LeeD said..
Move foil forward on sled.
Last 2 times out, 4.5 and 1220 foil in 10-18 winds, very comfy. Gusts of 21 pretty hairy. 73 kg.

utcminusfour said..
Excav8ter,
I can't say what the lightest wind possible would be because that is not my explicit goal. I have other toys for sub 10 knots like boats!. I can honestly say that at 220 lbs using the moses 1100 and a 4.5m^2 wave sail I can pump free in flat water and 12 knots true perhaps even 10 knots but it is hard to confirm. It is not tons of pumping either. It's two small quick sail pumps and then I start to combine that with leg pumps for less than 3 more reps. Once in the air I usually stop pumping and focus on smooth flow over the sail but if the apparent wind is low it is foil pumping for a couple reps that gets things moving. The act of just foil pumping automatically pumps the sail in a mellow way that keeps flow attached. Foil pumping in the air is pretty easy and not as exhausting as classic windsurf pumping. The tail kick mod I did made a noticeable difference on the low wind take off as well. I have a board similar to the Levitator and I need more sail (5.7) to make it happen in 12 knots. That said it is the foil and the pumping technique more than the board. The best way to learn to foil pump is behind a boat, don't let go of the rope just try and make it go slack without riding the wake.

I gotta say I would not have believed this was possible when I started out a few years ago. Back then I was on a 6.5, needed 15 knots and was overpowered for my taste as soon as it flew.
I am ASTOUNDED and THRILLED with the results.
With the 4.5, I can enjoy it from 12-20 knots, thats a massive range for windsurfing.

Now am I the fastest,? HELL NO but I am having a blast and have no interest in hiting the water at 30+ knots from 2 feet in the air! Good light air VMG coupled with great Surfing and bursts of speed to low twenties is enough for my old ass!

I am not saying the Sled is the end all be all. If it was I would not be modifying it and there will likely be more changes I try now that the seal has been broken. In fact I would not recomend the Sled for windsurf foiling with out the mod to the tail. I am just saying that most folks do not see the benefits that the type offers for Windsurf foiling. And that is a bummer for the sport as a whole cause here we go again makeing the boards so small that normal people can't use them.

Segler,
Thanks for emphasizing the sails effect on pitch! It is essential knowledge to become proficient at windsurf foiling. It is also only ONE of the reasons I keep yammering on about moving the sail closer to the foil.

I realize these comments are more about sailing style, the choice of front wing and technique than Excav8ter's question about the board but they are key to light air foiling without huge sails. There are details of the Sled that pair nicely with the big wing approach.

It is my hope with all this posting that someday I can get some gear that I don't have to order custom, make or edit myself. I also want to make others aware of a style that gets less attention than it should because it is really fun and user friendly. Thanks for listening.

utcminusfour said..
I am the only windfoiler and nearly the only windsurfer. Thank goodness for this forum. I get crap from kiters who can't comprehend why the board is so big. I have towed one of them in when the wind dropped and he still does not get it.
Yes the foil is in the back of the trexcav8ter said..