After unsuccessfully trying to sell an old Formula board (Starboard 2004ish) locally, I'm ready to take a saw, foam, epoxy and glass to it. I'm pretty light so I'm not to worried about the fin box and the mast track is close enough to where I can use it.

Objective: freerace. Some up and downwind but for 50-51 weeks of the year, it's going to be recreational board. I'm never likely to be in contention for the podium so ease of use > last bit of race performance.

I was thinking about 220 long and increase the OFO from the present 75 to 90 with a rail extension from the midpoint back. I would cut out the rail extension up 2cm from the bottom about the front foot strap back to the tail..

I don't live within 1000km of a proper foil raceboard so I thought I'd ping the community before switching the saw on.

This video shows in detail the construction of the new Tabou Airride + 91

tabou-boards.com/boards/2020/foil/air-ride-plus-20/

The bottom of the board is shaped to take off fast, the top to have maximum control and leverage during flight.
The cut-outs are crucial to take off.

Fanatic Falcon Foil has cut-outs that look a bit easier to fabricate:
www.fanatic.com/windsurf/boards/foil/falcon-foil

Robertos, excellent. You were even nice enough to post a video where they got the square out and measured stuff for me.

The Tabou and Falcons are both a bit longer than other stuff I've seen from Phantom and Future. I think the Tabou is a good suggestion for the rail extensions. I think for now, I'm going to stick with the current cut outs on the original hull as the board is pretty thin. Or, I may get the mind to route them out deeper. We'll see. Watching the Tabou video reminded me that I'm going to put some vee into the front as the old flat entry will tend to stick on re-entry.

This is the formula board I'm using for now.

It's a Gaastra Vapour from 2008 I think. The wings I put on the back extend it to about 97cm which is the same width as at the front footstraps. It's much better upwind than it was before.

I didn't do anything to change the rail or bottom shape otherwise though, I decided the extra leverage was the main thing and just wanted a simple build. (Excuse the mess in the garage and that's not my lawn before anyone starts, just the rigging spot )

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HangOver said..
...and that's not my lawn before anyone starts, just the rigging spot )

HangOver, thanks for the input. No worries about the grass. Never understood that one. During the windy season, the yard definitely takes the back seat.

Board build ideas:
1) add carry handles for deck and hull just like the RRD Pocket.
2) Maybe a staggered build, start with the smallest build. Make build item 1, foil with it, is it good enough. make build item 2 ....etc.

Hangover:
Is there any benefit to raising the heel higher than the toes example change the ANGLE of the heel extension plate running fore to aft.

Do you use the new/extra area in front of the back footstraps. If you do what point of sail do you use it for?

Thanks

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CYVRWoody said..
Board build ideas:
1) add carry handles for deck and hull just like the RRD Pocket.
2) Maybe a staggered build, start with the smallest build. Make build item 1, foil with it, is it good enough. make build item 2 ....etc.

Hangover:
Is there any benefit to raising the heel higher than the toes example change the ANGLE of the heel extension plate running fore to aft.

Do you use the new/extra area in front of the back footstraps. If you do what point of sail do you use it for?

Thanks

Thanks, CYVRWoody. Already have footstraps.

More seriously, the nose I'm pretty confident in. After looking at the Tabou, I think I'm going 225 ish if for no other reason, the old Starboard was thin as a potato chip/crisp in front and I'm looking for a nose more likely to carry me further into a tack.

I think the rear is one of those things where you just need to start cutting, etc to get moving on the project. I still might just do the nose first.

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Paducah said..

More seriously, the nose I'm pretty confident in. After looking at the Tabou, I think I'm going 225 ish if for no other reason, the old Starboard was thin as a potato chip/crisp in front and I'm looking for a nose more likely to carry me further into a tack.

I think the rear is one of those things where you just need to start cutting, etc to get moving on the project. I still might just do the nose first.

don't cut too much off the nose, you don't want to lose too much scoop.
bit confused about the tacking bit ; shortening the nose won't help with tacking.

i raced foil with a similar vintage formula board for a couple of seasons and it worked fine.
the extra waterline if anything was good for getting going out of a tack.
the narrow tail was a bit uncomfortable upwind with a big sail, but extra pads under the heel helps.

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fjdoug said..

Paducah said..

don't cut too much off the nose, you don't want to lose too much scoop.
bit confused about the tacking bit ; shortening the nose won't help with tacking.

i raced foil with a similar vintage formula board for a couple of seasons and it worked fine.
the extra waterline if anything was good for getting going out of a tack.
the narrow tail was a bit uncomfortable upwind with a big sail, but extra pads under the heel helps.

225 is actually a bit longer than my everyday foil board which is about 90 cm and seems to come to a dead, screeching halt as I try to fast tack with my admittedly totally crap technique. The original 260 length, however, is pretty useless to me - just a big catapult target for my mast. There seems to be sufficient scoop which surprised me when I did a side by side comparison to my newer foil kit.

And, yes, that's why I want to extend the OFO 15cm to 90- it is a narrow, old style tail.

The board isn't worth much so I hope to learn something out of the experience even if it doesn't work.

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HangOver said..
The wings I put on the back extend it to about 97cm which is the same width as at the front footstraps. It's much better upwind than it was before.

That's pretty sweet. How did you make the wings?

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CYVRWoody said..
Board build ideas:
1) add carry handles for deck and hull just like the RRD Pocket.
2) Maybe a staggered build, start with the smallest build. Make build item 1, foil with it, is it good enough. make build item 2 ....etc.

Hangover:
Is there any benefit to raising the heel higher than the toes example change the ANGLE of the heel extension plate running fore to aft.

Do you use the new/extra area in front of the back footstraps. If you do what point of sail do you use it for?

Thanks

I don't know about changing the angle I simply matched the deck angle as it was but if anything I think you'd want your heel lower than your toes.

I added the area in front of the back strap mainly as I wasn't sure where I would end up needing to stand but I do find I use it sometimes going downwind.

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lwalker said..

HangOver said..
The wings I put on the back extend it to about 97cm which is the same width as at the front footstraps. It's much better upwind than it was before.

That's pretty sweet. How did you make the wings?

I used a 2-part expanding PU foam to make a core I could shape then a sandwich construction similar to the rest of the board.

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HangOver said..

lwalker said..

HangOver said..
The wings I put on the back extend it to about 97cm which is the same width as at the front footstraps. It's much better upwind than it was before.

That's pretty sweet. How did you make the wings?

I used a 2-part expanding PU foam to make a core I could shape then a sandwich construction similar to the rest of the board.

Did you pour the foam on the board and then shape or shape it separate from the board? If you did it direct, how well does it adhere? Still chasing down my hand saw to do the nose cuts. I'm pondering doing the heel extensions out of a combination of XPS and pour foam.

Rob Rock rocks.



Deleted incorrect link.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Chopping-off-nose

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seanhogan said..
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Chopping-off-nose

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Chopping-off-nose#2260922

"Awesome job. I've done two of my own very similarly and a couple more are on the schedule once I get some pressing real world stuff done. " FML. two years later and I still have a couple of sawn in two boards in the garage. It didn't seem quite so important to get those short boards going when I went to foiling full time in anything up to 30. Still, seahhogan, nice job on those.