Hello, I`m awaiting delivery next week of the new Slingshot wizard V4 130 l, with the Phantasm PFI 730/872 Lower Package V1 + 103cm Wide alu mast. Does anyone have any experience with where to place the foil in the mast tracks?

I`m a relative novice windfoiler in Bergen, Norway who just upgraded from JP Freefoil 130l, 2020 model and NP Glidewind foil, 2020 model with XL front wing.

My goal is to foil in 1 to 2 meter swells with a small sail and large front wing in winds from 11 knots to 30 knots - like azymuth here on the forum.

I have Goya Banzai sails in 3.4, 4.2, 5.3 and some older Goya sails in 6.3 and 7.4.

Smart Idea with the pool noodle and the hex key.
I`m 85 kg/188lb and 187 cm/73 inches tall. What are the pro/cons moving the mast or the UJ?
What sail sizes do you use and where do you prefer to put the UJ on the different sail sizes?

another tip. if you are using a tendon or hourglass rubber universal base. I would suggest going to a mechanical base instead. (chinook makes a hybrid base as well). It makes it easier to loosen and move mast forward or aft easier on the water, as there will be virtually no load on the base. Also if you are attaching or removing the rig from board in shallow water it makes that easier too.

Hello, I just had my fist go on the Slingshot Wizard V4 130 L with the Phantasm PFI 730/872 Lower Package V1 + 103cm Wide alu mast. I put the mast 3 cm (1.2 inches) into the tracks and the mast foot 3/4 back towards the back of the board.
Wind was about 7-10 m/s (13 - 20 knots) with a 5.3 Goya Banzai sail and it worked like a charm. Stable, controlled lift and little tendency to overfoil. Then I tried 4 cm (1.6 inches) into the tracks and suddenly the board was quite unstable and took a lot more front foot pressure.

How come it seems that 1 cm (0.4 inches) on the foil tracks makes such a huge difference,
or is it just my lack of skill and understanding?

Next time I`ll try 2 cm into the foil tracks....

norwegianblue said..
Hello, I just had my fist go on the Slingshot Wizard V4 130 L with the Phantasm PFI 730/872 Lower Package V1 + 103cm Wide alu mast. I put the mast 3 cm (1.2 inches) into the tracks and the mast foot 3/4 back towards the back of the board.
Wind was about 7-10 m/s (13 - 20 knots) with a 5.3 Goya Banzai sail and it worked like a charm. Stable, controlled lift and little tendency to overfoil. Then I tried 4 cm (1.6 inches) into the tracks and suddenly the board was quite unstable and took a lot more front foot pressure.

How come it seems that 1 cm (0.4 inches) on the foil tracks makes such a huge difference,
or is it just my lack of skill and understanding?

Next time I`ll try 2 cm into the foil tracks....

Yeah 1cm shouldn't cause that much difference in my opinion.

But foil positioning is a lot more impactful than fin positioning.

WsurfAustin said..
It sure makes a difference for me. I've been using a setup that's worked well on my 114 V3. Thought I would experiment now that I've gotten better. Moved the foil mast a couple centimeters forward and hated it. Got real tricky controlling pitch in gusty wind having to shift weight forward quickly.
Moving the sail UJ around was much more subtle.

Thank you, this rings true for me as well. I think I`ve heard somewhere from Wyatt Miller at Slingshot, that 1 cm on the foil equals 10 cm of UJ movement?

I`m practising gybing, can do about 120 degrees turns to the right, before I fall of the board while flying.
Want to make the foot switch after the turn is complete, but wonder if I fall off because the sail is to close to my body? Does this make sense and what is the next step to practice?
(Have watched ours of foiling videos from Jon Johnsen on Vimeo and the guys there make it look easy....)

I don't have anything to add on position, other than 1cm movement is massive for the sail mast, so imagine it is too for the foil mast.

Couple of my videos if you haven't seen them

Speed one is long (15m) and has some tips that apply from 10 knots to 30!


Gybe video a few years old but still valid!


oh and this one on standing still



Good luck, and I guess you have good reason to get good fast, norwegianblue,... don't fall in or you will turn blue!

WsurfAustin said..
It sure makes a difference for me. I've been using a setup that's worked well on my 114 V3. Thought I would experiment now that I've gotten better. Moved the foil mast a couple centimeters forward and hated it. Got real tricky controlling pitch in gusty wind having to shift weight forward quickly.
Moving the sail UJ around was much more subtle.

Where did you find the sweet spot for the back of the foil mast in the tracks with your set up? Do you also use the slingshot PFI730? just curious as have been testing a bit between the 1-3 marks in the track

norwaysail said..

WsurfAustin said..
It sure makes a difference for me. I've been using a setup that's worked well on my 114 V3. Thought I would experiment now that I've gotten better. Moved the foil mast a couple centimeters forward and hated it. Got real tricky controlling pitch in gusty wind having to shift weight forward quickly.
Moving the sail UJ around was much more subtle.

Where did you find the sweet spot for the back of the foil mast in the tracks with your set up? Do you also use the slingshot PFI730? just curious as have been testing a bit between the 1-3 marks in the track

I have the PFI 730. I don't know how similar the foil mast base is between the carbon and aluminum mast, but I run the carbon mast base where the base is about 1/2" forward of back of the board edge. So very far back in the tracks. If I run the UJ all the way back for larger cambered sails and about 2" farther forward for smaller wave sails. The larger (5.6 for me) cambered sails (sailworks flyer), seem to put more downward force on the UJ when a gust hits. So that effect is reduced by moving the UJ back. I'm 5'8" and running the UJ towards the back makes flying hooked into the harness well balanced.