Foiling behind a boat

Last post
nitro's picture
nitro
Offline
Joined: 08/26/2003 - 15:07
Posts: 484
Foiling behind a boat

Chuck Hardin and I were thinking about taking my foil gear and pulling it (slowly) behind a ski boat to practice just getting a feel for the foil. Has anyone tried this on a windsurfing foil board? I know we will have stand in the center line of the board, but wondering if anyone thinks this is a really bad idea?

Also, Chuck has been in contact with some wing foilers down in Jacksonville that are killing it right now (anyone remember Dasher from windsurfing magazine in the 90s and 2000s? He is leading the charge down there). Chuck is seriously thinking about joining in. Local wing surfers might want to check out that scene.

0 Like
Langdon
Offline
Joined: 04/19/2016 - 18:03
Posts: 1400
Re: Foiling behind a boat

I think you and most of the rest of us need a trip to the coast where there is actually wind.
You can ask Gene and William I literally "dropped anchor" this past Friday at Van Pugh for about 30 mins...Zero wind... The good news is I gave 3 jetskiers a buoy to turn around.
I am guessing foiling behind a boat would be ok but very different from windfoiling.
If you wanted to get the boat to pull you up and then drop line and foil the boat wake might be interesting... at least for me.

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat

I don't think it's any easier because the sail in hand adds to the stability. I was thinking about this today coming out of a super light wind jibe, moving my feet on the board and realizing how much having a third leg (the sail mast base) helped in being able to keep the board level. Of course, any time on a foil is good time so go ahead and give it a go.

However something to keep in mind if you: you must be very mindful of the foil. I'd urge wearing a helmet and impact jacket. Unlike windfoiling, there's very little nothing to prevent you from falling on the foil if you start to fall on top of it. If you start to fall, don't try to save it - I saw this tip by Dave Kalama on a foil surf video. If you start to go off, go ahead and fall away from the foil.

Also, the take off speed for something like the i76 is about 7-9 mph. Remind your driver of that before they push the throttle to the wall. Biggrin

Here's Alex Morales testing his surf foil (the one I was riding this morning)

Dave Kalama

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat

Another thing - Langdon and I know Eduardo, a very good windfoiler, who lives in Jax. We've met him down in Clearwater. If you or Chuck go down, take the windfoil gear and go out with him, if you can. He's very nice and I'm sure would be someone who could be very helpful. Let us know if you need contact info.

0 Like
nitro's picture
nitro
Offline
Joined: 08/26/2003 - 15:07
Posts: 484
Re: Foiling behind a boat

Good advice guys.

Webguy, is Eduardo a wing-foiler? Chuck is specifically looking to do the wing-foiling thing (as much as we both think it looks silly).

0 Like
Randy's picture
Randy
Offline
Joined: 05/05/2002 - 10:38
Posts: 4656
Re: Foiling behind a boat

I thought someone around here actually did go out and get towed behind a boat with his foil for practice.

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

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat

Richard and Sam Genet have. It's a bigger deal in the kite world.

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat
nitro wrote:

Good advice guys.

Webguy, is Eduardo a wing-foiler? Chuck is specifically looking to do the wing-foiling thing (as much as we both think it looks silly).

Wind. I mentioned it because you may know someone with a windfoil. Just a rumor, of course. Biggrin He may wing, too. No idea about that.
I think Dasher took this if Eduardo and Tim K.

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat

Very relevant. Apparently takes 2 hp to get up. Lol He does confirm what I said about windfoiling and the virtue of having a sail to help steady things. Perhaps we can use his "upwind start" method to train future wingers?

0 Like
Randy's picture
Randy
Offline
Joined: 05/05/2002 - 10:38
Posts: 4656
Re: Foiling behind a boat

Here's what I don't get. It seems to require about 10 mph of board speed to get the board above the water with my biggest wing. Hard for me to see how one or even 2 guys can pull a guy on a board that fast. So he may be more efficient than me, and maybe has a better board, but at some point it seems the sail is a big impediment to getting the board up. That seems equally hard to believe but the sail is perhaps pushing the nose down. Of course, it's probably just that I suck (and I really sucked bad on 11-2, for whatever reason.)

Last fall I was trying out the Dashware software. Here's a video from Old Fed on Nov 2. It tracks my speed instant by instant and seems like just staying aloft requires 10 mph, so it would seem getting aloft takes more (the same as it takes more power to get planing than to stay planing.) I had some trouble figuring out the Dashware, so most of the time the speed dial is upside down, but still can be read.

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

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat

You can definitely foil slower. You are planing before you come out of the water. With a little practice, you can foil before planing. For example, at 1:02 - you could be out of the water already. This was a day when it was okay breezy so I was a bit lazy pumping: https://youtu.be/80MTt1QC1SI?t=152 I pretty much go from displacement to up in the air. I was on the 1000cm2 wing that day. Wingding boards go pretty much from displacement to foiling, too. They hardly have enough volume to plane in lighter winds.

My surf foil is designed to foil at 8 mph but it will definitely go lower. Coming out of jibes, it seems it will stay up for a bit down to 5 or 6. I'd bet that the AFS foil Ben is using will foil about 7-8 if not slower. I don't think he's that big of guy having once campaigned IMCOs (almost qualified '00).

If you raised the boom about an inch or two and bagged off the outhaul, I think you would have found it easier to fly the day of the video. At around 1:33 and 1:47, it looks like you still have a lot of weight on the front foot and it's difficult to get the board free of the water. Raising the boom will take a bit of pressure off the front foot; and the outhaul will both power the sail up and relax the leach (more twist) so the sail can breathe better as it accelerates.

A lot of this just comes with practice. I think you are doing great. I envy how easily you and the rest of the second generation picked it up.

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat

I was watching parts of the Remi Villa (Starboard designer) interview on youtube about iQfoil and he mentioned that the Starboard surf foils will fly at around 5 kts board speed.

https://youtu.be/zyoycM6J4cI?t=575

0 Like
webguy's picture
webguy
Offline
Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
Posts: 13785
Re: Foiling behind a boat

part 2

0 Like
Randy's picture
Randy
Offline
Joined: 05/05/2002 - 10:38
Posts: 4656
Re: Foiling behind a boat

If you think you can handle opening a box, and inflating a wing, you can skip ahead past the first five minutes. He does make it look easy after the first few spills.

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

0 Like
arrogantj's picture
arrogantj
Offline
Joined: 01/24/2012 - 14:11
Posts: 1053
Re: Foiling behind a boat
Randy wrote:

If you think you can handle opening a box, and inflating a wing, you can skip ahead past the first five minutes. ....

Yeah, I better watch the whole thing. Blush

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

0 Like