Sebastian Kornum on Foils

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Sebastian Kornum on Foils

Everything you wanted to know about the latest F4/Pryde foils and Pryde/JP boards. If you are at all interested in this, well worth the time.

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

sylt race https://livestream.com/accounts/9351246/events/6423750/videos/137505622 at 05:38 (Race goes off at 05:50) Antoine Albeau interview at 06:04
Times not exact

Edit: More
https://livestream.com/accounts/9351246/events/6423750/videos/137826595
05:58 Discussion 06:39 Race start
06:50 Albeau interview

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

Do you know if foils have raced against conventional boards in any competitions? Are they competitive, way better or worse? Or do they just race in their own classes?

What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

From what I've read/seen, foils are slower at this point at the top end. However, as Albeau points out in the second interview, foils plane in significantly less wind so a) they would be faster if conditions are such that a conventional board might fall off a plane (see: Racing on Lake Lanier) and b) the PWA could run events in conditions where they can't now or more consistently. The first foil race above was in conditions that would not have supported a normal PWA slalom race.

I also say "at this point" because the development of foils is still pretty early in regards to windsurfing. While the dynamics of the foil itself are pretty well understood, Kornum's description of board design issues - both reducing the effects of touchdown and mast base pressure torquing the board the wrong way for going upwind - which still have a lot of room for improvement.

That foils allow the PWA or any other event organizer to hold a "planing" event more dependably means that we'll likely see a ton of resources go into foils. This was the same impetus for Formula boards but had the unintended consequence of 12.5 meter sails. Prior to Formula racing, far too many events never left the beach because of the lack of wind and sponsors were leaving the sport in droves. For those of you who didn't watch the video feeds, Sylt was sponsored by Mercedes Benz - not shabby.

tl;dr They are slower in a straight line but a) it's early yet - they and their boards haven't been heavily developed; and b) they can race in lower wind which means they aren't as condition dependent as conventional boards.

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Marek
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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

I understand that the sport (as anything) always moves forward and new designs/inventions make the impossible possible. There is surely a whole new dynamic and experience that foils bring, "flying over the water", "low wind", etc.

At the same time I cant help but wonder if the sport is progressing in such a way that it makes it harder and harder for the average guy to get into it. We all used to be happy with one board, a one piece mast, and two sails. Now it takes a trailer and a small fortune to feel like we can take advantage of any possible day of windsurfing.

I was in Hatteras for a weekend with Trey two week ago and sailed on a $200 second hand board and ten dollar swap meet 4.7 sail and had the time of my life.

I'm not knocking foils, but rather thinking about the fact that a bit of real wind is what we really could use to put a smile on our faces.

Marek

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils
Marek wrote:

At the same time I cant help but wonder if the sport is progressing in such a way that it makes it harder and harder for the average guy to get into it. We all used to be happy with one board, a one piece mast, and two sails. Now it takes a trailer and a small fortune to feel like we can take advantage of any possible day of windsurfing.

This has been an issue since someone realized that the original Windsurfer sucked in breezy weather. Boards acquired foot straps, became shorter, lost the daggerboard and the boom grew harness lines. The genie is out of the bottle and we can't put it back any more than we can unscramble an omelet.

It's not only that the boards perform in low wind but that it requires 1 to 2 sail sizes less to do it. It actually reduces the rig requirements at the expensive end of the scale. If 7.5 was your max before, a 6.5 is now enough. The 7.8s in the video are in place of 9.5s.

Yeah, it's harder now but as this gets figured out, things will get better and easier. Remember when a 138 liter 59 cm wide board was a "giant slalom"? * I think a 170 liter 90 cm board and a foil would be an improvement for a lot of big sailors. Sure, it's a learning curve but now you have a reason to go on light days and feel challenged. Biggrin

--- The Arrogant Jerk: Crabby and irritable since 1998.

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

It will get a lot easier. If somebody that knew what I know now, could have spent 20 minutes with me in the beginning, I could have been foiling in 1/10th the time it's taken.

A couple of moments that sealed the deal for me– the first time it got quiet, then later, realizing "oh I do hear something" – the sound of air moving over the sail, also, coming up on a Maytag moment of boat chop and just juking up on the foil to fly quietly over it... pretty cool Shok

For speed, I think it'll take a long time to beat a well set-up regular board with a foil. All that foil lift comes at a price- drag.

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

Wave riding foil with canard set-up. Lifting wing in back, stabilizer forward–

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils
FoilMan wrote:

Wave riding foil with canard set-up. Lifting wing in back, stabilizer forward–

Canards are so... 1903 (pic below). Does look like he's using a pretty small kite, 5-7m?

Aluminum + G10 reduces the number of pints of blood that I'd have to sell substantially over a carbon foil.

The great part about someone surfkiting with a foil is that it's easier to know where the sandbar is. Shok

--- The Arrogant Jerk: Crabby and irritable since 1998.

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

Check out the Zeeko video about their windfoil:

Looks like a conventional foil for production this spring.

The owner of Zeeko has been kiting for 20 years having dropped windsurfing in 1997. He can't get enough of the windfoil.

For the one board, not many sails crowd, long boards live on: http://www.star-board.com/wp/?p=28728

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

For those of you who don't have the coin for an all carbon foil

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Magic-Carpet-Windsurfing-Hydrofoil-Foil-only-/252666642651
$599 plus shipping

The erector set of foils?

--- The Arrogant Jerk: Crabby and irritable since 1998.

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Re: Sebastian Kornum on Foils

Miami by foil

Honey, load the car. We're driving south.

Board is by a Miami local. When I win the lottery, I'm buying one.

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