How to Learn Wingfoiling and Refining The Ride

Hey Paul, where have you been?  Working hard, sailing as often as possible, and making the most of summer.

Paul doing a fly by of Katrina in Nantucket Harbor.

I love this time of year in New England, days are long, water is warm, and sea breeze against the ebb can be so much fun. 

We are lucky to only have a five minutes drive to our beautiful town park, with excellent water access.  This time of year no wet suit, just light gear with padding in the right spots. We are also traveling on Pierre and Katrina going to new destinations for wing foiling.

This winter we had 15 days of wing foiling which was a real gift.  This helped us progress a step further in our learning curve.

Carol doing a fly by of Katrina in Nantucket Harbor

The Progression:

One day in Key Largo the breeze was up 15-24 kts and some fun chop.  I dropped down my front foil size from our Armstrong CF (Carving Freeride) 2400 front foil, to the new 2050 front foil.  Armstrong is doing the hard work so you can enjoy your foil time.  Once we both sailed on the 2050 CF we sold our 2400 foils.

This type of progression will help you get through the beginner stages and learn quickly.  But only once you are up, foiling and consistently foil jibing, then you can start going to smaller foils, but not before consistently jibing.  

I know there is lots of talk that you need to go smaller on the foils.  That is true, but not for beginners, you want to learn to foil, and foil jibe consistently first, on a bigger board, and bigger foil to help you progress faster.

Carol and Paul rigging in Katrina cockpit in Nantucket

We have noticed this with our local group.  Some are good sailors and started wing foiling on other manufactures gear.  They struggled and once they gave the 2400 foil a try, or now the 2050 they hopped right up.  Now over a year in they are foiling and learning their foil jibes.  We love helping others in the learning curve. So much fun to pass on the passion.

Big board, big foil is the smart way to learn foiling, not going out and crash, crash, and get frustrated, using a small front foil, and board, delaying learning foiling and more so learning to jibe.  Same thing happened for years in the windsurf and windfoil industry.  They offer big boards and foils for a reason.

Ok, so we sold our Armstrong 2400 foils and moving down in size to the Armstrong CF V2 2050 and now the Armstrong CF V2 1600. 

Our first rides on the 2050 was fun but took a few runs to get use to the extra speed and not as much stability.  Since we were both foil jibing in all conditions over 95% of the time it was a nice move. 

The CF 1600, V2 is one more step down in the Armstrong CF line. I had only used this once last fall and looked forward to windier days.  It is faster, can carve jibes tighter, and is sooo smooth just like the 2050.  The new thinner T/C has better glide, similar aspect ratio, and control.  Every time I sail this foil I thank Arnie Armstrong for such a well designed free ride foil. I have always used free ride gear except when I was racing Formula windsurf boards. It is just the style of sailing I love.

Now Carol has tried the CF 1600 V2, and we both love it and have sold the 2050s. We are now only foiling with the CF V2 1600.  And looking at the CF V2 1200 to add soon.

Launching off Katrina in Nantucket

Also we have been learning and changing tail foil size from the CF300 to the HS232 V2, and now the Flow 235.  Armstrong has set up this progression in the tail foils so you take the right steps. Each one is a little faster on the turns and a little faster in straight line.  And you keep feeling the better glide.  But again don’t do this until you consistently jibe in both directions, or you will just get frustrated, the system is easy to follow.

Another change is we both added a +.5 degree shim to the tail.  The tail foils are stock on the fuselage at, -1 degree.  So making the changing to -.5 degrees is a huge difference in feel.  The board ride is looser which gives you more freedom.  The turns are quicker if you like, and better glide.  And the pitching is not as fast. Great how you can tune your gear to your style.  But I will emphasize this again it is after you consistently foil jibe, not before. I guess I made that point.

For wings we have added the F-One Strike V2 CWC 6.0 for my light air wing.  Wow, what great useable power getting me flying in 9 kts doing 14 kts.  Carol now has a new light air wing, the Armstrong A-Wing 5.5, V2.  

Also we added the new Armstrong XPS 5.3 and 4.6 to the kit.  These wings are next level and it is about time the industry uses what the sailing industry has developed for decades.  They have a stiff canopy, very narrow groove, faster, and are an upwind dream.  But you give up a bit in low end grunt.  That is fine when you know how to pump the wing/board combo to get out of the water.  And these wings can handle being over powered well.

Coming in for a landing after a great session in Nantucket

With a sport that is developing so fast, it is smart to buy great gear.  Going for the cheap full setup kit to see if you will like it, I think is a bad move.  Instead, take lessons from a qualified school, such as Real Water Sports, on the outer banks.  They are dialed in.  Then you will learn if you like it or not.  And if you do Real Water Sports is a first class one stop shop.  We buy all of our gear from them except F-One wings which they don’t sell.

Paul and Nick Newman sailing home from Nantucket. Photo by Carol Newman Cronin

If you are into sailing and like to be challenged give wing foiling a try.  It brings you back to the raw love of sailing and reminds me of the freedom I had as a kid in my first Sea Shell 8’ pram, at 6 years old. Being on the water, sailing, foiling, having fun with friends, there is nothing better.  A healthy discussion is going on in our sport, less racing, more sailing for the love of sailing, and especially for the kids.

Have Fun, See you soon, Paul

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