24 AUGUST 2019
PWA FOIL RACING
SEBASTIAN KOERDEL
I
t was great to see that it was possible to race in
40 knots. We could all race and make it round
the course. So now we know we can foil race in
all conditions. For sure you adjust and take smaller
gear. You have to mentally adjust also because you’re
so on edge all the time, balancing getting as much
power as possible and then releasing everything
when needed. When the wind was nuking you had
to just go with it and not push too much. We use
the same boards, a little bit smaller sail and smaller wings, that is it. I actually
enjoyed it, but I did hurt my back. Before that it was fun. There is such
much load on the sails it is very physical. I loved the foil slalom also. I had
good speed and I was fast, so when you are doing well you like it more. To
be honest I see the future of PWA foiling in the slalom format. It is just a
better show. For the riders it is a lot of fun. You trim your foil more neutral.
It is just more free. It is just like being on a slalom board and letting it fly on
the fin. When the foil is neutral it just gets going, there is no resistance. The
upwind foils always push you up because you have to squeeze the last bit of
angle. Another very positive point is that in slalom, the pumping does not
give you any advantage. We have a lot less pumping involved and personally
I hate pumping. I don’t think it looks good and is just an advantage to the
light guys. We were racing in slalom up to about 15 knots and that was full
adrenaline. I was coming back to the beach with Matteo and he shouted to
me, ‘Man, finally I got my adrenaline pumping again, wow!’“NOW WE KNOW WE CAN FOIL RACE IN ALL CONDITIONS.”