Stabilize the flight

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7

Your first flight will be the result of a succession of correctly executed steps. With practice, these will happen naturally. Our complete How To covers the 7 steps you need to acquire to launch your first flight and all the following ones.

  

Wing foilers: Mélissa, Jules and Julien, GONG staff, in Mint FSP 2X, HIPE Perf and wing Plus.


 

Today we are focusing on the key points of step 7: stabilize the flight.

You have left the water, you have to find the good angles that will automate the balance:
  • The angle to the wind (point of sail). Too much tailwind and you catch up with the wind meaning your wing’s power is choked. Conversely you also risk overpowering which will cause you to fall forward. This is the classic fall in the beginning because we take off too much back wind. Too close to the wind, downforce will be difficult to maintain because it is very precise. There is also a risk of lack of support and falling on your back.
  • The right angle is crosswind. By luffing from wide reach to crosswind, you will find fresh wind thanks to the speed wind that you encounter.
  • The angle of the wing. Too vertical you will be overpowered and the tips will touch the water. Too horizontal, the traction will not be strong enough to accelerate and stabilize the foil which needs speed to lift you.
  • Another angle to be properly set is that of the foil. Mast too vertical or downwind: it’s unstable and slow. Mast leaning too much towards the wind: too much opposition and it’s the fall on the back.
  • The angle of the rider. A good attitude is to align the whole body as soon as possible, and almost align your body with the mast of the foil. You must be slightly leaning back (windward) than the mast of the foil. A lot of beginners fall or struggle because their buttocks are back and their bodies are bent in two. This bad posture comes from being overwhelmed by the Wing. Straightening up gives less balance at the start because there is less room for recovering from falls, but we quickly learn to compensate by better management of the wing, a better understanding of sheeting in and shocking to find constant support. This almost straight posture is the one you’ll adopt quickly because it is natural.
 

7 comments

Sent by par laurent mesana

Bonjour, lorsque que l’on débute, faut-il mieux positionné le foil complètement à l’arrière, au milieu ou devant? Quel est l’incidence du positionnement du foil. En vous remerciant

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