I just got my first ever foil from the guys at Alpine foil in the French Alps...amazing piece of kit......Jumping into the deep end learning on a Slalom Race setup but I am assured it is super stable and very easy...we will see....one thing I know for sure....it will be fast!!
Looks nice. What's going on with the Deep Tuttle head? Looks like there's an extra angle where the head would meet the underside of the board...
yeah, can you show it mounted to a board, the head flange looks like it will cause turbulance. And what are the specs on the foil, fuse length, and wing/stab?
That's only part of the head. It fits into a plate of which there are several so you can tune the mast angle
www.alpinefoil.com/en/kitefoil-windfoil-store/spare-parts/hull-plate-a1-carbon.html
Alpinefoil make a pretty well though out system. I'm a bit jealous myself, looks like nice kit.
Select to expand quotePaducah said..
That's only part of the head. It fits into a plate of which there are several so you can tune the mast angle
www.alpinefoil.com/en/kitefoil-windfoil-store/spare-parts/hull-plate-a1-carbon.html
Alpinefoil make a pretty well though out system. I'm a bit jealous myself, looks like nice kit.
Ok, well that is just really cool. So these adapters come in different angles to allow shimming from 0.1 to 1.5?. Excellent.
Smick looking piece of kit. I'm guessing around $3600 landed?
What does this bit do?
Select to expand quoteThanks for the questions guys.......just a discalimer here......I am going to be importing and distributing this brand..... these first2 foilsarefor me to 1) learn how to foil and 2)get familiar with the product.
OK..... I have not fitted the carbon mast to the board yet however my understanding is that you can use the mast without the spacer and this standard setup sets the angle at 0.75 degrees. You can opt to add the spacer which is reversable and sets the mast at either 0 or 1.5 degrees. I will fit it up and take some photos.
The insert in the bottom of the fuselage is a sacrificial anode for corrosion protection........I copied this from doctor google
What is the role of a sacrificial anode?
encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQb2jo__O2Ux2SG3eVisKUQ4W8tg8UQ7-RyTjzWx0UO&s
Sacrificial anodes are metals or alloys attached to the hull that have a more anodic, i.e. less noble, potential than steel when immersed in sea water. These anodes supply the cathodic protection current, but will be consumed in doing so and therefore require replacement for the protection to be maintained.
I would still rinse it in fresh water regularly.
This foil is the A1 Sport SL..so the Slalom Race setup. The mast is high modulaus carbon and 97 long....the fuselage is 105cm hoever with the tapered nose and tail the effective length is 100 cm. You can fit any wing you want....It comes standard with the Regatta 850 sq cm race wing however I opted for the 1100 cm sq for learning and get my 90 kilos flying earlier. The Course Race foil has a longer fuse and a slighter longer mast which is Ultra High Modulus.
Pricing.....I still need to finalise it but it will be similar to what Alpine have on the website converted to AUD. Even though the VAT is dropped there is GST and Duty to pay, a customs charge and freight...so works out pretty much the same as adding the Euro VAT. Once I get some time I will update my Atomicsurf website and get all the info up.
All I can say at this stage is an an Industrila designer I was attracted to the beautiful design which was why I contacted Alpinefoil about the possibility of representing them. All the research i did noted the high quality which encouraged me as well.
I just need to make up a pad for the front of the mast before my first attempt and for my personal protection to arrive....I am a bit nervous...
Select to expand quotemr love said..
sorry , I don't know why that came in as a quote, must be a setting?
I think some of the quotes from the website got pasted in, too. btw, you kind of are going skinny on the personal protection shown below aren't you?
I've removed mr. love's quote box so his previous full post is easy to read since there's a lot going on in it (protip: plain text editor can be helpful when the formatting gets screwy)
mr love said..
Thanks for the questions guys.......just a discalimer here......I am going to be importing and distributing this brand..... these first2 foilsarefor me to 1) learn how to foil and 2)get familiar with the product.
OK..... I have not fitted the carbon mast to the board yet however my understanding is that you can use the mast without the spacer and this standard setup sets the angle at 0.75 degrees. You can opt to add the spacer which is reversable and sets the mast at either 0 or 1.5 degrees. I will fit it up and take some photos.
The insert in the bottom of the fuselage is a sacrificial anode for corrosion protection........I copied this from doctor google
What is the role of a sacrificial anode?
encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQb2jo__O2Ux2SG3eVisKUQ4W8tg8UQ7-RyTjzWx0UO&s
Sacrificial anodes are metals or alloys attached to the hull that have a more anodic, i.e. less noble, potential than steel when immersed in sea water. These anodes supply the cathodic protection current, but will be consumed in doing so and therefore require replacement for the protection to be maintained.
I would still rinse it in fresh water regularly.
This foil is the A1 Sport SL..so the Slalom Race setup. The mast is high modulaus carbon and 97 long....the fuselage is 105cm hoever with the tapered nose and tail the effective length is 100 cm. You can fit any wing you want....It comes standard with the Regatta 850 sq cm race wing however I opted for the 1100 cm sq for learning and get my 90 kilos flying earlier. The Course Race foil has a longer fuse and a slighter longer mast which is Ultra High Modulus.
Pricing.....I still need to finalise it but it will be similar to what Alpine have on the website converted to AUD. Even though the VAT is dropped there is GST and Duty to pay, a customs charge and freight...so works out pretty much the same as adding the Euro VAT. Once I get some time I will update my Atomicsurf website and get all the info up.
All I can say at this stage is an an Industrila designer I was attracted to the beautiful design which was why I contacted Alpinefoil about the possibility of representing them. All the research i did noted the high quality which encouraged me as well.
I just need to make up a pad for the front of the mast before my first attempt and for my personal protection to arrive....I am a bit nervous...
Select to expand quotemr love said..
I just got my first ever foil from the guys at Alpine foil in the French Alps...amazing piece of kit......Jumping into the deep end learning on a Slalom Race setup but I am assured it is super stable and very easy...we will see....one thing I know for sure....it will be fast!!
How long is that fuselage? just curious.
I started foiling with a Slingshot infinity 84 (very low aspect ratio) and a year or so later I moved to the IQFoil (high aspect ratio race foil). I think the race foil is more stable and overall easier to use. Yes, it is faster but you have more control. Sailing at 18 knots in the infinity 84 felt like I were about to die whereas the race setup you can go 22-23 knots and it feels totally under control (I think the length of the fuselage is key here but even with the 95 cm fuselage everything felt stable).
Interestingly, some manufactures consider their race foils and race foil boards as user friendly (look at the Starboard catalog), something that you would have never heard of for let's say, full-on speed or slaloms boards.
Have fun!
Hi Willy Wind..the fuse is 105 but has an overhang front and rear so front of wing to rear of stab is 100 cm. Yep the Alpine foil guys said the this setup is really stable and easy to learn on.
Ah sacrificial anode, nice. And the flange at the base of the mast is also a great idea.
The French sure do make some good looking foils.
Sorry for the delay...I have finally got to putting the carbon mast in the board. Fitted straight in to the deep tuttle on the Stingray, no sanding required. It seats on the front and rear edges just like a deep tuttle fin and the tapered flange sits just proud of the bottom of the board. With this standard setup it is 0.8 degree rake then you can add the spacer to go O.1 degree or 1.5 degree.
I will need to make some slightly tapered washers as the bolts are on a slight angle relative to the boards deck.
just a question...would ypu bother putting blank plates in the US boxes or not?
Thanks
Nice looking gear, Martin.
Just remember: As you go over the front, hang on to the boom!
Well after seamingly ages I finally got out for my very first ever foiling session yesterday. It was really a bit windy being 15 to 20 with some bigger gusts but the water was pretty flat and I was busting to try it. Rigged a 5.8 KA Kross and hit the water.
So foot in the front strap....mmmm there is plenty of wind.....sheet in ......whamo straight out and straight up into a breach and consequent ejection!! Geez you are pretty high up on a 97 mast!. So better be a bit more tentative with the power.
From then on I had an awesome time getting it up and trying to keep it level and not fly too high then put it back down. Lots of crashes but I did manage some pretty good flights of a few hundred meters. The biggest problem was that it was a bit windy and if I sheeted in I had too much power.....so I was feathering the sail which was distracting me fom concentrating on the flying but I am stoked that I could sort of do it on my first go.
So in my opinion the guys at Alpinefoil were spot on telling me I could learn on such high performance gear. I have nothing to compare with but it felt really well balanced and stable...I had no issue with pitching at all, there was a bit of roll but that was me doing the windsurf thing and weighting the rail. Its super smooth and silent and ...FAST...yep even though I was a complete goof I could feel the speed potential, this thing will fly.
I know it is a really well designed, quality piece of equipment.
So I am hooked and instead of looking for 25 knots on the forecast I am now looking for 12 to 15. I am so determined to master this as fast as I can. So much fun learning something new at my age!!.
I am glad you had a successful first session. You will notice that you will progress quite fast! Don't get too concerned about using the straps and harness; during the first sessions you will moving all over the place until you know (and you can feel) where to stand, balance,etc.
also, there is nothing wrong with sheeting out when things get out of control. You can do other things but unlike finning, where loosing mast foot pressure makes you get out of a plane, in foiling you can still foiling with the sail opened
Select to expand quotemr love said..
Well after seamingly ages I finally got out for my very first ever foiling session yesterday. It was really a bit windy being 15 to 20 with some bigger gusts but the water was pretty flat and I was busting to try it. Rigged a 5.8 KA Kross and hit the water.
So foot in the front strap....mmmm there is plenty of wind.....sheet in ......whamo straight out and straight up into a breach and consequent ejection!! Geez you are pretty high up on a 97 mast!. So better be a bit more tentative with the power.
From then on I had an awesome time getting it up and trying to keep it level and not fly too high then put it back down. Lots of crashes but I did manage some pretty good flights of a few hundred meters. The biggest problem was that it was a bit windy and if I sheeted in I had too much power.....so I was feathering the sail which was distracting me fom concentrating on the flying but I am stoked that I could sort of do it on my first go.
So in my opinion the guys at Alpinefoil were spot on telling me I could learn on such high performance gear. I have nothing to compare with but it felt really well balanced and stable...I had no issue with pitching at all, there was a bit of roll but that was me doing the windsurf thing and weighting the rail. Its super smooth and silent and ...FAST...yep even though I was a complete goof I could feel the speed potential, this thing will fly.
I know it is a really well designed, quality piece of equipment.
So I am hooked and instead of looking for 25 knots on the forecast I am now looking for 12 to 15. I am so determined to master this as fast as I can. So much fun learning something new at my age!!.
Nice going - how amazing did those first flights feel ?? 
Select to expand quoteazymuth said..mr love said..
...I am now looking for 12 to 15. I am so determined to master this as fast as I can. So much fun learning something new at my age!!.
Nice going - how amazing did those first flights feel ??
As asymuth said, for so many of us, that first moment of silence perched above the water is absolutely spellbinding.
And, yes, you'll never look at a 12 to 15 day the same way again.
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. We all enjoy seeing someone get that first spark and having so much fun. 
You'll find in a gust you can sheet in and head up rather than feathering. Doesn't work as well with a big surfy wing, but on a racy foil well....
Congrats!!
It is a cool sensation for sure. At 140lbs 5.3 is too much sail for me >15 kts. 4.5 is my goto up to 20kts (brief gusts). 3.7 for anything higher.
I work hard upwind in the gusts like others advise. Also stand up straight, rear foot in the middle of the board and bear off on a broad reach (gotta get back down wind eventually ).
Second attempt today...unfortunately the wind pettered out but I got up a couple of times. I tried to keep my legs straighter today and it was way better, stopped the rolling side to side, infact to foil felt super stable and balanced. I just need to get natural at transfering the weight forward to bring it back down....i,ll get it. I feel like I am ready for the harness next time.
Good fun !
Great session today...I used the harness for the first time and found it way easier....and it makes the crashes way bigger!!! Starting to get it. Man this Alpine foil is so smooth and stable and I can really feel the speed potential, its just the height control that I haven't quite nailed....I think I am being too subtle getting the weight forward when it gets high...need to be a bit more aggressive.
A bit sore tonight, when you breach on long mast in the harness the water hurts!!
Awesome fun.
Select to expand quotemr love said..
Great session today...I used the harness for the first time and found it way easier....and it makes the crashes way bigger!!! Starting to get it. Man this Alpine foil is so smooth and stable and I can really feel the speed potential, its just the height control that I haven't quite nailed....I think I am being too subtle getting the weight forward when it gets high...need to be a bit more aggressive.
A bit sore tonight, when you breach on long mast in the harness the water hurts!!
Awesome fun.
Martin, persist with subtle movements, because being over agressive can result in a hard touch down. Rock your hips forward and backward to control height. Surprisingly, small movement of the hips works and after a while it becomes automatic and you do it without thinking.
Check out the following video from Jordi Vonk
www.riwmag.com/learn-to-foil-series2-6-episodi-con-jordy-vonk/?lang=en
For my 5th foil session ever yesterday I thought I would try the 1800 surf wing off the Alpinefoil Hawk wingfoil on my A1 Sport windfoil instead of the 1100 Regatta race wing. I wanted to slow things down a bit. Its cool that all the wings in the Alpinefoil range are interchangable.
The difference was really noticable.....even though it was so much bigger and thicker it did not really get up any earlier than the 1100 wing but once up the cruising speed was way lower. This meant for a learner like me I had more time to react and the slower speed was much less intimidating. I wasn't having any breaching issues as due to the slower speed it doesn't continue to generate lift as it goes faster like the race wing does. The pitch stability was just the same..the 100cm fuselage is super stable and even with the much shorter span of the front wing the roll stability was still fine...but when you do lean it over it really turns hard..I guess it is made for the surf!! I did notice that the center of effrt is further back on the wider chord so I had to move my mast track back a bit to stop it being as back footed, maybe I could have put a bit of possitive on the stab?
I will probably stay on this wing for a few more sessions, I felt I really progressed yesterday and it was all coming together. Once I get to the point where it's happening without me having to concentrate so much I will get back on the speedster !!! I had so much fun yesterday!!
