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WindFoil - KiteFoil

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3InletsWindsports
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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:47 pm

Love that comment "I suggest you try it"

ronnie
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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby ronnie » Sun Jun 11, 2017 12:56 pm

90 litre Kite Race Board modified to windfoil.

https://www.instagram.com/naishaustralia/

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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby ronnie » Mon Jun 26, 2017 6:45 pm

Something a bit more like the future?

A 151cm windfoil board and a 3.5m sail in 20 knots.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/Horuefoil/vi ... 417755627/

Eltreato
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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby Eltreato » Mon May 14, 2018 10:00 pm

Peter, 3Inlets, have either of you or anyone else had any more experience using kitfoils for windfoils? If so how has it been? Thanks.

3InletsWindsports
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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Mon May 14, 2018 11:52 pm

Sorry but no. Since going to my Spitfire and selling my geriatric foil. That project has stalled waiting for a better board to use and the finance officer approving a Windfoil(Zeeko)
Although a Spitfire Windfoil has got to be in the wind.

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Peter_Frank
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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby Peter_Frank » Tue May 15, 2018 8:34 am

No from me too...

I still have the windfoil with my kitefoil big wing, but havent used it since last summer/autumn.

WHY NOT ?

For one, I wanted to learn to windfoil, and I wanted to use a kitehydrofoil for this simply to go against the idea that it HAS to be a very specific windhydrofoil to work - so getting it all right, learning, and riding was, seen in retroperspective, the major attraction to this :D

Pros and Cons Windfoil - Kitefoil are not evenly balanced it seems, my experiences:

Windfoil -

The only pro I have found - You can ride back home in 4 knots or less wind or no wind (paddle with your mast), board on surface, or taking a break out on the water, so for long distance trips it could work great :thumb:
Okay, one more, if you dont have any room on the shore, it is easier to get out on the water than with a kite you have to driftlaunch :roll:

Cons -

You have to SWIM our with your rig/board/hydrofoil before starting, whereas with a kite you can drag out foil on its side so much easier and faster.

Coming in on a windfoil, yes you COULD foil high into low water, but then the weight of your rig and board will be extremely tough on your foil, maybe break it or slowly destroy it.
If you stop far out (I do, wont risk breaking anything), you have to swim with your rig/board/hydrofoil to shore.
Whereas with a kitefoil you can eather drag to shore board on its side, or you can ride to really low water and just bail out letting the foil fall on its side.

The lower windlimit for foiling, even with the best windfoils and sails are still substantially higher than the kitefoils.

The windrange seems a lot narrower than kitefoils.

The acceleration, time it takes till up foiling in marginal winds (or any wind), is much worse on a windfoil, where a kitefoil pops up immediately.

Turning is a much wider arc than a kitefoil, particularly with big sails, so riding small waves is not possible - eventhough in bigger waves windfoils will work fine yes, but kitefoils also works in bigger waves.

In light wind the big rig is not fun for tricks, whereas with a kite even the bigger kites dont influence much, compared, your kitefoil is still the same and nimble and not a big clumsy constellation.

Carrying out/in is simply stupidly cumbersome with a windfoil.

Car "size" or room need and storage, need a lot more room for a windfoil even when dissasembled.

Jumping does not seem to work well for a windfoil unless loads of wind, whereas a kitefoil can jump quite high in low winds.

You will get a wet sail you have to dry afterwards, whereas with a kitefoil this hardly never happens, and if, kite can be dried very fast again riding a bit more - usually not possible with a windfoil.


So realistically I dont find any advantages except for possible to ride in "no wind", or taking a break out on the water.


I think these are the reasons why I have almost abandoned it again for a while - but the other thing is it has been winter here till now (shorty again now), so not much motivation to be in such cold water near the freezing point, knowing I will be in the water more on a windfoil, at least going in/out these swims are aaaaargh !


Just some experiences I would share !

8) PF

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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby ronnie » Tue May 15, 2018 9:14 am

Just an update at where windfoiling is now.

The Professional Windsurf Association have a windfoiling World Championship this year - which is run alongside the Slalom World Championship. If the wind is too low or too inconsistent for Slalom Racing, they run foil Races (if there is enough wind).

They have about 62 Slalom entries and 44 windfoil entries at the first event in Japan.
This is the second Foil Final ( with maybe 22 sailors?) making the final.


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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby ronnie » Tue May 15, 2018 9:16 am

This is windfoiling with a 2017 Gofoil Maliko 160 (so arguably a large kite-type foil).


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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby ronnie » Tue May 15, 2018 9:29 am

This is the proposed windfoil Olympic Class World Championship 2017. They also have a feeder system with cheaper equipment.


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Re: WindFoil - KiteFoil

Postby ronnie » Tue May 15, 2018 9:34 am

The European Championship of the feeder Series. They have a system where you can hire the specific equipment for the event - and buy it at a discount after the event (if you choose).



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