Author Topic: Upwind on foil  (Read 9219 times)

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #30 on: April 28, 2020, 03:41:59 PM »
I know when I get up onto the foil I can cut upwind fairly well, but I am still at that phase of foiling where I ride upwind for 50m-fall off-get back onto the board-lose 60m-repeat-do football field walk or swim of shame at the end of the day.

Steve, it sounds like you are doing great.  Your rides will keep getting longer as you get more familiar until pretty soon it is mostly foiling.  There is really no getting around losing ground when you are in the drink.  Trying to point really high to battle lost ground from falls can make things even harder.  A football field walk of shame is nothing.  If you end up in the same zip code you should claim victory.

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #31 on: April 28, 2020, 04:16:10 PM »
Can someone post a good third person video of a strong upwind run?

Harness, harness, harness. Harness will crush anyone without it upwind.

Notice you can see the bottom of my board. Heeled to windward as much as possible for the power I had at the time. Wing pulled down and vertical. This is when you can load up your legs with so much force they start to buckle when super lit.



At 2:13 in the video I make an upwind run. Most of the video is just me goofing off.

https://youtu.be/xYzH3eWePgg
« Last Edit: April 28, 2020, 04:42:03 PM by Dwight (DW) »

surfwingsteve

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #32 on: May 01, 2020, 08:32:09 AM »
Can someone post a good third person video of a strong upwind run?

Harness, harness, harness. Harness will crush anyone without it upwind.

Notice you can see the bottom of my board. Heeled to windward as much as possible for the power I had at the time. Wing pulled down and vertical. This is when you can load up your legs with so much force they start to buckle when super lit.



At 2:13 in the video I make an upwind run. Most of the video is just me goofing off.

https://youtu.be/xYzH3eWePgg

Thats a great video Dwight, thank you.  You are really banking that foil.  I seem to get into that position and then when a lull comes I am leaning too far back and in I go.  I experimented yesterday and found, like with windsurfing, if I try to hold the kite towards the downwind side of my body I can point and get upwind easier.  My walk of shame dropped from a quarter mile to 100m!  Most of you are likely saying "duh" to holding the kite towards the back of your body a bit, but for many of us this is new stuff. Thanks to all!

Phils

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #33 on: May 02, 2020, 03:34:26 AM »
I have had a couple more sessions since posting this question and figured out my biggest mistake was pointing upwind too aggressively which works fine during gusts but was causing me to stall during the inevitable lulls and either come off foil or crash and lose ground.  Now, I am bearing off during lulls and thinking VMG. 

obxDave

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #34 on: May 02, 2020, 04:12:12 AM »
Harness, harness, harness. Harness will crush anyone without it upwind.

Since all the video is on port tack, I assume it’s also

“Jibe, flying foot switch, harness, harness, harness, for the starboard tack!?”

I have had a couple more sessions since posting this question and figured out my biggest mistake was pointing upwind too aggressively which works fine during gusts but was causing me to stall during the inevitable lulls and either come off foil or crash and lose ground.  Now, I am bearing off during lulls and thinking VMG.

Perfect! From my early days racing in a Hobie fleet glancing over the shoulder for gusts to point high in, and lulls to bear off in, was all part of sailing/racing 101 :)

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #35 on: May 02, 2020, 05:51:03 AM »
Yes, never use harness toe side. Toe side tears my bad hip up anyway, so prefer to switch feet and ride heel side in the harness all the time, unless wave riding.

obxDave

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #36 on: May 02, 2020, 06:40:06 AM »
Yes, never use harness toe side. Toe side tears my bad hip up anyway, so prefer to switch feet and ride heel side in the harness all the time, unless wave riding.
pouyfect!  We need to have an ole guy “bad joint compensation” thread at some point. I limit myself to about 3 heel-to-toeside tacks per session to keep the shoulder happy :P

« Last Edit: May 02, 2020, 06:42:04 AM by obxDave »

VB_Foil

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #37 on: May 04, 2020, 03:27:05 PM »
So I had two sessions today in the 4 mile wide tidal James River by my house today.  Morning session was 20-30mph NW (side shore) with a Dropping Tide. Afternoon session was 15-25mph from the same direction but with a Rising Tide. The following images may help illustrate the effect of current on upwind capabilities.

Morning Session:


Afternoon Session:


I used this harness setup off and on on the upwind legs:


I used the harness without switching stances. Works great both ways. Can you tell if I’m regular or goofy by the upwind tracks???
« Last Edit: May 04, 2020, 03:29:08 PM by VB_Foil »
I’m a 5’9” 65kg rider:

Boards:
   4' 27L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4’5” 34L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4'11" 60L Armstrong Wing/Sup
  
  

Foils: Armstrong HA525, HS625, HA725, HA925, HS1050, HA1125, HS1250, HA1325
Wings: BRM 2M & 3M, FreeWing Nitro 4M, OR 5M & 7M Glide

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #38 on: May 04, 2020, 05:11:23 PM »
I’ve never seen a spreader bar with those ends before. Who makes it?

VB_Foil

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #39 on: May 04, 2020, 06:37:25 PM »
It’s from an older Mystic 2face harness (which weighs probably 5 lbs dry)
I’m a 5’9” 65kg rider:

Boards:
   4' 27L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4’5” 34L Armstrong FG Wing/Surf
   4'11" 60L Armstrong Wing/Sup
  
  

Foils: Armstrong HA525, HS625, HA725, HA925, HS1050, HA1125, HS1250, HA1325
Wings: BRM 2M & 3M, FreeWing Nitro 4M, OR 5M & 7M Glide

PonoBill

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Re: Upwind on foil
« Reply #40 on: May 04, 2020, 10:53:04 PM »
The DaKine Maniac bar is even more minimal, slips on a 2" belt with no extra stuff. Hard to find though, I think they stopped making them in 2018,
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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