You guys are funny or living in a pumpkin. The top kite racers are using their kite racing gear with wings powered up and easily doing 30 knots plus in their sleep. I heard of someone over 40 knots. Once the top kite racing guys get into wing racing no one will be in the game no matter what the course. All the free ride wing foils are incredibly slow in comparison as they should be, so they are fun for the average punter and bump rider like me. Slow is good. Above 30 knots wing racing is a scary game.
Now this is a really f..ken fast wing foil- thirty to fourty knots and points up wind, down wind, cross wind, like no other. The scariest thing you will ride in your life with a wing on a 100cm mast.
Select to expand quoteJohnnoKeys said..
You guys are funny or living in a pumpkin. The top kite racers are using their kite racing gear with wings powered up and easily doing 30 knots plus in their sleep. I heard of someone over 40 knots. Once the top kite racing guys get into wing racing no one will be in the game no matter what the course. All the free ride wing foils are incredibly slow in comparison as they should be, so they are fun for the average punter and bump rider like me. Slow is good. Above 30 knots wing racing is a scary game.
LOL, no one is comparing to kitefoiling or Windsurf foiling. There is a certain buzz in speed Winging. It's no secret that the Kiters often crack the 40kn barrier.
Winging is far more accessible and easier for most people. And I love hearing crew cracking PB's on their production gear.
Yes agreed, once people start forking out the mega bucks on foils and framed wings it will all change. But for now it's all giggles chasing the 30kn line 
Select to expand quoteWindgenuity said..JohnnoKeys said..
You guys are funny or living in a pumpkin. The top kite racers are using their kite racing gear with wings powered up and easily doing 30 knots plus in their sleep. I heard of someone over 40 knots. Once the top kite racing guys get into wing racing no one will be in the game no matter what the course. All the free ride wing foils are incredibly slow in comparison as they should be, so they are fun for the average punter and bump rider like me. Slow is good. Above 30 knots wing racing is a scary game.
LOL, no one is comparing to kitefoiling or Windsurf foiling. There is a certain buzz in speed Winging. It's no secret that the Kiters often crack the 40kn barrier.
Winging is far more accessible and easier for most people. And I love hearing crew cracking PB's on their production gear.
Yes agreed, once people start forking out the mega bucks on foils and framed wings it will all change. But for now it's all giggles chasing the 30kn line
He is talking about using kite race foils with actual wind wings.
Of course chasing the 30kn line on agricultural gear will seem out of reach. Thick aluminum profile and fat wings will never let you do that.
People can and will get as wanky about this as they can afford.
Right now I love mowing the lawn on 25kt days on a 4m or less wing and a GL120 foil. Now I'm thinking about considerably smaller foils because it's so much fun just to lean into it and scorch, not to mention slingshotting into windswell bowls.
Select to expand quoteLivit said..
....
He is talking about using kite race foils with actual wind wings.
Of course chasing the 30kn line on agricultural gear will seem out of reach. Thick aluminum profile and fat wings will never let you do that.
Mike's Lab make wing foils. Apparently the team riders only want to wing and don't want to kite race anymore.
At USD$3300 plus postage, gst and duties you'd really want to love that style of riding. On the other hand, absolute premium quality that you know is going to knock your socks off ...
www.mikeslab.com/wing-and-windfoils/
Like any sport, when you go for top end, you LOSE OUT on ease and low end.
Pursuing top speed is not for the average winger. Takes skill, perseverance, balls, and a forget yesterday mentality.
You use the smallest foil possible, down to 250 sq cm for solid 25+ winds, you don't get up until you reach 27 mph..so you can ride comfortably in the mid 30's, which allows you to push into the 40's.
I will not try it, but like any coach, I can tell you what is needed even though I don't have it.
Oh MikeZ.
I was listening in on a conversation with him and 2 of his local riders. They've been with him for 20+ years. One windsfoils, the other wind and wingfoils.
I had little to contribute, of course.
Z is currently only making course race foils.
Johnny and the other guys who want to go faster are in on making speed foils with the other local company. Z seemed very conservative to new ideas, preferring evolution over innovation.
He's still a pretty good glasser.
Select to expand quoteeppo said..Sputnik11 said..eppo said..
What ya riding now ?
I'm on a 85cm mast and an AXIS all round 920mm front wing (thinks its 1850 cm2 in total area) with a 440 rear wing.
Dude that's gotta be one of the slowest wings out there.
Good to know.
Select to expand quoteSputnik11 said..
Oh, and I think my top speed so far is about 15kts, so clearly a bit of work to do to go fast.
I have an axis 920/440 setup too. 16.4knots (30.4km/h) max speed on it and regularly hitting the 16kn mark.
Select to expand quotemoshimoshi said..Sputnik11 said..
Oh, and I think my top speed so far is about 15kts, so clearly a bit of work to do to go fast.
I have an axis 920/440 setup too. 16.4knots (30.4km/h) max speed on it and regularly hitting the 16kn mark.
I have the Naish 1240HA with the 280 Stab, best so far is 19 knots but it is great in the light stuff too. The HA wings definitely have the speed advantage but maintaining the ease of use in lighter conditions. it's good to be able to keep up with kitefoilers and windsurfers rather than being past all the time.
19 knots only get's you even with beginner windsurf shortboarders.
I regularly windsurf at 24-27 knots.
Foil, on a 600 kitewing, HALF the size of your 1240, I might hit 19 or so scared to death.
Foil, on 1220, maybe 16 flying.
Select to expand quoteLeeD said..
19 knots only get's you even with beginner windsurf shortboarders.
I regularly windsurf at 24-27 knots.
Foil, on a 600 kitewing, HALF the size of your 1240, I might hit 19 or so scared to death.
Foil, on 1220, maybe 16 flying.
I'm not saying 19 knots is fast, I windsurf and kitefoil, winging is still definitely slow. But 19 knots is respectable, most surf kitefoils are maxed at this and windsurfers are cruising at this speed.
Try smaller foils.
I heard Z talking about Jonny Heiniken co building some really small hi aspect foils with one of the F4 guys. Talking mid 300's sizing.
A 160 lbs. bud windfoils on a 450 sq cm foil.
Here at Berkeley Ca., a few wingers using slalom race front wings around 850 sq cm., but not smaller since they are interested in course slalom.
Smaller foils will be quicker, but you loose wave riding and pumping. Go for a large area thin foil, this will give you a higher top speed, better angles upwind but not effect the downwind stuff.
The Naish 1240HA is 20mm thick in the centre, so very slippery through the water.
Select to expand quoteLeeD said..
More slippery than the 600 sq cm kitewing?
You can't swell ride or pump a 600 wing, I want to do it all.
Interesting.....
I find windswell riding and what little pumping I do...I'm 72....about the same as the 1220 front foil.
The 600 just needs maybe 2 mph more board speed....
Select to expand quoteLeeD said..
Interesting.....
I find windswell riding and what little pumping I do...I'm 72....about the same as the 1220 front foil.
The 600 just needs maybe 2 mph more board speed....
Just to clarify,you are Wingfoiling a 600cm2 Foil?
What wing/board/wind strenght to get up on foil?
I think Titouan Galea used a 680 cm2 as his go to ...but he is kind of good&young.
We are talking SPEED foil here.
Foiling ideas transfer between wind and wing, tow and surf.
Yes, I windfoil on 600. I am a total novice on wing, having only gotten up with a 1220 front foil and 6.0 Naish wing for a few runs in gusty NE winds. I have not winged since, as I like windsurfing and windfoiling still.
The water in SF Bay is down to 53 degrees or so, as this was March and full of NW ocean winds.
I'm dry windsurfing and windfoiling, but wing I'm wet on every transition still.
