The only think stopping me from trying it (and I suspect a lot of other windsurfers) is the large cost of the foils. I could buy a whole new quiver of sails instead! 
I'm constantly surprised that whenever foils are discussed the elephant in the room is always ignored, that elephant being weed. Anyone have experience with even the smallest amount of weed on those things - i assume the foil would be a weed magnet? That said I suppose they wouldn't be too different to a 70cm formula fin catching weed.
Select to expand quoteberowne said..
If the RSX or other concept can plane from 6 to 26kts with one board rig and a few fins that would be an amazingly versatile quiver. 
Dare I say it actually looks... practical.
Select to expand quotesausage said..
I'm constantly surprised that whenever foils are discussed the elephant in the room is always ignored, that elephant being weed. Anyone have experience with even the smallest amount of weed on those things - i assume it would significantly affect performance? That said I suppose they wouldn't be too different to a 70cm formula fin catching weed.
Haven't hit weed from a foil since about '92.
Select to expand quoteChris 249 said..
Obviously NP have better links to the IOC than I do, but going from published information it's hard to see why this board would have a better chance of keeping windsurfing in the Games than the current board. Low cost was one of the strong points of Olympic windsurfing; speed has never been a problem. Why will this class, which will require all current Olympic boards to be thrown away and all new fleets to be created, be cheaper? How well will it work in a fluky and puffy 5 or 6 knot day at Olympic lead-up events in Kiel in Germany, or similar places? How will it fit in with the IOC's emerging requirements for less specialised sports?
For all the enormous amount of hype around foiling, it's been enormously UNsuccessful when it comes to getting people on the water. The foiling America's Cup attracted the smallest field for about 50 years (apart from the D.O.G. matches, which also involved fast cats). The British kitefoiling champs had just 4 locals. Foilers of all types (cats, Moths, kites) attracted something like 60 sailors to British nationals, out of a total of about 3000 sailors or more who did nationals. The stats are pretty much the same in the USA. After a decade of huge hype, a country like the US gets just 12-14 foiling Moths to its nationals - and all that is after foiling's profile has been boosted by Moths (including the first mass manufacturer collapsing, losing millions) and the 1 billion dollars plus on the America's Cup, including spending millions buying airtime.
None of this is saying that foiling isn't fun, it's just that when it remains such an incredibly tiny sector of the sport when it's been around for a decade surely it should become obvious that most people just aren't interested. When the sport becomes so centred around something that most people are not interested in, it's headed for even more trouble in the future.
RSX is also a horrible mishmash hybrid board that has no real relevance to what the majority of windsurfers do, the only people interested in it are the ones trying to get into the olympics.
Aussie moth foil nats just run in Perth had over 50 competitors.
They should probably just race longboards/raceboards in the olympics, at least there are some people sailing those things recreationally, and they seem to meet the criteria for wind range, and are more accessible than the rsx.
Select to expand quoteevlPanda said..sausage said..
I'm constantly surprised that whenever foils are discussed the elephant in the room is always ignored, that elephant being weed. Anyone have experience with even the smallest amount of weed on those things - i assume it would significantly affect performance? That said I suppose they wouldn't be too different to a 70cm formula fin catching weed.
Haven't hit weed from a foil since about '92.
Select to expand quoteswoosh said..
RSX is also a horrible mishmash hybrid board that has no real relevance to what the majority of windsurfers do, the only people interested in it are the ones trying to get into the olympics.
I dunno, that's a massive wind range for one board, and it extends the wind range into the summer afternoon doldrums, and opens up new areas to sail because of the bigger angles you can sail.
I'm super interested as a casual windsurfer.
well they've been around for 10years+, why don't you have one yet?
I assume you already have high wind gear, so a windsup would probably be better anyway.
*edit* back on topic, foils seem cool, I want one! but olympic foil windsurfing seems a bit dumb, tho if it works would be epic.
Yes I agree. The appeal for me is the increased wind range especially here in Qld. So many of our days are around 10 kts. If I can use one board, a foil and a couple of fins to cover 8 to 20 kts it would be worth the cost. I have been watching foil development for a couple of years now and have been holding off until development and production foils are viable. That time is getting close especially if they get in to the olympics. Just look what has happened with foil development since the Americas Cup used foils a few years ago. The challenge and skill required to sail a foil board should attract some young blood to our sport.
^ EP: You're a funny man! 
I can really imagine you on the foil too.
Has there been any sneaky shots of the RS:One prototype?
^ I'm not very talkative.Select to expand quoteswoosh said..well they've been around for 10years+, why don't you have one yet?
I didn't think they were working quite well enough yet for Joe Average, though if they do it would be epic!Select to expand quoteI assume you already have high wind gear, so a windsup would probably be better anyway.
I'm not that old!!!Select to expand quote*edit* back on topic, foils seem cool, I want one!
well they've been around for 10years+, why don't you have one yet? Select to expand quote but olympic foil windsurfing seems a bit dumb, tho if it works would be epic.
That's a massive wind range for one board, and it extends the wind range into the summer afternoon doldrums, and opens up new areas to sail because of the bigger angles you can sail.
These are the people making it: www.facebook.com/Aventure-Composites-SA-628606440636866/
Sorry if you are not on facebook
Cheers
Marty
How do these things stand up to collision with a ray or a turtle? I bet the resulting catapult is spectacular. How much does a foil cost to replace?
I saw the local tester crash just because one brass nut in the tuttle head had broken.
Awesome catapult !!!!!!!
can't imagine what hitting a turtle would do !!! (mind you, you see them from a distance from up there !)
Select to expand quoteswoosh said..
Chris 249 said..
Obviously NP have better links to the IOC than I do, but going from published information it's hard to see why this board would have a better chance of keeping windsurfing in the Games than the current board. Low cost was one of the strong points of Olympic windsurfing; speed has never been a problem. Why will this class, which will require all current Olympic boards to be thrown away and all new fleets to be created, be cheaper? How well will it work in a fluky and puffy 5 or 6 knot day at Olympic lead-up events in Kiel in Germany, or similar places? How will it fit in with the IOC's emerging requirements for less specialised sports?
For all the enormous amount of hype around foiling, it's been enormously UNsuccessful when it comes to getting people on the water. The foiling America's Cup attracted the smallest field for about 50 years (apart from the D.O.G. matches, which also involved fast cats). The British kitefoiling champs had just 4 locals. Foilers of all types (cats, Moths, kites) attracted something like 60 sailors to British nationals, out of a total of about 3000 sailors or more who did nationals. The stats are pretty much the same in the USA. After a decade of huge hype, a country like the US gets just 12-14 foiling Moths to its nationals - and all that is after foiling's profile has been boosted by Moths (including the first mass manufacturer collapsing, losing millions) and the 1 billion dollars plus on the America's Cup, including spending millions buying airtime.
None of this is saying that foiling isn't fun, it's just that when it remains such an incredibly tiny sector of the sport when it's been around for a decade surely it should become obvious that most people just aren't interested. When the sport becomes so centred around something that most people are not interested in, it's headed for even more trouble in the future.
RSX is also a horrible mishmash hybrid board that has no real relevance to what the majority of windsurfers do, the only people interested in it are the ones trying to get into the olympics.
Aussie moth foil nats just run in Perth had over 50 competitors.
They should probably just race longboards/raceboards in the olympics, at least there are some people sailing those things recreationally, and they seem to meet the criteria for wind range, and are more accessible than the rsx.
Yep, I didn't mean to defend the RSX.
Yes, the Aussie and UK Moth nats get good fleets. But even after a decade of massive promotion, no other country does. Other and newer dinghy classes (and windSUPs, according to Starboard) that are comparatively slow and simple are growing much faster. Since foiling isn't really growing fast it seems odd that NP think it will do well in the Games.
10 years how about 30.
www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Windsurfing/Rewind-30-years-and-windsurfers-were-foiling_10500999.aspx
Select to expand quoteJacko51 said..
10 years how about 30.
www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Windsurfing/Rewind-30-years-and-windsurfers-were-foiling_10500999.aspx
There was a German composites engineering expert who had a Mistral M1 Div 2 board with foils in Sydney around 1983 as well. But the modern foilers haven't been around too long.
Clic on the above Facebook Link for the latest Movie from the RSX test ... I shot the foil but didn't do the editting ;)
are foils actually faster than "conventional" boards ?
remember seeing AHD foils in videos with formula type board practically passing
somehow I am missing the point - besides the fun factor ...
In light winds foils maybe faster. As wind gets up foils are currently slower. But lift drag ratio of a foil can be way better than for a planing surface, so once its worked out......
Dunno if they are faster, I guess if you take kiting for an example, seems like foiling has destroyed their raceboard/slalom type classes. That being said I'm not sure their racing classes are really going anywhere.
For me being able to cruise around using a small light wave sail in <15kts seems pretty cool. Previously most hydrofoils just looked super gumby, but they look like they have got things pretty figured out now with the guys chucking air in not much. It'd definitely be more technical and difficult, but most people seem to think that windsurfing being hard is part of the fun 
I'd imagine if the freestyle guys got hold of one you'd see stuff like this:
Is really that effotless? That kiteboard foil looks so stable and super low drag. What foil is it
Select to expand quotejoe windsurf said..
are foils actually faster than "conventional" boards ?
remember seeing AHD foils in videos with formula type board practically passing
somehow I am missing the point - besides the fun factor ...
The point for me would not be being faster but:
- fun (not schlogging) in light winds with a moderate size board/sail (120l, 7.5m2)
- In medium winds (>15kts, <25kts) same board & sail with non foil fin
In <10 knts raceboards will be probably faster upwind, and between 10-15ktns formula for sure will be faster. But those options require big sails and boards that become handful > 15kts
For me, it is the medium sized single board/sail promise that makes it interesting.
I think it's too early to know if this promise can be fullfilled and the learning curve is reasonable.
It could be that foils work for kiting but not for WS (there's an upward lift from kite) Let's see if foils can be optimized for WS and with kit simplification and fun factor goals. Otherwise, it will not catch IMHO
Just my 2 cents. Marc
Must be big fun sailing in the bay of Rio ....forget about weed .
The 2016 sailing aria is a liquid dumpyard
Anyone know how fast the kitefoilers are? There are some reports and vids that show that they are in a different dimension of speed to just about anything on the planet apart from the America's Cup cats. I've gotta admit they have got me thinking about kiting; pure speed doesn't do all that much for me but THAT level of speed is interesting.
On the other hand, a lot of the sensation and fun of sailing (for me, anyway) is feeling the hull/board move through the water, and the different sensations you get in different conditions and at different speeds. There's the effortless glide of a longboard in light winds, the slicing feeling you get railing a longboard in a bit more breeze, the rattling plane in normal winds, the machine-gun like hammering of the hull on a slalom board at high speed..... The couple of times I sailed a foiler they were fun, but they replace all those different feelings with one slicing/lifting sensation. It's great, but there seems to be less variety.
I gather that it depends on skill levels to a big degree. From what I heard via a friend who was chatting to the AC guys, the only think that can match the AC cats windward leeward VMG is the kitefoils.
When I'm windsurfing with the kitefoils in the water in light wind they seem faster and for sure I can't match angle wise. In stronger winds on my 7.2 seems on the reach it is even and if I get powered up pretty sure can reel them in.
The other way I was on my 6.2 / 90l isonic and a kitefoiler chased me down to say hello as I went upwind. I bore off onto a reach and he went to follow I pulled away quite easily. But I think that is also partly because kitefoiling at that angle is very tricky and scary!
I'm getting a kitefoil soon to try it out so in lighter winds can join in the fun.
