Foiling advice

[stringp]

The Seatrend is an old AVS model 170 liters 30.5 wide 8'6" long. It has cutouts in the tail and even a rubber flapper to prevent fin cavitation. I'm 200lb and foil in 20 or less. Yesterday I took all the straps off and wore shoes so I could walk all over the deck. Not being limited to a strap made a big difference as the wind was gusty, as usual. Shifting feet an inch forward or back allowed me to maintain a foil. Pumping was also easier since I could put my weight where it needed to be.

[dllee]

Good smart improvisation!
I know a couple of new foiler's trying on 73.5 wide boards, and they seem to take a bit longer to reach sustained foiling than the guys or gals with 100 cm wide boards. But we gotta do with what we gots.
Most find the rear straps forward does the trick for balance, which mean's front straps forwards and inboard if possible too. For slalom boards anyways.

[mac]

Stringp--I've been working at it for more than a year; it is harder to learn to foil--and live--than Formula. At 210 pounds, I go with a 5.7 when winds average 20 or more. 6.3 at about 18-20.

Small adjustments are everything. I took off my rear straps (formula board, reinforced) until I had some skill and board control. Even now I spend most of my time in the front strap, and only some time in the rear strap.

Mast track placement is also critical. Further back means easier lift off (so does shimming the rear foil for greater angle of attack). But it also means it is harder to keep the foil in the water in big winds. I run my mast track 41 to 42 inches from the front foil screw, further forward when it gets nasty on the water. With experience, most Berkeley foilers (about 8 of us now) are moving it back, even to 39 1/2".

Young pros can master this in a few months. I watched Steve Sylvester and Mike Percy spend a year or more. It is getting easier as the designs converge on something that is fast and easier to learn on. And flying is good. Nothing quite like floating downwind, it brings back the stoke of when I first got an original windsurfer up on a plane.

[stringp]

wow mac. that does not fit the 2 to 2.5 meter less model. in 20 I would be on a 4.7 or even a 4.2.
I'm on the Slingshot foil. does anyone have a experience with a variety of foils?
the Slingshot does not seem to have the same up wind ability as other designs.
or, am I just a kook.[/quote]

[dllee]

Usually, a bigger wing goes upwind and downwind quicker (VMG) than a smaller wing. Perhaps your foil variant uses the smaller wings.
But you say you use a mid 4 meter sail in 20 mph. That would imply your wings are standard sized.
Of course, everyone's "20" is different.
My idea of "20" would be 15-25 mph, gusts powerful, lulls barely planable once on a plane, but can't pump onto a plane in the deadest lulls.
At 160 lbs., I'm well powered on 5.2 and freeride kit, like 84 liter FSW's.
Mac is on 6.3.
The other foil rider's MY SIZE are using 4.7's to 5.7's.
The pure freestyle sailors are using 4.4's.
Most freerider's are using 5.8's to 6.5's.
A pro level slalom racer would use 7.8's.

[grantmac017]

Mac,

What foil are you using? How far ahead of the front fin bolt are the front strap screws (rear ones)?

I'm trying to get a slingshot working on an older Formula and finding it isn't taking much front foot pressure which is not what slingshot indicated was the right setup.

[mac]

Grant--I'm using the new F4, with the bigger wing. Universal is set 41 inches from front foil screw when the water is manageable, 42 inches to calm things down. I am far from proficient, but I no longer crash a lot. At an honest 20 mph average I am on a 5.7 and squeezing cheeks a lot. At 210 and 6'3".

My front foot straps are where they were on the stock board, but I did move the box forward 2 cm. Back straps really don't matter that much--but some folks have moved them back to stay up more. The bigger foil and stiffer mast with the new F4 makes everything easier, including getting up on a foil. The issue with softer masts is they load up--and then release. That release changes the angle of attack--and your course. Gusts and waves do enough of that, changing direction 15 degrees when you are only marginally in control is not my idea of a fun way to load up on adrenaline.

Search for Steve Sylvester foiling in Berkeley to see what can be done. He is way better than that now.

[grantmac017]

Sounds like I need to get my mast back a little. I had heard 43" but I'm finding the board really sticky.
Using the larger slingshot in the highest lift configuration and still needs much more back foot pressure to raise up than its "supposed" to need.

[mac]

Experiment. I can't imagine trying to learn on a narrow board; my old ML provides greater stability.

[swchandler]

mac, is your ML a formula board?

What do you see as the minimum board width using your F4 foil? I've got a number of MLs, but none are wider than 25".