either a bigger front wing or more wind.
But what about the position mount.
The foil mounted on a kiteboard seems to be more upfront.
How does that turn out using a kitefoil on a windsurfer?
The windfoils either have a 100mm longer fuselage or angle the strut forward. To move centre of lift that 100mm forward.
To use a kite foil you need to somehow get that centre of lift 100mm forward than where it would be just using a Tuttle box in std position.
I have a plate mount so just positioned it and reinforced board to take through bolts. I used an old board.
Anyway the plate mounting is definitely best for strength.
Which is why I see dedicated boards with plate mount inserts coming.
First go on the windfoil on Lake Illawarra yesterday - WFC Manta 2 with the standard beginner foils, plugged into a Hypersonic 105 (with Sean's spacer!) It was windier than expected yesterday (up to 25 knots) so I rigged a Gator 5.7m sail but even this was too much for my skill level! 
I found I was foiling with the sail sheeted out to get any chance of balance.
I found that it is quite easy to get the foil to take off but than a matter of fine balance between body position and sail position. I changed the mast track position a few times to get a balance with my feet near the board's footstraps - I suspect this is the first tuning job that is important. I didn't actually use the footstraps but I reckon that the next time out it will be ok.
I was very surprised how slow you can go when you are flying and remain on the foil. Certainly no speed runs yesterday - it was all about trying to get a stable flight. Every run was getting better but in the end the wind beat me. No foil gybing attempts yesterday But I can see what is required to make it happen - all about balance I think.
I had a lot of fun in the short time I was out - it is certainly different to windsurfing. I can't wait to get out again - hopefully today and hopefully with lighter winds! 
Great stuff Bushy. Please keep us informed of your progress, looking at getting into.
Nice stuff !!!!
I gave up on the komacel spacer and got them made of kohu/merbau wood.
I noticed advancing the mast base helped.
You will really see the difference with the front foot engaged, I strap it in before "taking off", just does the trick !!
I'm trying to adjust my "altitude" ( 
) with the back foot positionning and pressure on the front hand.
Agree with you on the slow speed flights, Last week I was flying over the water at an incredible speed of 12 knots ! 
I'm not even considering gybing for the time being, managed to waterstart without slicing my foot, next step is to do a 800 m run without any touch downs...
keep us updated !!!
First time today, very light wind less than 10knots, wanted to take it easy so rigged the 6.1.
Even with this size there was quite a bit of lift generated by the foil.
Someone with better pumping technique (i hate pumping) than me would probably of been foiling.
The wind did pick up enough to get a few foiling runs, going to take more practice to get the trim right.
Gotta say the thrill of the board flying over the water (ok it was only 11knots) is addictive,
back for more tomorrow. 
ps for what this set-up can do in light wind makes it well worthwhile taking the time to master it.
Select to expand quoteseanhogan said..
far out !!!! How many windfoils have landed in oz ???? 
I'm waiting for the second hand market... 
Thanks rrdsailor, more food for thought. Also big thanks to Sean, poor bloke gets pestered 24/7 so thanks for your advice.
About a dozen out here in the Gorge now the wind has eased off. Windfoiling is taking off!
Second session on the foil this afternoon - calm water but an unexpected gusty westerly made things interesting. Used a 6.5m Gator sail on the Hypersonic 105 and this was a good choice in the wind - good to pump the foil and easy to control the power. I'm starting to get a feel for the balance required for sustained flight - feet position, sail foward and aft, sheet in and out. I'm still overcorrecting a bit causing the board flight height to "oscillate" - corrections are all conscious at this stage, rather than the automatic micro corrections in normal windsurfing. I feel like I'm starting over again!
It feels great to get a stable height flight - everything feels easy when this happens.
The board's front footstraps are definitely in the wrong position - too far to the rear of the board. Fortunately the board has a footstrap position 10cm further forward so this will be tried next time out.
The improvement in performance is quite quick even though I have a long way to go. I even got half way round a foiling gybe before stuffing it!
As others have said, one of the awesome things about foiling is the silence when it takes off.
Next out - footstraps, harness and gybe....yeah, can hardly wait .
last I heard, Pryde was going to release two versions :
* the F4 full carbon one, more pro rider orientated (and very $$$)
* one with an aluminium mast and g10 wings, sort of all rounder more accessible (level and $).
Third consecutive day using the foil today. Quite surprised how quickly you can progress.
Yesterday i was foiling without much height and constantly hitting the chop every now and then
.
Today i was foiling without hitting the chop and actually keeping the foil trimmed for some
fairly longish flights.
Boy is it addictive.
HORUE - don't go there!
HORUE>>>>I thought I might share our experience with dealing with Horue from NZ. We placed and order and paid for 2 Horue Vini Foils and 1 Tiny board. The Tiny board was delivered in a timely manner but with no fin or the 2 foils. After many e-mails and waiting waiting for around 16 weeks, 1 foil turned up. Now some 17 weeks later still no second foil or fin or addition LW wing that was ordered. Yes they have our money and yes we have communicated with them many many times...still just excuses and poor communication. They seem to be very happy to keep on advertising and promoting their product but just can't quite get around to supplying goods paid for in good faith. Still no commitment as to when our additional foil, wing and fin will turn up. We are bitterly disappointed in the service from them and their lack of communication. What does it take? Just an honest answer as to when the product will be sent. Our advice - give them a wide berth and go to another supplier/manufacturer...seem to be plenty of others. I'm pretty sure they have kissed good bye to the total market down in our part of the world...but I guess they don't care...no one likes being ripped off and we feel ripped off.
Really interesting series of DIY building a foil for a windsurfer:
Part 1:
Really interesting Q & A here with Sebastian
apologies if if its been posted before
Hi everyone,
I'm a longtime lurker but not much of a poster. I have some foiling experience, having been involved in the early A class catamaran foil development, and owning an old foiling moth for a bit a couple of years ago, however my windsurfing experience is what I would describe as intermediate (just).
I recently (6 weeks ago) got back into windsurfing after I discovered Wassup in Chelsea is halfway between my work and my house, which allows me to get out every day the weather is good. In the past week or two I've started to get better at gybes and I'm now aiming at getting waterstarts nailed (3 nailed from 5 attempts!) so I can progress to more advanced gear.
I've been following this foiling topic for ages however as doing 20 knots in 10 knots of breeze really appeals to me, and I got addicted to the silence when I had my Moth. I was holding off purchasing one until next season as for the average 23 year old forking out $1300 on a Manta 2 or whatever isn't really feasible, however during my online adventures a couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon Clearwater foils, who sell DIY kits for like $125 US. This was something I could afford instantly, so I sent an email off to the guy to see if I could get a big one made that could force my 6'5, 108kg frame into the skies. $233 Aussie dollars and 9 days later, my big foil kit arrived, which is essentially a mast, fuselage, wings and a mounting plate, along with a short list of laminate instructions. There's also a video on YouTube of how to assemble it.
I'm about to start building mine, I have a roll of carbon tape kicking around I'll use as stiffening, then I will follow the laminate schedule using $43 of fibreglass I was able to source online from Trojan composites.
Not sure what board I will mount it on yet, I've got an old Bombora 295 kicking around in the shed that might be ok if nothing else becomes available cheap before it's done!
I shall post more updates later assuming all goes well.
Tom
