Select to expand quote

Hope all is ok with you!

I've now got alien 125 1400/350 & 1000/250 wings, foilglide2 5, 6 & 7!

(I'm 100kg)

Powered up yesterday 20-24 knots 5m 1000/250 front straps in front hole, back in middle, (also no back straps), mast foot in the middle & 2cm forward.

Down wind & across wind I really struggled to keep the board down!

Had to get into a very weird stance! & sheeted right out.

Do you think there's something wrong with the wing etc?

Or just technique/skill? ??

Do I counter intuitively need to move the mast foot back!?

Super thanks!

Select to expand quote

Pipington said..

Hope all is ok with you!

I've now got alien 125 1400/350 & 1000/250 wings, foilglide2 5, 6 & 7!

(I'm 100kg)

Powered up yesterday 20-24 knots 5m 1000/250 front straps in front hole, back in middle, (also no back straps), mast foot in the middle & 2cm forward.

Down wind & across wind I really struggled to keep the board down!

Had to get into a very weird stance! & sheeted right out.

Do you think there's something wrong with the wing etc?

Or just technique/skill? ??

Do I counter intuitively need to move the mast foot back!?

Super thanks!

That would be way too much sail for me in that wind range. How much do you weigh ?.

Select to expand quote

Pipington said..

Do I counter intuitively need to move the mast foot back!?

Super thanks!

If you have too much lift move the mast foot forward.
With my Alien 120 i only go into rear straps when i go hard upwind.

Thanks! 100kg.
probably 16-20kn on the water..

As others said when you feel overpowered and the foil tend to lift you up you should:
-move your body weight fw by loading the front foot and in case of need taking back foot out of the strap and move it fw (not your case you don't use back strap I have understood, though move your back foot slightly fw)
-move mast base fw by 1 inch at a time, in your case 2 inches at least...easy to do on the beach
-move the foil backwards by 1 cm at a time in your case no fear of doing it 5 cm (this applies only if you have mast tracks and you don't on the Alien)
-reduce trim of the back wing of the foil set, this would decrease tendency of lifting up, 1 deg is the order of magnitude, I don't know what system has the Alien foil to do so, check instructions (this can be done easily on the beach as well)
-reduce sail size, if all the rest do not calm the board down
-move your straps all the way fw because probably you are too far back on top of the foil


Situation may change a lot with proficiency and muscle memory, so recheck your stance and settings every now & then expecially first 20 or so sessions, shift your hips back and forth to leve?l board while on flight.
The above action should be taken in sequence as they are liusted by level of difficulty to apply

Good luck with your flights!

Edoardo

Well done for getting over 20 knots for 10s average so early, it took me a lot longer but Poole Harbour is a bit gustier and bouncier than Portland (thats my excuse anyway).

Watching Jordy's video helped me a lot when trying to go faster, its all in the harness and hips. It took me quite a long time to get the amount I had to move finely tuned and to read the gusts in Poole Harbour.

Also, comparing my AFS foil to the Redwing 1400, its a lot thinner, nearly half iirc. Is the 1000 wing the same thickness as the 1400?
Thick wings has a similar affect as thick fins, lots of lift but more drag.

Select to expand quote

dimacced said..
-reduce trim of the back wing of the foil set, this would decrease tendency of lifting up, 1 deg is the order of magnitude,

Edoardo

I may be misunderstanding you but 0.5 is significant and 1 degree is a big amount, imho. I'd suggest making changes in 0.5 increments. 1 degree on my race foil is the difference between needing a lot of back foot pressure to feeling like a punched the elevator button for the 18th floor. I'm lighter, though, so for 100 kg, the difference will be less.

Adding to the other points, get used to really pressing down with the front foot and keeping down pressure on the harness. It's a weird feeling at first but it really helps in those conditions. Also, you can go hard upwind or very deep downwind if you need to bleed power in a gust. I see too many people limping along on the usual dog-run reach trying to kill power instead. It's how a 62 kg foiler holds down a 4.7 in the same conditions or more as OP with an 1100 wing.

I weigh 82 kg, in those conditions (bay with 1-2+ foot plus waves) I would be on either an AFS F770 cm2 or S670 cm2 wing, and either an Aerotech Freespeed 5.8 sail or Phantom 4.5 crossover wave sail.

I have used my AFS F1080 cm2 wing in those conditions with 5.8 sail, and it really wants to breech in the gusts, makes for a heart racing flight. The smaller F770 and S670 wings are much easier to control using front foot pressure, so breeching is not a problem, especially with S670 cm2 wing.

As pointed out above, you can move sail mast base forward to reduce breeching in the gusts, but that will make it harder to get up in the lulls.

I think messing around with shims is a mistake for someone trying to get to grips with foiling. Get your stance and technique correct first then try shims for fine tuning when you have got the hang of it.

Select to expand quote

Hello everyone, yes shimming Is not a Novice stuff, and yes 0.5 deg incrementa step Is recommendable, on the other hand the board has no tracks so foil cannot move and as far as I have understood front straps are already in the foremost position so we have only few option left. Technique Need time to build, and First flights are frightening, I Remember mines, I needed to shed some Power to handle. Probably a touch less sail would be a good option, but as soon as you get used to It you Need to find your best trim, through It Is a Natural progression, I felt so at least.
Cheers and good luck with your foiling

Edoardo

Try to borrow a smaller sail in those conditions.

When you are still learning, it's really hard to tell what is going on with sail power/foil power and what your body is doing.

Thank you so much everyone!
is there ever a case with a small sail at the lower end of a boards range, moving the mast foot back?
Thanks again!

Select to expand quote

Pipington said..
Thank you so much everyone!
is there ever a case with a small sail at the lower end of a boards range, moving the mast foot back?
Thanks again!

Yes, it helps fly sooner. It also gives the sail less power over the foil.

It looks like the alien has a mast slot a little forward of mine on the foilx. I really like the feel of small sails very close to the front foot strap. Try moving it back a little and see, when the wind isn't so strong.
The alien also looks to have the foil more forward than the foilx, which gives it more lift.

I have the same board and foils. In 14 to 20 I use a 5m2 wave sail and both the 1400 and 1000 front wings. I only have the 350 stabiliser. I weigh 94kg. I set my front straps fully forward and I use Singshot half straps for the rear and they are also set fully forward. The centre of my sail mast base is 93.5cm to the centre of the first foil mast bolt. This is a balanced setup for me. I've learnt to transfer my weight over my front leg as I gain speed (see Birdy's video) and when riding down the face of waves. I rarely go faster than 18 kts. I feather upwind to wash speed and lift through gusts. I can move my back foot forward but am increasingly keeping it all the way back either in the half straps going upwind or over the foil mast when swell riding downwind. I avoid reaching across the wind when really powered up.