It's here.. the best of both worlds.. Kujira designer and AFS stiffness!

(..from the FoilandCo newsletter email)
The SILK features a monobloc structure for the foil and fuselage, ensuring optimal rigidity for precise control and transmission of forces, while the UHM carbon construction guarantees stiffness, lightness and durability. An ultra-thin UHM mast of 80 cm length, 115mm chord width and 14 mm chord thickness has been specifically developed for the SILK range. The SILK mast offers an ideal glide / manoeuvrability ratio, with a super rigid connection between the mast and fuselage for the smoothest hydrodynamic flow and minimal drag.

More info: foilandco.com/afs-foil-silk/

Edit:
- also features a conical mast fuse connection

Says available in June and prob be delayed or very limited so it's not here yet. does look nice though I'm gonna try get a go on it if I can

Have been using AFS windfoils for a while and they are great. Like the brand and some of the other kit looks great... If you weigh less than 75kgs which I don't!
And loads of the recent launches are for unobtainable stuff here in the UK. My understanding is that they sell almost everything they can make in France so aren't really interested in UK sales.
Maybe I am wrong. There was kit on the beach at Fuerteventura in February that looked great but no sign of it being available. By the time these foils show up I will probably have sucked up the price of the new Armstrong kit to go with what I have already. Changing foil brand would be a serious money pit.

Any reviews yet ?

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foilthegreats said..
Any reviews yet ?

There are some on Hadou's site - www-pimpyourride-fr.translate.goog/forum-wingfoil/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1185&sid=83151324b1c927eb184b3284a051b974&_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_pto=wapp

I rode the 1050 Silk at the AWSI show in Hood River. Very nice foil... loose and turny with great glide. Whole setup is under 3kg. Mast and wing set felt very low drag. 80cm is the tallest mast they offer at the moment, but sounds like they are planning a longer one too.

Mast to fuselage interface is not conical but similar to Fanatic/Duotone, F-One, Mikes Lab and connects with two M8 45mm bolts.

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sunsetsailboards said..
I rode the 1050 Silk at the AWSI show in Hood River. Very nice foil... loose and turny with great glide. Whole setup is under 3kg. Mast and wing set felt very low drag. 80cm is the tallest mast they offer at the moment, but sounds like they are planning a longer one too.

Mast to fuselage interface is not conical but similar to Fanatic/Duotone, F-One, Mikes Lab and connects with two M8 45mm bolts.

I rode the same setup. Super impressed. Holding the setup in my hand I didn't expect it to feel so light as it seem very sturdy.
This guys did an awesome job and I could feel stoked they are about foiling. I would definitely want more time on that foil.
Their board is very nice as well. I rode the 75L

were you at the show, too burchas?

1050 is a little bigger than I normally ride, and I was coming off a demo of the Fanatic Glide 1035 on the 7'2" downwind board, but the Silk 1050 was super loose with great glide and yet still pretty easy to ride. I think the glider itself is just over 1kg.

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sunsetsailboards said..
were you at the show, too burchas?

1050 is a little bigger than I normally ride, and I was coming off a demo of the Fanatic Glide 1035 on the 7'2" downwind board, but the Silk 1050 was super loose with great glide and yet still pretty easy to ride. I think the glider itself is just over 1kg.

Yes I was. focusing on most of the 1000cm2 range foils from all manufacturers paired with their 70 Liter range boards as this seem very popular
range for many.

The Silk 1050 was one of my two favorites foils for the show (too many to cover them all considering day 3 was a dud )
seems like a good candidate for a one foil quiver.

Anyone try the Pure?

Are the Pure and Silk both compatible on the same mast?

Were you guys riding the HM mast or the UHM? Did you notice any mast flex?

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Velocicraptor said..
Anyone try the Pure?

Are the Pure and Silk both compatible on the same mast?

Were you guys riding the HM mast or the UHM? Did you notice any mast flex?

....can't speak to the other questions but Pure & Silk are not compatible. The Silk is the newer system with the 2 M8 bolts. In talking to them at AWSI it sounds like they will be releasing a new Pure line compatible with the Silk & with more mast options...

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Velocicraptor said..
Anyone try the Pure?

Are the Pure and Silk both compatible on the same mast?

Were you guys riding the HM mast or the UHM? Did you notice any mast flex?

I tried the pure 900, it's good got easy speed not hard like my armstrong but i had more fun on a performer 1250 30-40cm bump because of the easy glide this day , it's was one session and maybe my setting weren't right , the pure needed to be pushed way forward in the track box.

the pure got noticable crazy upwind ability too.

I've winged the Pure 1100, Pure 700 and the Silk 1050.
I enjoyed the Pure, it's fast (but not really race fast) and got me to 24knots easily. It's quite user friendly. The Pure 1100 is a gliding monster, its easy to keep going in nearly no wind.
However the Silk was a revelation. I've never used a foil that was so turny and yet so stable with so much glide. So playful. In fact I've just ordered one for a one foil wave quiver. Tacks and 360s were just so easy, and it pumps well too.

I had some fun jumps too, the whole foils weighs about 2.75kg and is as stiff as, so jumping it felt like there was no foil!

The mast is 13mm thick, and very very stiff (and I'm used to Axis alu).

(for reference I've currently got a Unifoil Hyper 170 and before that had various ART and HPS Axis foils).

I have a 850 and 1050 on test. Hope to get out soon. Pictures below comparing 980 and 1210.
First impressions is the kit is next level stiff. Finish could use some work and I expected better for a foil made in Europe. Fit is perfect however. Nice covers for everything too. The stabilizers are really interesting. Huge camber and ultra thin. Could be interesting to use on any setup with 30mm 6m mount. Looking at it in person and feel like these will be next level ripping surf foils and exactly what I want. Ride reports to come soon.

At least it's an M8 bolt...
Can someone point out any advantage to this type of mast/fuse connection? It just looks weak and completely dependent on bolt strength. Maybe for 850cm2 and smaller foils or lighter folks it's ok but I'd break that in five sessions

Guessing it's to keep the fuse diameter smaller?

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Thatspec said..
At least it's an M8 bolt...
Can someone point out any advantage to this type of mast/fuse connection? It just looks weak and completely dependent on bolt strength. Maybe for 850cm2 and smaller foils or lighter folks it's ok but I'd break that in five sessions

Guessing it's to keep the fuse diameter smaller?

Definitely get a slimmer and sleeker fuselage. I believe F-ONE & Duatone use a similar conical design. Some details here:
foilandco.com/fuse-link/

Looking at it in person it does not come across as weak and I don't believe it relies on bolt strength but I'm no engineer. Good thing is it comes with 3 year warranty.

I had the chance to demo the silk 850s winging a couple of times and I have to say I was blown away by how good it was. So much so I had trouble sleeping the night after due to residual foil froth.

Now some context. I've been wing foiling for about 5 years, 50+ and 85kg. I'm not sponsored or an ambassador to any brand. I ride what I like. Ocean and river. Used the wing to learn downwinding and now into my 3rd season of sup foil downwind. Don't really play in surf waves much but that's more a location issue (Perth).
Presently my go to foils are tweaked takuma 1440 and 1095 setups. Basically takuma front wing foil (bogged for snug fuselage connection), stringy fuse (shimmed), Nolimitz mast and custom tail. I've ridden and owned quite a few other brands. All needed shimming and tweaking to suit my ride preferences. In the end I felt that none offered me any advantage over my takuma setups, which I have gravitated back to.

The Silk I took out in stock setup. This was the 850s foil/fuselage, 142 stab and 80cm mast. Build quality is amazing and super stiff with a sub 14mm thick mast. This setup is more front footed than what I would normally ride but I thought I'd run with it.
After about 10 minutes I found I was wanting to ride faster, turn tighter and push harder than I would normally. The foil just ate it up and screamed back "Is that all you've got". Nothing seems to upset it, white wash and boat wakes just shoot by with barely a burble. Riding fast and want to turn instantly, yep why not. Tip breaches, no problem. Want speed and acceleration, you got it in spades. Did a speed pb on a river session and the only reason I didn't go faster was the wind strength. Was able to ride for extended time above 40kph without control issues (not bad for a surf foil). Then if you want to ride slow the tubercles do their thing and you can just cruise around. Its pump ability was also pretty impressive. I can only imagine how good it would be in the surf.

With all upsides there is a downside and that is price. It is expensive compared to other setups.

So in summary, this is the first foil I've ridden with what feels like no limits. I'm sure it has them but they are above my ability. I was the limit.
I had no plans to buy any foils this summer but liked it so much that I now have the 850 and 1050 on order. I hope the 1050 will be a substitute for my 1095 takuma on downwinds but that remains to be seen (I did try the 1100 pure on a sup downwind and on the wing but was somewhat disappointed with its performance).

Thanks to Mark at Winging WA for the demo. Get in touch with him if you'd like to give it a try.

Happy foiling
Mike

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Thatspec said..
At least it's an M8 bolt...
Can someone point out any advantage to this type of mast/fuse connection? It just looks weak and completely dependent on bolt strength. Maybe for 850cm2 and smaller foils or lighter folks it's ok but I'd break that in five sessions

Guessing it's to keep the fuse diameter smaller?

I think some of it comes down to material choices and optimizing the connection for that. seems like for carbon fuselages, this type of butt joint with wide contact area works well. Fanatic/Duotone, F-One, AFS Silk, and Mikes Lab all use this type of joint. This joint also does not require any break in and you know when the bolts are tight. My carbon Fanatic/Duotone setup with this joint is super stiff. I'm about 195lbs and my daily driver is a 1000cm foil. Connecting an aluminum SAB Kraken fuselage w/ a pocket joint, it seems like the joint is not quite as stiff... could vary brand to brand.

Mike Z also said he uses this joint so he can minimize the diameter of the fuselage.

I think either pocket or butt connection can be done well or poorly, so really comes down to the brand and how they execute their design.

1 session in on the 1050. They're not kidding calling this foil the Silk. It is super smooth and buttery. It really ticks all the boxes. This is exactly what I want in a foil.

?si=CddhvI_FUtk42p6V

How does it compare to the Takuma 1095? is the fuse>mast connection m6 or m8?

The fuse to mast connection for the Silk foils is two M8 bolts. The whole setup is very stiff and solid

Had another session on the 850 Silk yesterday in the river. Wind was a gusty 10-18 kts thereabouts.
This time I ran it with a 0.5' shim to flatten the tail angle and to reduce front foot pressure a tad.
Man this thing is slick. It just feels like there is no drag. On a short speed dash I clocked a new pb with a 2 sec 46.9 and a 5 sec 46.8kph. This still isn't maxing out.
The impressive bit though is a couple of minutes later I'm flagged out on a ferry wake at 20kph, having one of the most effortless and funnest rides possible. Silky smooth turns and gliding while dealing with aerated water with ease.
As far as the mast to fuselage connection goes, as long as the bolts are torqued up I can't see any issues occurring. It feels rock solid and is nicely streamlined.
Hats off to AFS and Laurent Borgna for this foil. They have absolutely smashed it for six.

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Stingersup said..
Had another session on the 850 Silk yesterday in the river. Wind was a gusty 10-18 kts thereabouts.
This time I ran it with a 0.5' shim to flatten the tail angle and to reduce front foot pressure a tad.
Man this thing is slick. It just feels like there is no drag. On a short speed dash I clocked a new pb with a 2 sec 46.9 and a 5 sec 46.8kph. This still isn't maxing out.
The impressive bit though is a couple of minutes later I'm flagged out on a ferry wake at 20kph, having one of the most effortless and funnest rides possible. Silky smooth turns and gliding while dealing with aerated water with ease.
As far as the mast to fuselage connection goes, as long as the bolts are torqued up I can't see any issues occurring. It feels rock solid and is nicely streamlined.
Hats off to AFS and Laurent Borgna for this foil. They have absolutely smashed it for six.

Wow, that's fast! I thought the Pure would be needed to hit those speeds. I have a 1095 on a stringy fuse and love it but wish it was faster. 850 Silk sounds like the answer especially with the solid connections. Is there a mast longer than 80cm that is compatible with the Silk foils, ideally 95 cm for winging?

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Stingersup said..
Had another session on the 850 Silk yesterday in the river. Wind was a gusty 10-18 kts thereabouts.
This time I ran it with a 0.5' shim to flatten the tail angle and to reduce front foot pressure a tad.
Man this thing is slick. It just feels like there is no drag. On a short speed dash I clocked a new pb with a 2 sec 46.9 and a 5 sec 46.8kph. This still isn't maxing out.
The impressive bit though is a couple of minutes later I'm flagged out on a ferry wake at 20kph, having one of the most effortless and funnest rides possible. Silky smooth turns and gliding while dealing with aerated water with ease.
As far as the mast to fuselage connection goes, as long as the bolts are torqued up I can't see any issues occurring. It feels rock solid and is nicely streamlined.
Hats off to AFS and Laurent Borgna for this foil. They have absolutely smashed it for six.

Great speeds and I echo your experience about ease of use, and slow stall speed on my Silk 1050. They are amazing foils and work in such a huge speed / wind range.

They do feel so friction free.

What did you use for a shim?

I've pushed my Silk 1050 to a max 2secs 25.25 knots / 46.7 kph - and more than 24 knots over 250m
www.gps-wingfoiling.com/?mnu=user&val=424496&uid=26987
These foils are sooo fast for wave foils and I'm sure that helps their glide and control when accelerating down swells.

(I also got the Silk 650 to over 26knots)
www.gps-wingfoiling.com/default.aspx?mnu=user&val=424495&uid=26987

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halfwaythere said..

Wow, that's fast! I thought the Pure would be needed to hit those speeds. I have a 1095 on a stringy fuse and love it but wish it was faster. 850 Silk sounds like the answer especially with the solid connections. Is there a mast longer than 80cm that is compatible with the Silk foils, ideally 95 cm for winging?

The Race Pure 95 mast is compatible with the Silk foils. AFS are moving to this connection with all the Pure range now.

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foilthegreats said..
1 session in on the 1050. They're not kidding calling this foil the Silk. It is super smooth and buttery. It really ticks all the boxes. This is exactly what I want in a foil.

?si=CddhvI_FUtk42p6V

Sounds super good! How is the pumping and glide with the 1050 and what is your weight, please? Are there any negatives on 1050?

For those on the gear - what would you recommend as a 2 foil quiver and what tails?

Im 175 lbs, advanced wing foiler, freeride, jumping, wave riding, downingd winging, riding in 10-35 knots, generally messy waves and downwind conditions in the Northeast USA. I value a wide power/speed range from my foils and this is why Im leaning towards the AFS gear.

I was on Takuma gear for a long time and loved the foot pressure, Pop for jumping, ease of breaching, and lack of pitchiness. I have more recently been on Unifoil gear and love how the the Progression 125 surfs, but don't love how range-bound the gear is otherwise (works well within a power/speed range, but doesn't like to go out of it). THe progression 140 is too slow and the Hyper 2 series is kind of pitchy and wild. Because of the lack of range, I wound up buying way too many foils, and I prefer to have a more focused quiver.

Is the Silk 850/1050 the right quiver, or would you have a silk and a Pure? Is 850/1050 too much overlap and do I have enough high/low end for my conditions there? What tails?

Hoping to find my unicorn!

Thanks

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What did you use for a shim?

A mate 3d printed a 0.5' sheet for me. I then cut it as required to fit.
Next time I'll try a .75' one.

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Velocicraptor said..
For those on the gear - what would you recommend as a 2 foil quiver and what tails?

Im 175 lbs, advanced wing foiler, freeride, jumping, wave riding, downingd winging, riding in 10-35 knots, generally messy waves and downwind conditions in the Northeast USA. I value a wide power/speed range from my foils and this is why Im leaning towards the AFS gear.

Having only ridden the 850 at this stage it's a guess but I reckon this could be a 1 foil quiver. Maybe it would be a touch fast for low wind, low energy downwinding and the 1050 would fill that gap?I was thinking the 650 could be fun for a blast however I'm not sure I need any more performance.
The 142 tail works great. I tried it with a different brand 800 size foil. This resulted in an immediate improvement in ride quality and speed. Still nowhere near the Silk though.

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Stingersup said..
Had another session on the 850 Silk yesterday in the river. Wind was a gusty 10-18 kts thereabouts.
This time I ran it with a 0.5' shim to flatten the tail angle and to reduce front foot pressure a tad.
Man this thing is slick. It just feels like there is no drag. On a short speed dash I clocked a new pb with a 2 sec 46.9 and a 5 sec 46.8kph. This still isn't maxing out.
The impressive bit though is a couple of minutes later I'm flagged out on a ferry wake at 20kph, having one of the most effortless and funnest rides possible. Silky smooth turns and gliding while dealing with aerated water with ease.
As far as the mast to fuselage connection goes, as long as the bolts are torqued up I can't see any issues occurring. It feels rock solid and is nicely streamlined.
Hats off to AFS and Laurent Borgna for this foil. They have absolutely smashed it for six.

That's quick - too quick

First session on the Silk 850 in gale conditions on Lake Ontario. Still haven't dialled in where I want the mast set but overall this thing rips on a whole other level. ?si=BHZ5nyxRCTSBMnvO