Out NOW: Cabrinha Union Foil System - Mike's Lab Colab
Check this interview with Cabrinha at AWSI Expo back in September.
Brendan Healy from Cabrinha introduces the all new Union foil system at the 2025 AWSI trade show. The system features high-performance, modular components including three high-aspect front wings (760, 905, 1150), three monoblock tail wings, and two mast options in Apex and Standard constructions. Designed for efficiency, maneuverability, and ease of use, it uses a streamlined Mike's Lab connection system with just three bolts. The foils are quiet, intuitive, and versatile across multiple disciplines like winging, SUP, and prone foiling.
More interested in the other later coming foil called "Whippit" of the new range.
Do you also know more about that one?
Licensed from Mike, but not compatible with Mike's lab foils. It remains to be seen how the design works without Mike's attention to detail and quality of execution.
Mike is one smart cookie...
Select to expand quotejdfoils said..
Licensed from Mike, but not compatible with Mike's lab foils. It remains to be seen how the design works without Mike's attention to detail and quality of execution.
Mike is one smart cookie...
I've seen a pre production kit and it's a very nice connection. Seems we are at the point where legacy connection systems from some companies that are big and chunky might be holding back a bit of performance. Many brands are now morewilling to change systems to get this performance, others wanting to hang on to their current system so as to remain compatible and not upset customers. As customers tend to want to upgrade gear over time I think it's inevitable we will see more upgrades like this one by Cabrina. Well done i say for being willing to license the design from Mike's Lab.
On the Blue Planet website, Mike and his partner Stefano provide an indepth discussion of foil evolution, covering hydrodynamic efficiency, stability, and their approach on design of efficiency. While they are now collaborating with Cabrinha, it remains unclear whether their collaboration extends to detailed wing shape features such as aspect ratio, camber distribution, and leading edge profiles. It seems to focus on fuselage structure. The true benchmark will come once Cabrinha's foils are released and tested under recreational conditions, where rider feedback can validate design assumptions and highlight trade offs in lift, drag, and maneuverability.
Select to expand quoteSA_AL said..
On the Blue Planet website, Mike and his partner Stefano provide an indepth discussion of foil evolution, covering hydrodynamic efficiency, stability, and their approach on design of efficiency. While they are now collaborating with Cabrinha, it remains unclear whether their collaboration extends to detailed wing shape features such as aspect ratio, camber distribution, and leading edge profiles. It seems to focus on fuselage structure. The true benchmark will come once Cabrinha's foils are released and tested under recreational conditions, where rider feedback can validate design assumptions and highlight trade offs in lift, drag, and maneuverability.
I think its pretty clear from Cabrinha themselves that this foil does NOT have any input from Mike with regards to the actual foil itself. Solely limited to the connection.
Select to expand quoteVelocicraptor said..SA_AL said..
On the Blue Planet website, Mike and his partner Stefano provide an indepth discussion of foil evolution, covering hydrodynamic efficiency, stability, and their approach on design of efficiency. While they are now collaborating with Cabrinha, it remains unclear whether their collaboration extends to detailed wing shape features such as aspect ratio, camber distribution, and leading edge profiles. It seems to focus on fuselage structure. The true benchmark will come once Cabrinha's foils are released and tested under recreational conditions, where rider feedback can validate design assumptions and highlight trade offs in lift, drag, and maneuverability.
I think its pretty clear from Cabrinha themselves that this foil does NOT have any input from Mike with regards to the actual foil itself. Solely limited to the connection.
Funny, they can say that, but we can also look at it and see that that is not entirely true, lol.
Select to expand quoteOahuwaterwalker said..Velocicraptor said..SA_AL said..
On the Blue Planet website, Mike and his partner Stefano provide an indepth discussion of foil evolution, covering hydrodynamic efficiency, stability, and their approach on design of efficiency. While they are now collaborating with Cabrinha, it remains unclear whether their collaboration extends to detailed wing shape features such as aspect ratio, camber distribution, and leading edge profiles. It seems to focus on fuselage structure. The true benchmark will come once Cabrinha's foils are released and tested under recreational conditions, where rider feedback can validate design assumptions and highlight trade offs in lift, drag, and maneuverability.
I think its pretty clear from Cabrinha themselves that this foil does NOT have any input from Mike with regards to the actual foil itself. Solely limited to the connection.
Funny, they can say that, but we can also look at it and see that that is not entirely true, lol.
Well, most of the newer Mikes shapes released in the past few years have a very definitive "whale tail" outline. I don't see any of that in the Cabrinha shapes?
I understand that the license agreement is for the connection system only, no foil design IP is included.
I have F one and Cabrinha Union system and it is much cleaner than the F one or any other system that I have tried. The cleaner connection system is also felt in the water. I think it is worth taking the effort to make your system more hydrodynamic and I am sure that other companies will be making changes. Be interesting to what F One come up with in the next few months. It would be great if the foil connection was standardized from a consumer point of view too. Starboard foils for one have a system that others can use I believe.
Select to expand quotejohndg said..
I have F one and Cabrinha Union system and it is much cleaner than the F one or any other system that I have tried. The cleaner connection system is also felt in the water. I think it is worth taking the effort to make your system more hydrodynamic and I am sure that other companies will be making changes. Be interesting to what F One come up with in the next few months. It would be great if the foil connection was standardized from a consumer point of view too. Starboard foils for one have a system that others can use I believe.
I may have heard the Cabrinha chief saying that they briefly looked at and stopped considering the starboard foils universal connection system. I'm no foil design expert but that thing looks very clunky
Select to expand quotezarb said..Oahuwaterwalker said..Velocicraptor said..SA_AL said..
On the Blue Planet website, Mike and his partner Stefano provide an indepth discussion of foil evolution, covering hydrodynamic efficiency, stability, and their approach on design of efficiency. While they are now collaborating with Cabrinha, it remains unclear whether their collaboration extends to detailed wing shape features such as aspect ratio, camber distribution, and leading edge profiles. It seems to focus on fuselage structure. The true benchmark will come once Cabrinha's foils are released and tested under recreational conditions, where rider feedback can validate design assumptions and highlight trade offs in lift, drag, and maneuverability.
I think its pretty clear from Cabrinha themselves that this foil does NOT have any input from Mike with regards to the actual foil itself. Solely limited to the connection.
Funny, they can say that, but we can also look at it and see that that is not entirely true, lol.
Well, most of the newer Mikes shapes released in the past few years have a very definitive "whale tail" outline. I don't see any of that in the Cabrinha shapes?
Mikeslab designed the connection system but not the wings apparently! lol what a waste. Let's get a fiat with a Ferrari designed hood latch!
Select to expand quotejohndg said..
I have F one and Cabrinha Union system and it is much cleaner than the F one or any other system that I have tried. The cleaner connection system is also felt in the water. I think it is worth taking the effort to make your system more hydrodynamic and I am sure that other companies will be making changes. Be interesting to what F One come up with in the next few months. It would be great if the foil connection was standardized from a consumer point of view too. Starboard foils for one have a system that others can use I believe.
The irony is that F-One is transitioning to a system similar to what Cabrinha used to have - the mast plugs into the fuse. But the mast plug is vertically tapered, so maybe that will prevent the carbon wear issues that the old Cabrinha system had (mine became loose quite quickly).
I have Mikeslab foils, AFS foils (very similar mast fuse connection) and have had Axis and Unifoil (both use the mast into fuse connection).
The unifoil connection is incredible, it works like a tuttle box, in that the wedge shaped top of the mast gets tighter into the fuse during use.
It's the strongest I've ever used. The bolts can fall out and it makes no difference.
However the AFS and Mikeslab connection is much more streamlined and (after 3yrs of hundreds of sessions) definitely strong enough. Even with (3) M6 bolts on Mikeslab.
Mikeslab have had a variant of this connection since before 2020 on their early Bullet kitefoils, basically everyone else now using similar (duotone, afs, f-one, f4, cabrinha etc) have copied them, overtly or otherwise, mostly in the last 2 / 3 years.
So I would say unifoil has the strongest connection, but Mikeslab the most streamlined and the most tested.
What is amazing is that given the Mikeslab connection was out there pre 2020 is how awful other early foil connections were. Clearly not learning from the competition. Eg My 2021 Slingshot foils had a simple butt joint between mast and fuse.
Select to expand quotenormster said..
SLingshot have a new one lock system - no screws - looks interesting
I rode the Slinsghot system at a demo day a couple of months ago and there were larger gaps between the different parts than my other brand gear, and also a bit of play/wobble.. great to see innovation and I'll be keen to see if v2 has tighter tolerances, for now I prefer the tighter bolted system.
Select to expand quoter0d said..
I have Mikeslab foils, AFS foils (very similar mast fuse connection) and have had Axis and Unifoil (both use the mast into fuse connection).
The unifoil connection is incredible, it works like a tuttle box, in that the wedge shaped top of the mast gets tighter into the fuse during use.
It's the strongest I've ever used. The bolts can fall out and it makes no difference.
That's pretty much the new F-One system. But the new "fuse" is no wider than the old system. It is taller, however.
F-One's new system is out officially.
www.f-one.world/news/foil/introducing-the-new-titan-2-connection/
