Test Editor Tris Best // Second Testers Maurin Rottenwalter, Joe North & Dan Hallam // Test Location Portland HarbourNEW HEIGHTS
70 JULY 2019
FREERIDE FOIL TEST
A year is a very, very long time in a discipline as fast
moving and dynamic as foiling. Not only have the foils and
foil-specific products evolved considerably since our last
test ... but so, it seems, has the whole direction of travel!
2018 brought us our first PWA foiling champion and a foiling
world championship open class, providing the test bed for
the latest and greatest racing-oriented kit. There have been
pioneers pushing the limits in foiling freestyle and wave
riding ... and as we go to print, it seems the World Sailing
Council are reopening the debate about the potential for
foiling to be adopted for the 2024 Olympics, to be decided
after sea trials conducted towards the end of this year.
FINDINGSH
istory repeats itself time and again, in windsurfing as with every
other walk in life. When a new design concept or direction is
embraced, it’s only natural for the early adopters and innovators
to push the boundaries and explore. Wind foiling is on that
journey at the moment and the rate of progression is breathtaking. But
there’s a big difference in the development process today. It demonstrates
the maturity of the industry and is something that, we believe, every brand
involved should be proud of. And it’s this: whilst there are the trailblazers
careering down certain paths and challenging what is possible, the nucleus
and focus chosen by all is the notion of making foiling more accessible and
user-friendly. There is a much greater understanding demonstrated by all
the brands involved in this test, producing equipment that is easy to set up
and enjoy.
So what is the direction of travel in 2019? Where is it all going? Anyone
remotely familiar with foil anatomy will acknowledge that the front wing is
crucial and defines the performance range of the foil. For 2019, two-thirds
of the lineup can be classed as low-aspect in shape, pushing early planing,
low speed thresholds and ease of use. The driving influence is from devel-
opment and progression in SUP and surf foiling, using large low aspect
shovel-like front wing shapes, to generate lift and stability at low speeds