Test 2019: Foils 2.0
The season has only just begun when brand new products are already appearing on the scene, at least in the foil sector. The innovation cycles are still short and the market shares are not yet distributed. In addition to early innovators such as Starboard, who are already pushing the 3rd or 4th generation of foils onto the runway, the initial foil waverers are also jumping on the increasingly fast-moving and unstoppable bandwagon. The experimental phase is over and anyone who buys a foil today usually gets a product that at least works properly. However, it is now also clear that if you really want to foil regularly, there is no getting round a proper foil board. Special rail shapes in the front area and a voluminous, more curved nose effectively limit the damage caused by unintentional abrupt landings. Quite parallel outlines enable a balanced trim with a relaxed stance and wide tails provide sufficient leverage for stable control over the foil. A great side effect is the short packing dimensions, so an RRD Compact with an absolute length of just 1.80 metres fits easily behind the passenger seat in almost any estate car. The Starboard Foil 111 has just the necessary minimum width, looks very small and compact, a very successful, compact combination for lighter surfers with not too large sails up to around seven square metres. The Fanatic platform is comparatively large - but also very easy to launch.
You can find the entire test with all the overview tables, data and grades as a PDF in the download area below:
- Naish Hover 125 and Naish WS 1150 Foil Complete
- Naish Micro Hover 131 and Naish WS 1150 Foil Complete
- Fanatic Stingray 140 LTD and Fanatic Flow 1250
- I-99 Duo Wind Elite 129
- Starboard Foil 111 Flax Balsa and Starboard SuperCruiser Carbon
- Tabou Air Ride 81 LTD and Ga-Sails Mach 1
- RRD Pocket Rocket 180 E-Tech and RRD WH Flight 85 Alu V2
Stiff masts
Most manufacturers have focussed on 85 mm masts - at least in the freeride and freerace classes. This provides sufficient altitude and reserves for higher chop without the disadvantages of very long masts. The longer the mast, the more difficult - and expensive - it becomes to achieve a really stiff construction and long masts require correspondingly wide boards. In racing, such set-ups do make the decisive difference on the upwind course - but you quickly end up with boards in Formula dimensions again - which many people want to sail around elegantly with the foil. And in terms of upwind performance, all tested foil combos are superior to comparable boards with fins. All aluminium masts proved to be absolutely sufficiently stiff - carbon masts, as on Starboard, appear light and elegant, but usually also drive up the price.
Sharp parts
Sharp parts - what can be meant as an admiring compliment is often double-edged when it comes to foils. The razor-sharp trailing edges on GA Sails foils are certainly performance-optimised, as on high-end racing fins, but they are also injury-prone and very susceptible to damage. The slightest contact with the trailing edge is enough for a visit to the workshop. The Fanatic foil, on the other hand, looks like an armoured battleship, certainly heavier - which is hardly noticeable when foiling - but extremely solidly dimensioned.
Cool features
Naish relies on tool-free assembly. The base plate is attached to the board in the US boxes with four screws, the foil is then inserted into the rails of this plate and fixed in place with just one wing screw. However, with the screws of the base plate fully tightened, the system of our test board could not be operated without slightly loosening the four screws. Because the foil flies, the underside of the board is not quite so important, RRD has simply fitted a SUP handle in front of the fin box. This means that one of the last foil problems - the unwieldy handling when carrying all the equipment - has finally been literally tackled.
