Duotone ALUULA Prototype

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Created by

foilthegreats > 9 months ago, 23 Aug 2021

sunsetsailboards

522 posts

13 Sep 2021 1:17am

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sunsetsailboards said..
light wind on land flying/flagging test b/w the 4.0 regular and 4.0 Aluula, the Aluula version definitely flew earlier in the very light breeze. Pumping on land, you can feel the difference in stiffness and pop. On the water, I did not try the regular version, as they only brought one 4.0, and the breeze was light. Was able to go on the 4.5 Aluula on the Fanatic 5'0"/1250 combo when others were using large wings 6.0+ Of course Zane Schweitzer and Titouan Galea were also foiling at the same time on small gear from different brands.

recommended PSI printed on the LE was 6psi on the wings I checked. not sure if this will be on the production wings as these were ones Ken Winner flew in with from Maui. They said they were pumped slightly higher.

Also, there is a 2nd dump valve on the LE near one wingtip so you can roll from one side to the other.

tl;dr feels like a really nice wing and will be ordering a 3.5 for sure... and probably a 5.0 also. i'm 185lbs.

Good to hear. I have the current 4.5m Slick and 4.0 Unit but find myself reaching the 4.0m Unit all the time. I'm hoping the new 4.0m in the Aluula will get me the same pumping power as the 4.5m Slick, once I'm up there's not a lot of difference between the 4.0m Unit and 4.5m Slick.

Same same. I like the way the Units fly better so am usually opting for it over the Slick. I think I like the extra dihedral and sweep.
D.Lab Units will go 3.5-6.5 in .5 increments. Regular Units add sizes down to 2.0

northy1

498 posts

13 Sep 2021 2:06am

Mmm - a DLab 6.5m Unit and a 4.5 standard Unit sounds ideal for me. Be keen to hear about the top end of the '22 version (their high end seems a little more limited compared to other wings i reckon, based on my current 6m / 4m units...i guess thats the compromise due to their good low end)

FlyingPeew

118 posts

13 Sep 2021 2:08am

Just a thought.
The characteristics of dacron and aluula differ. It's weight, tear strength and higher pressure tolerance (stitching). using different material could mean different shape of the wing (LE and struts). And therefore the whole wing.are the 2 Ocean Rodeo wing and upcoming Duotone (and Ozone?) fully exploiting the advantages of the new material. For example, is leading edge of Glide A-series the same shape and size of the hybrid Glide?

In windsurfing sails more exotic fibers and canopies are being used in high end sails. Is there a promising alternative for the kitestyle ripstop canopy we see in current wings?

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VIC

618 posts

13 Sep 2021 8:47pm

I hope they are using carbon instead of aluminium for the handles. Nice little mod if they don't, titanium screws just to finish off the bling

Velocicraptor

839 posts

13 Oct 2021 2:41am

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sunsetsailboards said..

Relapse said..

By any chance have you ridden the Cabrinha Mantis? If so, how does the stability compare? The Mantis is pretty flat vs the Unit which references a bit more dihedral, and I'm wondering how that shows up in handling. Also, any comparison of wind range? Im riding a 4m Mantis from ~15-30 kts and wondering how small a Unit I could get away with to maintain a similar low end.

Realize you won't have this answer, but I'm also curious as to how weights compare between the OR Glide and the Aluula Unit. I love the look of the Unit handles, but have to imagine they offset a bit of the weight savings.

sunsetsailboards

522 posts

13 Oct 2021 3:15am

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Relapse said..
I hope they are using carbon instead of aluminium for the handles. Nice little mod if they don't, titanium screws just to finish off the bling

The Unit handles are some sort of molded plastic. Diameter is oval and feels like a kite bar.

sunsetsailboards

522 posts

13 Oct 2021 3:19am

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Velocicraptor said..

sunsetsailboards said..

Relapse said..

I have not ridden the Mantis. I don't have weight stats for the new wings either. Weight savings were mentioned during the presentation, but I did not write them down. Last day of the show was very light wind. we held up one regular unit and one aluula unit, and in the small gusts the aluula unit would fly level while the regular one the tail would still be dropped. not a real scientific test, but there was a perceivable difference. how big this difference is in real world riding is unclear.

DWF

710 posts

13 Oct 2021 7:21am

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sunsetsailboards said..

The Unit handles are some sort of molded plastic. Diameter is oval and feels like a kite bar.

Do the handles have to be screwed on each session?

martyman

367 posts

13 Oct 2021 12:49pm

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FlyingPeew said..
Just a thought.
The characteristics of dacron and aluula differ. It's weight, tear strength and higher pressure tolerance (stitching). using different material could mean different shape of the wing (LE and struts). And therefore the whole wing.are the 2 Ocean Rodeo wing and upcoming Duotone (and Ozone?) fully exploiting the advantages of the new material. For example, is leading edge of Glide A-series the same shape and size of the hybrid Glide?

In windsurfing sails more exotic fibers and canopies are being used in high end sails. Is there a promising alternative for the kitestyle ripstop canopy we see in current wings?

the LE is in fact narrower with allula. Same with the kites.

sunsetsailboards

522 posts

13 Oct 2021 1:04pm

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DWF said..

sunsetsailboards said..

The Unit handles are some sort of molded plastic. Diameter is oval and feels like a kite bar.

Do the handles have to be screwed on each session?

no you can leave them in... not sure how it affects packing, but i have a van so whatevs.

DWF

710 posts

13 Oct 2021 7:01pm

Select to expand quote

sunsetsailboards said..

DWF said..

sunsetsailboards said..

The Unit handles are some sort of molded plastic. Diameter is oval and feels like a kite bar.

Do the handles have to be screwed on each session?

no you can leave them in... not sure how it affects packing, but i have a van so whatevs.

I'd be concerned about hard parts inside the bag wearing holes in the canopy. Especially with gear piled into the back of cars. If they included neoprene covers to apply before packing it up, I'd have less worry.

motogon

205 posts

13 Oct 2021 7:55pm

OK. I got it: ALUULA wings fly better in light wind. How about range? Do they have better range then "regular" construction wings? Will 3.5 ALUULA replace 3.0 and 4.0 LE wings? If yes, then price for it make sense.

eppo

9762 posts

13 Oct 2021 8:14pm

My theory is yes. Far more rigid frame material - plus much higher psi capability adding to rigidity - will give more direct power. When in upper range deflate some for air to spill. It has to have more range - theoretically. Hence could have a 2 wing quiver maybe ?

am i right those who have tried them?

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VIC

618 posts

16 Oct 2021 10:54pm

www.instagram.com/p/CVDlfcKI7Q1/?utm_medium=copy_link

Some Dlab action in the wild, crazy height off flat water. I bet I'll be able to do all that when mine arrives

Pacey

525 posts

16 Oct 2021 8:36pm

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eppo said..
My theory is yes. Far more rigid frame material - plus much higher psi capability adding to rigidity - will give more direct power. When in upper range deflate some for air to spill. It has to have more range - theoretically. Hence could have a 2 wing quiver maybe ?

am i right those who have tried them?

If Aluula allows higher pressures in the leading edge, does that mean we can get smaller diameter luff tubes? Some of the luff tubes in the large wings are massive, and I think they are high drag and develop less power than they would if they could have a smaller leading edge

Ingenuity

41 posts

20 Oct 2021 8:53am

Aluula vs Dacron

King Crash

NSW

320 posts

20 Oct 2021 1:23pm

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Ingenuity said..
Aluula vs Dacron

Slight diversion, but it'll be interesting if North brings out 3Di Raw in the wings. Could be no different to Dlab frames ect, or even CZ material, full wing akin to BRM design.
Again another caveat, but will Aluula have forced redundancies like standard 3Di? (Alinghi designed the original material and when delam occurred, you could just iron the laminate back together). Surely at this price point, we'd expect wings to last more than 12 months too?

Mikedubs

291 posts

21 Oct 2021 1:52am

Looks like Ensis are playing with it too. Mike

eppo

9762 posts

21 Oct 2021 6:32am

May have been mentioned but have they done repeated stress tests on allula versus . normal?

meaning do they have data on possible longevity ?

just looking for another reason to justify the price tag i suppose lol.

simonp

214 posts

21 Oct 2021 9:07am

What does ALUULA look like? Is it thin, light, and crinkly looking? I saw an interesting prototype recently with this and which also included transparent cross-hatched windsurf sail material close to the leading edge. Not naming names in case it's confidential R&D.

airsail

QLD

1570 posts

21 Oct 2021 1:40pm

I'd be interested in resale prices for both the Aluula kites and wings. At double the cost of a Dacron kite/wing, will the secondhand market be willing to stump up the extra, or will these devalue quick time.

Alysum

NSW

1030 posts

21 Oct 2021 11:18pm

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simonp said..
What does ALUULA look like? Is it thin, light, and crinkly looking? I saw an interesting prototype recently with this and which also included transparent cross-hatched windsurf sail material close to the leading edge. Not naming names in case it's confidential R&D.

It's like mesh. Lots of micro holes in the material it looks like. Obviously lighter material.

mcrt

643 posts

21 Oct 2021 11:05pm

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It is kind of blingy

yt04

QLD

397 posts

22 Oct 2021 10:02am

Not to hijack the Aluula thread, which looks awesome but too dear for me. I like the look of the new Unit with the fixed handles and does anyone know when theyll be hitting the stores here in Australia??

mcrt

643 posts

28 Dec 2021 5:18pm

www.instagram.com/reel/CX-8rXBPOS6/?utm_medium=copy_link

Looks super stable...

hilly

7979 posts

28 Dec 2021 7:17pm

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mcrt said..Looks super stable...

You are not wrong. Good riding too

Mikedubs

291 posts

28 Dec 2021 11:45pm

When the hell are they going to stop teasing and put it on the website? Mike

Icebergmansion

73 posts

30 Dec 2021 2:48am

I have the OR 5m HL Aluula. It's great, far superior to Duotones current wings. Extremely light and feels very light in the air, incredible drift for surfing, windows are in perfect locations, pumps excellent for lightwind. Absolutely fantastic product.

Based on this I think the new Duotone with Aluula will be incredible.

MidAtlanticFoil

825 posts

30 Dec 2021 8:16am

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Mikedubs said..
When the hell are they going to stop teasing and put it on the website? Mike

I've found it listed on a US retailers site using a search. Not available obviously, but pricing was listed around $1600 for a 3.5M and 1900 for 6.5M (US).

Velocicraptor

839 posts

4 Jan 2022 9:41pm

The Duotone dealers in the US have pricing. What they don't have is availability or timing. All I know is that the standard (non Aluula) Unit will come sooner than the DLab. Any US dealers have timing for when they will get the standard Unit?

also, I recently saw pics of the bag. Its quite large, which I guess makes sense due to the handles but still bigger than I would have expected. Almost like a full boom wing size bag.

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