Light wind Wing

The spectacular leap in performance brought in ultra light wind conditions by the Cruzader, the HIPE Cruzader and our giant wings, arouses enormous enthusiasm and questions to which L’Ours answers with straightforward responses!

Flying in super light wind conditions is no longer the privilege of featherweights, nor the reward for an intense effort supported by a providential gust of wind… We are now entering a new era with gear that literally allows you to fly below the 10 knots mark with the same ease and fun as you would in the 15 to 20 knots range. A revolution which is above all that of the development of magic equipment in light wind conditions.

L’Ours takes stock of this equipment that will have you flying on those countless days of near dead calm and on inland spots near you.

What’s the explanation for the leap in performance that we are witnessing in light wind conditions right now?

“The combination of the glide of a Cruzader, which activates the qualities of the foil through the speed it generates, without effort, and the insane performance of our giant wings is a complete game changer. Take-offs are smooth and early. They no longer require a significant physical effort or a solid technical level. Which was the case for taking off in very light conditions with wings of 7.5 or 9m2 on classic boards with smaller foils.

That being said, these wings of 7.5 or 9m2 remain a good solution if you want to sail with a “classic” wing board that needs power to take off. It is particularly useful in irregular winds to keep a lot of power in the lulls. Same is true for the foils, smaller foils below 100/120cm spans need power to work in the lighter conditions. But for those who want to sail with a small, lively and playful wing, without having to spend all their energy in a demanding pumping effort, the Cruzaders and the giant wings are essential.”

How should you prioritize your purchases to win in the low range? Cruzader or giant wing?

“When coming across my 22 minutes video in 6 knots, some might be thinking “yeah, I don’t know, is he really having fun?”

Then they spend another session of flying, not flying, flying, not flying… making the big question come up: what do I need to complete my quiver in order to be sure to have fun below 12 knots?

You need:

• A 5m2 wing for the light riders and a 6m2 max for the heavyweights. You already have one: yew!!! With a bigger wing you will struggle to pump in no wind. You need a lively wing.
• A Cruzader because the narrowness of this concept board will give you the speed necessary to activate the foil before flying without requiring a crazy amount of energy. It will glide in the water instead of pushing it and then rise as a classic board would, only way earlier.
• A giant foil which by its immense aspect ratio will not represent much more surface area, but will make it terribly effective, converting the little true wind there is in apparent wind. And yes at 12 knots, you have a real feeling of wind in your wing even if there is actually only 6 knots of true wind. And that’s really cool.

So when you’re not sure about buying the full light wind kit all at once, here is my advice:

The contribution of the giant front wing (above 120cm) and that of the Cruzader are identical.

So if you need 12 knots of wind to be comfortable with your usual kit, you will be able to sail in 8/9 knots with only one of these two options.

Going for both options will add up identical gains, so you’ll be able to sail in about 6/7 knots.

Sailing below 6/7 knots it is an intense physical and technical challenge.

Be careful, when we talk about the same gain, we are talking about optimized wind percentage. There is the same difference between 9 and 12 knots as between 6 and 8 knots.

Therefore, the Cruzader is a less substantial and really facilitating investment. And that’s what you’ll appreciate beyond the feat of flying in extremely light winds: making life easier below 15 knots.

Getting going again in a snap of a wing is a HUGE comfort. This makes the sessions so much more enjoyable. Falling is no big deal anymore since we know that we will get going easily. This changes everything. You can really go for it, send tricks, progress and have fun. And if the wind drops, you can come in quietly in windsurfing mode.

The giant front wing will give the same performance boost. Under a classic board it will make you fly easily in 8/9 knots. The pumping will be less in glide than with a Cruz: it’s more about trying to lift the board and hit the water with the nose to bounce back up, instead of gliding and launching the foil.

There was this one session that struck me with no more than 6 or 8 knots. Titouan was flying on a kit made of the Lethal + 3.5m2 + Sirus 156, while Fabien did not manage to fly with gear made of a Cruzader + 5m2 + Ypra LS.

So the front wing is decisive, and this is the revolution we are proposing: having front wings with huge ratios to glide and generate maximum apparent wind to have as much in your arms as in 15 knots ++ while it’s actually 6/8 knots. The feeling is crazy: to feel yourself glide so easily in almost no wind, it’s crazy. I remember sessions where in flight I was wondering about the wind direction. It’s shocking, a paradigm shift.”

So what to choose?

“The whole package obviously 😉 But if you have to prioritize, ask yourself if it’s the very smooth glide on the water that attracts you, rather than the absolute light wind record forced by a physical effort. If so, the beautiful shape of a Cruzader is the way to go.

Otherwise, it’s a giant foil that will make you happy. You will have to pump harder when taking off but you will fly very early and with an incredible apparent wind.

Have fun !!!”