The particularly favourable foil is supplied in a suitably large bag with many intermediate layers. The main wing is in a separate cover, which can also remain on the mounted foil. The back wing hardly needs this for self-protection as it is mounted on top of the fuselage. The tips of the back wing are slightly curved upwards and quite pointed. The trailing edge of the mast looks quite sharp for a freeride foil. Fitting the foil is quick and easy with a manageable number of screws. The tuttle head is also screwed to the mast as an adapter. The foil must be removed from the board to check this screw connection. All screws are neatly stored in a small plastic box.
On the water
The Hy-Foil (tested in the JP-Australia FreeFoil 130) marks the transition from sporty freeriding to freerace. In the take-off phase, it requires only slightly more speed than the Starboard SuperFlyer. As soon as it is flying, it assumes a fairly stable flying position, at least it can be kept well under control with active support from the feet. Although it doesn't quite offer the inherent stability of a SuperFlyer or RedWing, it feels very fast even in the lightest of breezes, is easy to edge upwind and glides endlessly in wind holes. You can also expect very similar characteristics in the jibe: you can whiz in with a lot of speed and a sail in front of you like in a race jibe or make tight turns. The foil is very manoeuvrable and makes all radii quite playful, but it also needs to be steered a little more cleanly, otherwise it reacts quite quickly to load changes. The 1300 square centimetres of surface area carry it long and far through the jibe, the foil mast is long enough for dry turns at 83 centimetres. Especially foil freeriders with some foil experience should have a lot of fun with the GunSails Foil.
Surf summary of the GunSails Hy-Foil Free 1350
With the Hy-Foil Free, GunSails has an attractive offer in terms of price and performance. The connections do not appear quite as elaborate and sophisticated as with some other foils, but on the water the foil can convince the sporty freerider with good performance and still quite tame flying characteristics.
Price, sporty feeling, speed, jibing
Surf a little more sensitively
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Technical data GunSails Hy-Foil Free 1350
- Weight: 6.02 kilos*
- Foil mast: 82 cm*
- Fuselage: 95.5 cm*
- Front wing: 104 cm*
- Stabiliser: 48 cm
- Price: 879 Euro
- Info: gunsails.com
*surf measurement
