Looks like foil's are here

westadamsvets · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 64

What is the WEED situation with the foil? If you catch some grass on the mast does it make you cavitate or just slow down a bit?

I assume catching something on the wing part of foil would be disastrous? But don't most weeds float on surface? So that's not issue unless you're foiling very high and the wing part is at surface?

bmoore98 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 76

No experience with weeds since I sail on "Beautiful Weed Free Lake Ray Hubbard". I do plan on taking it to Corpus in November where there is lots of grass floating in the Laguna.

Wind-NC.com · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 1:38 pm Post subject:

We have weeds here in Hatteras and I was pleased to find out that it doesn't make too much of a difference. Seems like you need just a bit more sail power than normal to break through them, but it's not like they spin out or something if there's a weed stuck on the mast.

As a disclaimer, our weeds are all floating on or near the surface and tend to be pretty thin but long strands. I would imagine that if you had stuff like kelp growing up from the bottom it would be a whole different story, and the foils would not work at all, but I don't really know!

dariuslbzaS · Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Posts: 3

Need more info on horue vini extreme light wind wing. I see couple using this wing. I do have light wind wing.
But I see it seems to not enough wind where I live. My weight 156lbs.
When plenty whitecaps I'm ok. Just wanted to get out in lighter wind.
As horue states extreme light wind wing range 6-15knt. Take off 8knt designed for heavier rider. Have plan to use it to get sooner take off.
Need more advise from real users . Thanks

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

At your weight, you should easily pump onto a foil with a 6 meter sail in breezes of 9-10 mph. But you need to pump hard, and possibly use one of the wider boards, 90-100 cm wide.
If you stand there and let the wind get you onto a plane, you might need 12-15 mph winds, wihich you can plane on a 110 liter slalom board and 7 meter sail.
Pumping onto a plane is key.
Not pumping forces you to rig big enough to get into trouble once you're up and foiling.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

That above advice is for beginners in foiling.
Once you're pro level, you can do whatever you want to do.
And for course racing, a bigger sail is used, often as big as the rider would need for slalom sailing, not racing.

dariuslbzaS · Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Posts: 3

I just want to find lowest possible solution to foil in lowest wind. I'm ok with 6.8-7. Was ok with too 8.5. Very lazy or get tired to pump for long time. My boards is 2 options 85cm slalom or 100cm FW.

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

feels like we are getting conflicting information on foils here and elsewhere
some seem to say the power plate is NOT as good as thought
some are saying it is NOT so easy to get going in lighter winds
some are saying use the bigger sails anyway
all seem to be saying is it expen$ive Embarassed

cgoudie1 · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 10:00 am Post subject:

I don't have experience personally, but I watched Bruce Peterson and Dale Cook plane by at the Hatchery on what looked like 6M sails when it would
have taken me an 8M sail to plane up, and they both weigh about what I
weigh.

Needless to say they were the only people on the river getting rides at that
time. Even the Kiters had gone home.

-Craig

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Skill level plays in important part.
How many times have you guys seen the pros, whether wave, freestyle, slalom, or course, sail by you when the conditions were sub optimal?
LOTS, right.
So, stands to reason the pros will plane up in winds you cannot.
Better to match ability, see what one can plane up in, and see what the same level sailor can do with a foil.
I can't say definitively, but I have sailed with Foil rider's for almost 2 full seasons. That's an easy 100 days in winds I could plane, and of course, so could the foil rider's. Not just ONE foil rider, but at least 6.
My lowest limit is what the Berkeley meter says is "11-16", don't know knots or MPH. I'm using a 109 JP Supersport and 6 meter sails, any kind. I"m 158 lbs., always wear a full wetsuit, booties and harness. Been shortboarding for 34 year's, competing since '85, considered an expert freerider.
At that windspeed, the only other windsurfer's planing are on 7-9 meter full race slalom sails and 75+ wide boards, or Formula with 10's.
The foil rider's MY SIZE, or within 15 lbs., are using 5.7-7.7 meter sails, Formula boards, and F-4, Slab, NP foils.
If they're going for a course slalom competition, they would choose slightly bigger, so guys my size are using 6.2-7 meter sails, while the bigger guys are using 7-8 meter sails. I am not competing, just freesailing downwind of them, using 6 meter and SS.
Those are PLANING days for me, and of course, for them.
There have been days I thought the winds were too light for me, so I"m sitting in my van with binoc's on them.
The foil rider's those days are mostly using 6 or bigger meter sails, there ARE whitecaps in the sailing zone (whitecaps start at 8 mph on a sunny day), and the smaller guys, my size, are pumping onto a plane with a 6 meter windsurf sail, Formula board and foil in around 12 mph breezes, then heading upwind into more wind.
So, around Berkeley, and with non pro skill levels, it appear's the foil rider's are foiling in breeze of around 10 mph, once they get up onto the foil, but maybe need slightly more breeze and competition level pumping skills to get up and foiling.
Yes, I have sailed with Naish at least 30 days, and he uses one size bigger windsurfing sail than I would.