Game on for sure - just like on the boats a few years ago, one day the unthinkable/impossible suddenly becomes just another tool in the box.
He's using the wing foil tacking technique of raising the nose high so that when he moves his weight forward and steps around the mast he has time to get back into position before the board touches back down -- really impressive technique and timing -- he's set the bar high for all the other racers.
Check out Jonny Heineken's technique at the 4:14, 4:23 and 4:30 minute mark of this video:
Select to expand quoteberowne said..
Love to see a slow motion breakdown
H e
D i d
A
F o i l i n g
T a c k
Y o u r W e l c o m e
(Like a lot of new school freestyle moves, even if you slow them down and explain them to me, it's like discussing calculus with a dog. All I can do is nod pretending I understood something.)
Select to expand quotedejavu said..
He's using the wing foil tacking technique of raising the nose high so that when he moves his weight forward and steps around the mast he has time to get back into position before the board touches back down -- really impressive technique and timing -- he's set the bar high for all the other racers.
What he actually does, that is impossible on a windsurf, is to tilt the mast incredibly backward. If you look at where the sail is in the video you realize that on a windsurf it would just be in the water. By a lot. On the foil it can go much lower and it is what compensates for the weight transfer and allows to go around the mast without ever stepping to the front. The board actually looks almost flat until after he start switching tack, there is a lot of weight toward the back!
It helps being light but my bet is that in a year all IQfoil sailors will be foiling through the tack! The gain in a racing situation is a lot!
