Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

The foil makes a big difference, imho. You have a flexible mast, an upgrade to the IQ will be noticeable. The original Starboard fuse and milleneum wing are great for riding around and club racing in light air but not as clean as more modern gear. Even going to a 900 will help a bit. I'm slow so not sure I'm a decent benchmark but my PB on the 900 is about 2 kts faster than the 1000 (I have older kit, too).

The board and sail aren't holding you back at your level (or at least enough worth spending money on). Lina Erzen was winning races in Japan on a Starboard IQ Jr. board and HGO 8.0. I'm not going to say she wouldn't have gone faster on newer/better board and sail but it does show that there's some "headroom" in your board and sail. She was, however, using Evo foils from what I've heard.

Yes, clean air, good transitions and picking the right sides of the course all matter. Even with good gear, it can be hard to dig out of the hole of a bad start and dirty air.

All that being said, you can still learn, race and improve on your kit. Spending money may make you faster but not necessarily happier.

My top speed is about 23kts and that seems to be the case on the wings I've used (650, 725, 900 SB) and the board (95cm IQ).

I think there are a few things keeping me from going faster:
*Skill/balls/fear
*Water state vs wind state
*Board width

When it gets ripping and I'm on a 9.0, there are spots where I get high perceived chop/swells that can be chaotic. I can't seem to find a good angle where I'm not digging the rail or foiling out. I think with some less board width I could have a better heel angle while still clearing chop and not foiling out. BUT maybe I'm just scared and not as good as others in similar conditions? Either way it's been an obstacle I haven't overcome yet.

If I fly higher I feel like if I sneeze I'll be airborne. But I really just don't know.

The topic title is "Foil Racing - is equipment what makes a difference?"

All things equal, I think you already know the answer. Have you tried switching gear with your friend and compare the numbers or VMG?

I agree with @Paducah that the biggest difference is in the foil itself (1st gen mast, older front wing), and a bit potentially also in the trim. We don't know skill levels-comparisons.

Personally, I'm also on 1st gen SB 900-1000 foils. I'm far from the fast guys, haven't cracked 25 kt yet (not even trying), but I am having tons of fun and the foils are easy to sail, stable, hard to screw up with improper tuning, etc.

We saw in Japan how Lina Erzen annihilated others on a Youth IQ foil board, HGO 8.0 & 6.0 sails, and SB 550 & 725 EVO foil. It would definitely be interesting to see how she would race with newer-faster gear, but even this was so satisfying to watch. 4 elimination wins in a row, and also in the 2nd elimination she was leading up to the final mark when she made an unforced error and didn't foil the jibe.

To sum up, equipment does make a difference, but ultimately, it's the skill that matters. Nico Goyard did 32+ knots on IQ foil gear with 900 wing.

iq men do 32 knots its not the gear its the skill

I have gradually upgraded all components as I've progressed and found that the foil made the biggest difference for sure! I was on an older Starboard C300 mast (one of the first ones) with 1000 millennium wing/800wing, 115+ fuse. The C300 mast was way too flexible and noticed huge overall improvements as soon as I upgraded to a Z-foil Course racing set up - 95cm Mast (super stiff!), 960 front wing and 115 carbon fuse. The handling is way more stable and is definitely more powerful and faster overall. The extra stability and lift allowed me to concentrate more on the racing. I've cracked steady 20 knots up wind and max 25.6 knots downwind on the 960 wing! I also have a 620 front wing which I got to 28.5 kts on. Both wings way quicker than I hit on the old SB foil.

I also went form a 10m Sail Loft Course Racing sail to a 9.5m Severne HGO which made another BIG difference. More tune-able, points better and handles gusts better. Can't comment too much on boards as I've been running a 91cm wide FMX Hyperion which works great.

I have very similar gear to you, except i have a JP 100 wide course racing foil board, and i also dont go any faster than around 23-24 knots downwind as i dont feel comfortable doing so. I find my gear wants to either shove itself onto the water at speed and send me over the front, or drive me up out of the water at speed with the slightest movement. I run around 2.4 degrees rake in the mast to help with the touch downs.
When it comes to racing, i rely on getting a good start, getting clean air and then making sure i get to the top mark first with a decent amount of distance (via good VMG) before the young guns come screaming downwind past me with no fear. I have to use tactics to be competitive with the young guns as they are so much quicker than me downhill.

A lot of people talk about how on the IQ World scene they are going for faster speeds with lower angles to the wind, however that doesnt work for me as im not that fast, so i rely on good height upwind and a decent board speed to try to win races. You need to see what works best for you and go with that, however a good start and clean air is vital in any kind of sail based racing in my opinion.

Select to expand quote

Maddlad said..
I have very similar gear to you, except i have a JP 100 wide course racing foil board, and i also dont go any faster than around 23-24 knots downwind as i dont feel comfortable doing so. I find my gear wants to either shove itself onto the water at speed and send me over the front, or drive me up out of the water at speed with the slightest movement. I run around 2.4 degrees rake in the mast to help with the touch downs.
When it comes to racing, i rely on getting a good start, getting clean air and then making sure i get to the top mark first with a decent amount of distance (via good VMG) before the young guns come screaming downwind past me with no fear. I have to use tactics to be competitive with the young guns as they are so much quicker than me downhill.

A lot of people talk about how on the IQ World scene they are going for faster speeds with lower angles to the wind, however that doesnt work for me as im not that fast, so i rely on good height upwind and a decent board speed to try to win races. You need to see what works best for you and go with that, however a good start and clean air is vital in any kind of sail based racing in my opinion.

yep im using about 1.8 rake.

Select to expand quote

Manilo said..
Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

Select to expand quote

Subsonic said..

Manilo said..
Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

What wind range is this for? Are you having issues with keeping the nose up during jibes? For some reason on my kit with the 1000, I need a lot more shim running the mast track about 106ishcm from the front screw.

The comments in this thread made me realize that I should probably experiment some with rake. I think that's part of my problem with heavier water state and heel. I may not have enough rake...

Select to expand quote

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..

Manilo said..
Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

What wind range is this for? Are you having issues with keeping the nose up during jibes? For some reason on my kit with the 1000, I need a lot more shim running the mast track about 106ishcm from the front screw.

Iq foil, 8.0m hgo in 15-20knots of breeze. there has had to be a some re adjustment with footing through gybes. i have been putting the +0.5 shim on for bigger sails/less wind (thats down from using the +1 shim with a 9.5 hgo. I still stick the +1 shim on if the breeze is super light.

Select to expand quote

Subsonic said..

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..

Manilo said..
Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

What wind range is this for? Are you having issues with keeping the nose up during jibes? For some reason on my kit with the 1000, I need a lot more shim running the mast track about 106ishcm from the front screw.

Iq foil, 8.0m hgo in 15-20knots of breeze. there has had to be a some re adjustment with footing through gybes. i have been putting the +0.5 shim on for bigger sails/less wind (thats down from using the +1 shim with a 9.5 hgo. I still stick the +1 shim on if the breeze is super light.

i use 0.5 for course racing in all winds and slalom under 15knots wind. 0 if really windy slalom

Select to expand quote

Subsonic said..

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..

Manilo said..
Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

What wind range is this for? Are you having issues with keeping the nose up during jibes? For some reason on my kit with the 1000, I need a lot more shim running the mast track about 106ishcm from the front screw.

Iq foil, 8.0m hgo in 15-20knots of breeze. there has had to be a some re adjustment with footing through gybes. i have been putting the +0.5 shim on for bigger sails/less wind (thats down from using the +1 shim with a 9.5 hgo. I still stick the +1 shim on if the breeze is super light.

Pretty much what I'm using with a similar setup. I use an extra 0.5 with the 1000. I got the impression you were running that on the 1000 which would give me fits trying to jibe. Thanks for the response - was asking as a sanity check.

Select to expand quote

aeroegnr said..
The comments in this thread made me realize that I should probably experiment some with rake. I think that's part of my problem with heavier water state and heel. I may not have enough rake...

One can never have enough

Select to expand quote

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..

Manilo said..
Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

What wind range is this for? Are you having issues with keeping the nose up during jibes? For some reason on my kit with the 1000, I need a lot more shim running the mast track about 106ishcm from the front screw.

Iq foil, 8.0m hgo in 15-20knots of breeze. there has had to be a some re adjustment with footing through gybes. i have been putting the +0.5 shim on for bigger sails/less wind (thats down from using the +1 shim with a 9.5 hgo. I still stick the +1 shim on if the breeze is super light.

Pretty much what I'm using with a similar setup. I use an extra 0.5 with the 1000. I got the impression you were running that on the 1000 which would give me fits trying to jibe. Thanks for the response - was asking as a sanity check.

Yep, 900 wing is what i've been using up till now. i've got a ++ fuse and 1000 wing to try, now i've got the bigger board it'll go well with. It's going to be a whole other ball game figuring out shims and mast base position etc for that.

Select to expand quote

Subsonic said..

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..

Manilo said..
Hi, i'm currently sailing a mixed formula foil and iqfoil gear:

Starboard Foil 100 board
Severne HGO 9.0 sail
Patrik carbon boom
Severne blueline Mast (old no so good one)
Starboard foil with C300 mast - 900 frontwing - 115+ fuse - 255 stab (old version -3.5?)

I'm really getting with this gear to sail between 7-8 to 20 knots (comfortable)
We have some choppy 1 mt waves when it's blowing, but we also have offshore winds where it's flat and you can charge the foil faster

Top speed so far: 24,5 knts
Average session: 22-23 knots

Around that speed, 23 and up, I'm not as comfortable as I would like
What bugs me is that I commit fully to the harness and sail but still can't go faster, specially downwind (or reach)

A friend of mine, with better equipment ( patrik 9.0 sail - phantom iris x foil 930 front wing - patrik v2 comp 100 board) gets 2 knots more than me going downwind, and a bit less upwind

Now: How much does equipment makes a difference? Thoughts?

Obviously, racing (regattas) is totally another chapter
I am convinced that the best is to:
- good starts!!
- be consistent (avg speed)
- tactics
- tacks

What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

What wind range is this for? Are you having issues with keeping the nose up during jibes? For some reason on my kit with the 1000, I need a lot more shim running the mast track about 106ishcm from the front screw.

Iq foil, 8.0m hgo in 15-20knots of breeze. there has had to be a some re adjustment with footing through gybes. i have been putting the +0.5 shim on for bigger sails/less wind (thats down from using the +1 shim with a 9.5 hgo. I still stick the +1 shim on if the breeze is super light.

Pretty much what I'm using with a similar setup. I use an extra 0.5 with the 1000. I got the impression you were running that on the 1000 which would give me fits trying to jibe. Thanks for the response - was asking as a sanity check.

Yep, 900 wing is what i've been using up till now. i've got a ++ fuse and 1000 wing to try, now i've got the bigger board it'll go well with. It's going to be a whole other ball game figuring out shims and mast base position etc for that.

The 1000 is a treat on really light days - your finned friends will hate you even more. I've been putting off the same journey with a ++ because it's such a PITA to come in and out at my launch. I'll just wait for your reports.

Select to expand quote

Subsonic said..


What shim angle are you using?

it was a significant change for the better when i moved down on shim angle (i went from +0.5 to 0 shim with the -2 stab) Its made downwind far more comfortable, and stable. No more sudden rides to heaven (then hell), and made surprisingly little difference to pitch stability upwind.

you will lose a bit of height upwind, but its a compromise worth making.

I mostly use "+0.5" . I use quotes because what I have is the old -3.5 tail wing, so I put the -1 to compensate and be around -2.5 (all starboards know this maths struggle)

This is the shim I like the most. Now almost sailing the 900 only
I found it much faster, and upwind angles no so compromised, except down a 7-10 knots

After reading some articles by the pros, the all say "to go fast you have to be comfortable first"
That's where I fail... about 22-23 knots on this kit, I dont feel comfortable, just on the limit

Man I know I'll never get the Olympic Sailors iqFoil speeds, the're on another level completely.
But maybe a few knots more I can deliver ;)

Only thing stopping me to try some friends kit, is... obviously.... smashing the board with a catapult
My board has little repairs in the front, most catapults are caused by big fish, that knocks you down

Maybe someday when I see there are no fish, I'll try another kit
Or better, try the iqFoil Mast on my kit

Select to expand quote

aeroegnr said..
The comments in this thread made me realize that I should probably experiment some with rake. I think that's part of my problem with heavier water state and heel. I may not have enough rake...

I'm using around 2? now and like it on almost every condition
Tried more, like 2.6? with another shim on the box. It was great downwind and reaching, but going upwind the board felt strange, couldn't get a steady stance, always going up and down.

Select to expand quote

Mikemelles said..
I have gradually upgraded all components as I've progressed and found that the foil made the biggest difference for sure! I was on an older Starboard C300 mast (one of the first ones) with 1000 millennium wing/800wing, 115+ fuse. The C300 mast was way too flexible and noticed huge overall improvements as soon as I upgraded to a Z-foil Course racing set up - 95cm Mast (super stiff!), 960 front wing and 115 carbon fuse. The handling is way more stable and is definitely more powerful and faster overall. The extra stability and lift allowed me to concentrate more on the racing. I've cracked steady 20 knots up wind and max 25.6 knots downwind on the 960 wing! I also have a 620 front wing which I got to 28.5 kts on. Both wings way quicker than I hit on the old SB foil.

I also went form a 10m Sail Loft Course Racing sail to a 9.5m Severne HGO which made another BIG difference. More tune-able, points better and handles gusts better. Can't comment too much on boards as I've been running a 91cm wide FMX Hyperion which works great.

Thanks for your feedback. I have also one of the first millenium front wings
Every time I use it, specially upwind, I kinda hate it. Can't keep the boar railed to windward steady... it's like something is flexing too much down there....

Downwind its not that bad, and I can go much deeper with it

Now just sticking to the 900

The 1000 wing is good and works great in winds below 10 kt. The main issue is a flexy mast, paired with a big 1000 wing. I had a 1st gen Race model too, and now have a custom-super stiff SB-compatible mast. Quite a difference, especially in chop or winds above 15 kt.

Try changing just the mast (C400, IQ, or C600) even for a single ride and it should be a noticeable improvement.

I have gone through 4 foils and there is usually more you can find with setup and time on water. the slingshot was very low aspect and thick and had a wall at 20kts. Definitely an equipment limit.
the AFS was great and a little too powerful at speed but in hindsight with more use I could have got more out of its full carbon design. I got rid of it prematurely when I thought it was causing me to be a little unstable upwind with 88cm fuselage cf the iQ crew on 115. Turns out half the issue might have been mast base. Oh well.
I got StarBoard to be comparable with the masses. Learned a great deal about setup and it helped talking to everyone. For speed I got the 105 fuselage and 550 front wing. I thought it was small but maxed out at 28 or so I think. Later a friend did 30 with the same setup but it looked difficult following him on speed runs!
F4 was a handful at first. I admired the thin profiles but setup for 20kn was not right at 25kn. More ToW and it was a definite upgrade but I'm still learning how to handle more power. 3 years in and I'm still adding power shims for light wind and learning to control it. When I was new I needed depowering shims and was still scared.
So I think there is a lot that can be done with setup that is board foil and sail dependant. Even harness type and position.
meanwhile there has been a lot of development across the brands since iq project started.

Agree -- I'd say what makes the biggest difference is how to make the gear work for you, which as Berowne suggests requires TOW. Sadly it's usually also the one thing we can't buy more of: time...

Select to expand quote

berowne said..
I have gone through 4 foils and there is usually more you can find with setup and time on water. the slingshot was very low aspect and thick and had a wall at 20kts. Definitely an equipment limit.
the AFS was great and a little too powerful at speed but in hindsight with more use I could have got more out of its full carbon design. I got rid of it prematurely when I thought it was causing me to be a little unstable upwind with 88cm fuselage cf the iQ crew on 115. Turns out half the issue might have been mast base. Oh well.
I got StarBoard to be comparable with the masses. Learned a great deal about setup and it helped talking to everyone. For speed I got the 105 fuselage and 550 front wing. I thought it was small but maxed out at 28 or so I think. Later a friend did 30 with the same setup but it looked difficult following him on speed runs!
F4 was a handful at first. I admired the thin profiles but setup for 20kn was not right at 25kn. More ToW and it was a definite upgrade but I'm still learning how to handle more power. 3 years in and I'm still adding power shims for light wind and learning to control it. When I was new I needed depowering shims and was still scared.
So I think there is a lot that can be done with setup that is board foil and sail dependant. Even harness type and position.
meanwhile there has been a lot of development across the brands since iq project started.

I totally agree!! Apart from learning a lot from your posts and experience (thanks for always sharing)
The only thing that can't be easily compared is the rider levels.

On iQfoil there are really different sailing styles and setups, but they're all really tight racing
Also we saw Nico Renna (the lightest of the pack) win some time ago... so races are races.

I'm going the same path regarding shims. On the starboard (900 FW) I cant sail with the 0 deg any more. Cant find a good upwind stance and angle.

I will try to borrow an iqmast anyway to feel how much difference regarding comfortability there is.....
If youre not comfortable , sure you cant go any faster

Select to expand quote

berowne said..
I have gone through 4 foils and there is usually more you can find with setup and time on water. the slingshot was very low aspect and thick and had a wall at 20kts. Definitely an equipment limit.
the AFS was great and a little too powerful at speed but in hindsight with more use I could have got more out of its full carbon design. I got rid of it prematurely when I thought it was causing me to be a little unstable upwind with 88cm fuselage cf the iQ crew on 115. Turns out half the issue might have been mast base. Oh well.
I got StarBoard to be comparable with the masses. Learned a great deal about setup and it helped talking to everyone. For speed I got the 105 fuselage and 550 front wing. I thought it was small but maxed out at 28 or so I think. Later a friend did 30 with the same setup but it looked difficult following him on speed runs!
F4 was a handful at first. I admired the thin profiles but setup for 20kn was not right at 25kn. More ToW and it was a definite upgrade but I'm still learning how to handle more power. 3 years in and I'm still adding power shims for light wind and learning to control it. When I was new I needed depowering shims and was still scared.
So I think there is a lot that can be done with setup that is board foil and sail dependant. Even harness type and position.
meanwhile there has been a lot of development across the brands since iq project started.

berowne do you have any setup tips for the 550? I just snagged one and am itching to use it. The 725 w/ 105+ fuse feels pretty good to me on the +0.5, maybe a little backfooted how I ran it.

Select to expand quote

Paducah said..

aeroegnr said..
The comments in this thread made me realize that I should probably experiment some with rake. I think that's part of my problem with heavier water state and heel. I may not have enough rake...

One can never have enough

Finally got a shim kit and tried rake. It looks like stock the board has 1deg of rake so I added a 1deg shim to get it around 2deg, which is what the iqfoilers I asked recommended (at least up to 2.5deg or so).

It wasn't super choppy but I was on the 550 wing and 105+ fuse, and I normally get very sensitive to chop on the slalom wings but I noticed that my nose was flying a lot higher just with that extra degree. It seemed to be much clearer of what I would normally notice...so I'm probably sticking with that setting.

Also ran the 6.0 and 7.0 foil glides with it on my new smaller enigma race boom. That thing is wayyy stiffer and better feeling than the chinook boom. Wish I had bought that to begin with instead of stubbornly going against recommendations. But now I've got that chinook set up without adjustable outhaul and it is good for fin use. But the 180 enogma... great on the foil glides. Totally changes the entire feel, especially when pumping.