They point load the board. If you rock the foil forwards to get it out of the box it will poke a hole in the board.
I think the beak was designed to spread the load on boards that were not designed for foil use. Now the majority of people are using boards designed for foiling that have hugely strengthened tuttle boxes, which can take the load on the tuttle tapers. The beak was probably quite costly to make and would cause a little extra drag.
AFS includes a full flange on their newest foil, it helps to make sure the foil is seated level in the box. Without a flange, you will need to measure the foil rake angle technically every time you mount it in a DT box unless you make a mast head shim that aligns the foil like I did, or use tracks to mount the foil.
Yes, the beak was punching holes into the board. Sailworks stopped selling those early in the game.
So, if you run a foil without a flange (like my AFS-2 and Moses Race) just make sure you seat the deep tuttle fitting fully into the deep tuttle finbox. The fore and aft fully seated rounded tapers will determine the rake angle. Also, if fully seated there are no point loads to cause failures. No need for shims in the finbox. (Shims in the finbox are a pet peeve of mine, but that'a another discussion....)
Thanks for the replies.
I did have concerns about the beak creating a point load when I bought mine 2.5 years ago. I have not seen any dents, although I have not used mine much. (The fit in the box is rather loose. So I think the flange + beak take most of the load.)
I want to get back into foiling more seriously this time and I really don't want to faff around with shims, footstraps, to get the thing balanced. So I'm thinking of getting a setup where both the foil and the board are from the same company. I am looking at getting going early with a 4.8 freestyle sail (70 kg).
So is there a consensus on what the future is for freefoil/foilstyle mast to board connections? Snug tuttle (starboard?), tracks (slingshot?), flange?
Race foils seem to be all Tuttle, but non race foils are generally available with Tuttle or track. It would be nice if the track mount became the standard, as it makes adjustment so much easier. Best bet is to by a foil board that has Tuttle and track mounts. Then you can use any foil.
I think the origin of the beak design date back to the partnership with Moses and SlingShot with the ghost whisper foil.
The beak was a half tuttle (Chinook) head so it fit in the Wizard line of boards from SlingShot.
Moses also sold it with there brand logo both in the 101 and 111 the beak head is definitely faster to mount on your board butt yes if the board as a vee in front of the fin box the beak will flatten the board. I use the the beak style of head on my boards butt I make my boards so they are flat in front of the box along with a wood stringer a 1/8 wide in all of my boards. This allows me to tighten it down very tight so it is locked down.
Yes it's a old design and tracks are the new thing so they will get kicked to the curb one day butt for the 2021 season i'll be riding the beak 111cm as far as the balance adjustment thing I haven't had a problem so I guess I'm blessed.
Yes it is wise to pick a matched set as this will let you get more time on the water and improve faster . I feel the same about wasting time on fiddling around with all these adjustment. I like to just jump on it and go.


I noticed that they no longer have a "beak". Any reason for the change?
It is the second year without beak. The beak was on the Kite foils and it stayed on the windfoil when they started to make them. Now neither uses the beak.
Track mounts are the future. Slingshot has stopped putting deep tuttle boxes in the Wizards this year.
Some other brands are putting on both as a way to support the transition. The Fanatic Slingshot does this.
I think the origin of the beak design date back to the partnership with Moses and SlingShot with the ghost whisper foil.
The beak was a half tuttle (Chinook) head so it fit in the Wizard line of boards from SlingShot.
Moses also sold it with there brand logo both in the 101 and 111 the beak head is definitely faster to mount on your board butt yes if the board as a vee in front of the fin box the beak will flatten the board. I use the the beak style of head on my boards butt I make my boards so they are flat in front of the box along with a wood stringer a 1/8 wide in all of my boards. This allows me to tighten it down very tight so it is locked down.
Yes it's a old design and tracks are the new thing so they will get kicked to the curb one day butt for the 2021 season i'll be riding the beak 111cm as far as the balance adjustment thing I haven't had a problem so I guess I'm blessed.
Yes it is wise to pick a matched set as this will let you get more time on the water and improve faster . I feel the same about wasting time on fiddling around with all these adjustment. I like to just jump on it and go.


Would a Tuttle to track adaptor provide a solid enough connection to the board?
Track mounts are the future. Slingshot has stopped putting deep tuttle boxes in the Wizards this year.
Some other brands are putting on both as a way to support the transition. The Fanatic Slingshot does this.
And Moses too ... for wave and wingy, it is not the future for race/freerace foiling!
SlingShot Wizard only ever had a half tuttle (Chinook) head. Yes there is a difference between true deep and a Chinook.
The tracks do have their own con's


dang how did that happen (looks like not your board)
looks like a slingshot pedestal base... haven't seen any of those break... but anything can be broken... but that thing is shattered. at least the fin boxes appear to have survived.
Ok, I've been using the beak mast in a Hypersonic, which has a cavernous fin box.
Does this mean my foil has been hanging on by a couple of old bolts?!
Hello,
this is a GONG plate, on the front piece you can see the oval cut out to save some weight
Going doesn't use countersunk bolts and only have 4 holes in the plate.

Tell us who's plate you think it is Grantmac
It must have been a design they used at some point. Obviously it wasn't up to the task.