Foils have finally arrived

430 foil, 210 stab.

Wouldn't know there was a foil there as the drone only followed 2nd place.

No BS......
2 years ago, after maybe 20 days on foil, I would dare try to stay with the slower windsurfers in the water.
Now, I head upwind as soon as I foil up.
Just no guts anymore.

It presents a dilemma for the PWA as sailing a finned board fast feels relatively accessable but sailing a foil at high speeds seems to present some different challenges. Will they separate them and run both or just rename themselves the Professional Foiling Windsurfing Association.

Interesting to watch. It is open competition but it is really unfair to race different classes against each other. Foiling Moths vs Non-Foiling Moths is not fair. It is the same for windsurfers. Mixing disciplines leads to silly results and not really in the interests of windsurfing generally but it is PWA racing after all I guess and happened before, with results we have today.

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RichardG said..
Interesting to watch. It is open competition but it is really unfair to race different classes against each other. Foiling Moths vs Non-Foiling Moths is not fair. It is the same for windsurfers. Mixing disciplines leads to silly results and not really in the interests of windsurfing generally but it is PWA racing after all I guess and happened before, with results we have today.

Is there such a thing as a non-foiling moth still? Or was there only room for one moth?

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Broken Fin said..
Frack , this is great news. I just love to watch a new angle like this taking over and making progress. So should the rest of you lot.... We are all creative, inventive and applauding progress in the game of playing with the forces of wind and water......correct???

If that was the case wouldn't we all be following kite foiling racing?

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Ian K said..

RichardG said..
Interesting to watch. It is open competition but it is really unfair to race different classes against each other. Foiling Moths vs Non-Foiling Moths is not fair. It is the same for windsurfers. Mixing disciplines leads to silly results and not really in the interests of windsurfing generally but it is PWA racing after all I guess and happened before, with results we have today.

Is there such a thing as a non-foiling moth still? Or was there only room for one moth?

Probably not a great analogy sorry but I made my point. No very few non-foiling moths but a few are around and, held by some keen owners and not that I follow it closely but nevertheless non-foiling Moths are obsolete in the foiling class as we know it today as I understand it. intmothlowriders.org That doesn't make an RS14, Laser, 29er, Sharpie or a VX One less popular on the contrary probably these non-foilers are even more popular than foiling classes. They are different classes. It is good to get a competition between foiling and non-foiling going as here in the PWA and they are learning what works. It is a bit like Formula 1, you cannot drive a Formula 1 to go shopping or as a daily driver. Not many people would foil or want to foil in 20 plus knots...but this is PWA. Hence Goyard wins congratulations with his tweaked gear and sailing prowess and he seemed to accelerate and exit out of the gybe marks with speed leading the race as the rest of the finned pack gets stuck behind.

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cald said..
Following some of the sailors on insta and reading between comments, sounds as though it was horribly shifty and holey, races being re run because sailors couldnt make the mark in one reach etc. Its to early to say foil is king after one elimination. One hot day does not make a summer.

I do think they should hold separate racing though, its a shame the sport is not capable of supporting both completely independently at the moment

Oh yea, it was shifty, holey ........... Let the fin excuses begin. It's always holey!, shifty!, that's sailing!. That's why foiling works so well. That's why it will soon be the PWA standard.

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Boston! said..

cald said..
Following some of the sailors on insta and reading between comments, sounds as though it was horribly shifty and holey, races being re run because sailors couldnt make the mark in one reach etc. Its to early to say foil is king after one elimination. One hot day does not make a summer.

I do think they should hold separate racing though, its a shame the sport is not capable of supporting both completely independently at the moment

Oh yea, it was shifty, holey ........... Let the fin excuses begin. It's always holey!, shifty!, that's sailing!. That's why foiling works so well. That's why it will soon be the PWA standard.

They were all allowed to ride either mate and the comments by the sailors werent directed toward the foil winning but the frustration of racing and re running races. No ones making excuses, it is what it is.

Great to see PWA throwing in some excitement running both disciplines - where the sailors can choose foil or fin.

Look how much talk and follow it has created,, :) - bit of a 'master stroke ' really

Don't forget the event organizers in the different countries ( with their sponsors etc) has a big say ( got the $ to pay ) on what disciplines they want to have at their venue.

To secure max water time / results + something new / exciting, I would be surprised to see, if most of them would not push PWA to run the foiling.

PWA follow the $ to some extend ( give those guys what they want and PWA shows up with all their riders etc.)

I would be very surprised if majority of event is not switching to foil after this PWA season.

From a organizers point of view, you want action on the water. Foiling can be started in less wind and in a way less ideal locations.

From a 'outside' the windsurfing bubble, then normal everyday people will find the foiling a lot more interesting ( also this has to do a lot with the resent Americas Cup ). So it is easier to market for potential sponsors etc.

Slalom is great by the way> I did PWA for some years and had a blast, but thinking from a riders point of view ( if foiling was around at that time) and presented as an option. Then I would defiantly had going into the race foiling quick. The riders also follow the $, - so if foiling provide more sponsor money for them from the brands / prize money ( as it will do ), then most has no issues to switch.

To have this event mixed fin and foil is a 'soft' but exciting change to foil,
PWA is testing out the waters ( but I think they already know,,)

I think here will still be some dedicated slalom event by the way. But in places with strong / steady wind that ensure nearly 100% possible slalom results. ( this is by the way not really that many places in the world ). Only a few springs to mind,,

Jesper

For the Swan River Festival of Windsurfing we are planning on, among many other windsurfing classes, having a rematch of the below and also a separate windfoiling division: www.facebook.com/SRFW.mbsc. Also proposed is a one off battle of the boards between Bic Techno and Windsurfer Class.

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Roo said..

RichardG said..
For the Swan River Festival of Windsurfing we are planning on, among many other windsurfing classes, having a rematch of the below and also a separate windfoiling division: www.facebook.com/SRFW.mbsc

Wow that brings back some memories Richard, I wrote that back in 1989. Just as relevant today with windfoiling but that will be short lived with the wing dingers taking over. The future is winging and the market is hot for it.

Kean thanks for that brilliant historical paper and it is a great article. Winging is growing but the Windsurfer Class is growing gangbusters too and many love it. There is a place for every toy in the quiver. We have an event for every windtoy here:

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RichardG said..

Ian K said..

RichardG said..
Interesting to watch. It is open competition but it is really unfair to race different classes against each other. Foiling Moths vs Non-Foiling Moths is not fair. It is the same for windsurfers. Mixing disciplines leads to silly results and not really in the interests of windsurfing generally but it is PWA racing after all I guess and happened before, with results we have today.

Is there such a thing as a non-foiling moth still? Or was there only room for one moth?

Probably not a great analogy sorry but I made my point. No very few non-foiling moths but a few are around and, held by some keen owners and not that I follow it closely but nevertheless non-foiling Moths are obsolete in the foiling class as we know it today as I understand it. intmothlowriders.org That doesn't make an RS14, Laser, 29er, Sharpie or a VX One less popular on the contrary probably these non-foilers are even more popular than foiling classes. They are different classes. It is good to get a competition between foiling and non-foiling going as here in the PWA and they are learning what works. It is a bit like Formula 1, you cannot drive a Formula 1 to go shopping or as a daily driver. Not many people would foil or want to foil in 20 plus knots...but this is PWA. Hence Goyard wins congratulations with his tweaked gear and sailing prowess and he seemed to accelerate and exit out of the gybe marks with speed leading the race as the rest of the finned pack gets stuck behind.

People foil, for fun, in 20kts all the time.

If anything foiling offers a stronger connection to recreational sailors and even the non-sailing public than PWA slalom ever has.