Had maybe 6-7 more sails on this board now, some more observations, pros and cons. Super happy with the board so far, and its been rock solid as I've started making some serious progress from 1% Foil gybe success to now maybe 75-80% and I've had less then 10 sessions on it total. For the type of sailing I'm doing, there isn't another board out there that I think I would consider.
Pros:
- I've figured out how to pump this thing and it is incredible. I've read the stories of people on super small sails getting foiling in light winds, but just didn't seem possible, until last weekend when I had an epic late session on my 4.7m S1 in what was pretty light seabreeze around 12kts of wind when I rigged down. For context, the session started and it was blowing maybe 10-12kts, I started off with the 7m Foilglide, friend was on a 6.6m Lift Freeride. In the first hour or so, he probably spent 1/3 to 1/2 the time slogging, whilst I barely had to pump, and foiled 100% of the time, cranking upwind and doing foilgybe easily.
Second hour wind picked up to probably solid 14kts, so we were both powered up, went back in for a drink of water as the wind dropped again to maybe 12-13kts. Decided what the heck, I've sailed for over 2 hours, lets swap down and see what this thing can do. Rigged my 4.7 S1, went out, it was probably 12kts with some holes down to 9-10kts and my friend was coming in now a bit underpowered on his Lift and laughing at me because he thought I had rigged my 5.3, little did he know. As soon as I hit the water I was a little worried because the pressure in the sail felt like nothing after sailing the 7m, but to my surprise and his, even with barely any pressure in the sail, I was able to wiggle my way on the the foil pretty easily.
After that the foil did the work, the efficiency of the high aspect foil meant that I was able to accelerate and generate enough apparent wind to stay foiling and even make decent ground upwind and nail a few clean foil gybes. The extra volume in the tail really made it easy to stand in both footstraps and get the board and foil moving. I'm 100% sold on high aspect foils now for flat water, and this board makes it easy to get the most out of them.
- For me this will be a 1 board solution from 7-8kts up to 25kts, with 3 sails, 7m Foilglide, 4.8m S1 and 4.0m S1. Above that I'm still keen to learn a few more tricks of my freestyle board, so effectively this is probably a 3 sail, 2 board, 1 foil solution for foiling and slapping from 7-30kts.
Cons:
- For me it feels not quite wide enough for the 7m Foilglide, when its fully powered up (14kts+) and trying to really cranking upwind. I'm talking probably 45deg into the wind or there abouts. If thats the main sail you want to run I think maybe the 125L would be a better choice. The 115L is OK, but I think it would be more comfortable to sail if it was wider. Its perfectly fine when you aren't quite as powered up, and if you are sailing closer to a reach or downwind then the width is not an issue.
- Uphauling a 7m cammed sail is a bit of a pain, foil sails with the low foot even more so. Again if thats your main sail, I think the 125L might be a better board, as that length and volume will probably make it just that bit easier.
- Again, related mainly to the 7m, its not the easiest board to tack. I think I dropped like 4-5 tacks in a row the other day. Its probably easier to helitack. Not a problem with smaller sails, but I definitely found the 7m a bit tricky. I've got it pretty much sussed out now, but if you get easily frustrated by this kinda stuff, maybe go the bigger board. I'm more of a bang my head against the wall until it works kinda guy, so doesn't really faze me.
Observations:
- I've been tuning the foil a bit more, and now sailing the Fanatic Flow 1000 at 0deg rear stabiliser. Found that the -0.5deg, was a bit back foot heavy, and did mean that in gybes you had to have the back foot right against the rear straps to keep the board easily flying through the gybes. That said I have been foiling generally in lighter winds, from 8-15kts, so possibly I'll want some more negative stabiliser dialed in again on the windier days. So if you are looking for a faster freeride foil, consider the Fanatic Flow 1000. I had it up against an i76, and a Redwing and its faster than both, and friend and I both tried to foil as slow as possible (him on the i76), and there was maybe half a kt difference if that.
- Footstraps, I found that these were almost too big for me even on the smallest setting. Luckily there is a second set of holes in the footstraps (footstraps not the board) so that you can tighten them up, and you can also flip the washer under the bolt if you want the straps narrower. I'm about a size 9 but with wide feet, so using the inner holes on the footstrap worked better for me. Footstrap width issue also resolved itself, haven't felt my feet squished after the first session, I guess the straps just had to soften up a bit.
Some unanswered questions:
- Maybe I could get away with a 6m Foilglide and 105L Alien and not lose much bottom end. Thats just the perils of being an early adopter.
- Possibly I could get a freestyle board with a foil box to use from 12-13kts onwards, and get a 125L Alien for even more light wind performance? Hard to say what would work the best.
- Can I land a flatwater backloop on this?