Best Foilglide 3 setup for low wind performance

I'm using the Glide 2 - 7m?.

The differences compared to the Glide 3 are small, but slightly in favor of the Glide 3.

When the wind is light, around 8-12 knots, I set the downhaul -1cm and the outhaul -3cm, so that the sail touches the boom during stronger gusts. This setup works for both upwind and downwind. If I set the downhaul to 0, it performs better on crosswind. In both cases, I use the top clew eyelet. In stronger wind, 16-25 knots, to avoid catapults, I give it +1 on the downhaul and 0 to +1 on the outhaul, and I choose the lower clew eyelet.

For wind between 12-20 knots, I rig it more or less as recommended by the manufacturer. Depending on the wind, I also adjust my stance and position. Pumping in light wind also depends on sail tuning. If the downhaul is looser, the sail pulls more with the left hand; if you tighten it, it pulls more with the right. It also depends on whether you're pumping upwind or downwind, and which technique is most comfortable for you. I use 4 to 6 different pumping techniques, and each works better with slightly different sail settings :)

The Glide 3 has a looser leech than the Glide 2 - that's one of its new features.

I'm sharing a video of me riding it, there's some pumping involved, although I can't really explain which techniques work best for specific sail settings. I'd probably have to make a video someday showing what works for me - it's a pretty complex topic. Also, I sail on inland waters, where the wind is really gusty and can suddenly jump from 10 to 30 knots in just a few seconds - usually when the trees on the shore end. So I rarely get a chance to rest.

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snowsurf said..
Will try the W1100 (2100cm2, 5.7 AR) - although risking overpowering that wing with the 7m sail - and the W950 (1350cm2, 6.7 AR).

Several friends who started out on the 1100 rarely use it anymore once getting the 950. Slow and you end up fighting the lift once powered up. Unless you are heavier, or in super light wind, I think odds are the 950 will be your go to.

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snowsurf said..
Thanks for the comprehensive description - and nice video supplement!

I believe that I had more than 2 cm span on my downhaul adjustments during rigging - meaning that I probably ended up way more than -1 cm on the downhaul, but likely not more than -3 on the outhaul. I did feel that I had OK low-end grunt (just wanted a bit more) and it was pretty good when pumping.

I will be more conscious on the centimeters while playing with the adjustments next time.

I was using the Sabfoil W1110 front wing (1180 cm2, 10.4 AR) - great glider, but maybe wanting more speed than the 8kn wind (forecasted with some light gusts). I might have been too optimistic regarding the "planing" limit of the W1110. Will try the W1100 (2100cm2, 5.7 AR) - although risking overpowering that wing with the 7m sail - and the W950 (1350cm2, 6.7 AR).

The larger the wing, the lower the board speed needed for takeoff.
With the Patrik 900 AIO, I need about 14 km/h to lift off, starting from a minimum displacement speed of 6.5 km/h. At that point, acceleration to 25-32 km/h is easy, though short tacks (~500 m) limit top speed (Vmax). Pumping at lower speeds can be intense, but if I reach 7.5 km/h, pumping becomes moderate and possible with a harness. At 8.5 km/h, I can lift off just by leaning forward.
With the SB SuperCruiser and its 1700 cm? wing, lift-off requires at least 5.5 km/h. Around 10 km/h, foiling is achievable, but pumping in light wind can be exhausting and not always effective. The sail must be fully filled with wind, making large pumps necessary. The W1100 wing allows takeoff around 9 km/h but creates significant drag, requiring steady wind and limiting apparent wind generation. Personally, I find the 900 cm? wing easier to manage overall. Pumping is harder and takes 2-3 times longer than with a 1700 cm? wing, especially on a 91 cm wide slalom board, but once airborne, low drag and good apparent wind let me stay foiling longer, even when the wind drops. In contrast, large wings tend to drop quickly without constant wind.

In my opinion, the best setups are:

1. Big front wing (1300-2000 cm?), small sail (5-3 m?), strong and consistent wind (20+ knots) - Great for tricks and maneuverability. Ideal with a smaller board (120-100 L).

2. Small front wing (650-1000 cm?), big sail (9-7 m?), large board (200-160 L) - Best for speed and long-distance cruising. This combo allows for efficient sailing and maintaining high speeds over time.


Mixing setups like a 1700 cm? front wing, 7 m? sail, and a small board (around 115 L) - of course I've tested it - is really tricky.

In light wind, pumping becomes difficult because of small board.
In stronger wind, once the speed goes above 25 km/h, the setup becomes unstable - it's very easy to unintentionally jump out of the water, which makes control harder.

So overall, this kind of mixed setup is not very forgiving and demands a lot from the rider in both light and strong wind conditions.

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AUS 808 said..

snowsurf said..
I just got a Foilglide 3 (7m) and saw that I could adjust both downhaul and outhaul a lot without "falling apart ". I could not tighten the leech fully with the downhaul settings that I used. This made me curious.

What is your best working low wind setup (downhaul & outhaul) with Foilglide 3 (ideally 7m)? I want max low wind performance, speed, pumpability. getting most easily up on the foil.

I find that regardless of the wind I always rig the same downhaul & outhaul, just choose the right sail size but I might put on a bit of outhaul if the wind picks up. I find I can pump onto the foil with full downhaul & the sail feels better at speed. Every time I've tried a tight Leech the sail feels crap at speed.
The sails are cambered & seem to work best when rigged to specifications.
Maybe it's just how I used to windsurf but it worked then too.

Foil sails pull more from the front and require a different setup than traditional windsurfing sails. On a foil, it's easier to head upwind and sail downwind with an open sail, so a very loose leech and excessive twist don't always work well. Sail tuning has a much more noticeable effect here than in classic windsurfing.

Ideally, of course, it's best to use a smaller sail, but if you don't have one, you can tune something like a 7 m? Glide to behave more like an 8 m? or even a 6 m?, depending on how you set it up.

Of course, a loose leech performs better at high speeds but also in stronger winds. However, foiling is generally a light-wind discipline, so sails are designed for lighter rather than stronger winds - meaning they have less twist and a tighter leech overall.