165 posts
Between wing, kite, and wind foiling?
Was surprised that the wing speed record set at the Luderitz Speed Challenge was not on a foil board. The Trench too shallow? I knew wing foil is slow, but a record speed of 26.92kts over 500 meters and top speed based on gps of 31 knots is more than slow by modern wind powered water platforms.
Old memory. Nicolas Goyard nautical mile wind foiling record average in the mid 30's?
Are kite foils faster than windsurf foil?
3939 posts
1. Kitefoil.
2. Windfoil.
3. Wingfoil.
660 posts
There's Kite foiler in my area that is crazy fast. I'm not in it for speed, but the "sensation" of speed is quite different IMO. Foiling at 17 knots "feels" faster than 50 knots on my jet ski.
WA
2391 posts
So cool seeing those Perth boys in too 10. Awesome fellas
WA
2463 posts
A couple of years back, all windfoils were a lot slower than slalom boards. This year, a foiler is leading the PWA rankings. Nico's top speed in Israel was within a knot or two of the fastest slalom sailor. That's after slalom gear has been optimized for a few decades by dozens of companies, while windfoil race gear has only a few years, and fewer companies.
Top windsurf speeds are generally set in water that's less than 50 cm deep, or in very heavy weed (Lake George, Albany) that would make foiling impossible. That's probably true for AA's nautical mile, too, since speedruns in La Franqui are right next to the shore. The only exceptions to this rule are spots where the sailing is done right next to barriers in deeper water. I think some spots in the Netherlands may fall into this category, and perhaps West Kirby, but I have not been to any of these.
Top speeds in open, choppy water will always be substantially lower. While a foil board will not slap chop as a windsurf board does, it will require more mast length in the water at times, meaning more drag, and the foil will be slowed down from the up and down movements of the water (I think that's called "wave drag" for foils). If you compare open water speeds (ignoring offshore places like La Franqui), speed differences get a lot less.
As for wing foiling, I doubt that there is a theoretical reason why it should be slower than windfoils. There certainly is a reason why windfoils are able go slower than windfoils: the wing can carry part of your board weight, so you need less lift (and thus speed) from the foil. Which is probably one reason why wings can be so much fun on waves. But comparing top speeds of wing foilers to wind foilers is a bit like saying wave surfers are slower than slalom surfers. Maybe when wingers get bored of carving up little and big swell, they'll focus on going faster, but I can't see that happening with my winging wife (who still loves a good speed session on the windsurfer, but lost all interest in freeride and freestyle windsurfing since winging is more fun it the water has some structure).
165 posts
Saw an artist rendition in Scuttlebutt News of a "sailing" craft that hopes to break the 85kt mark. Vestas Sailrocket 2 holds the record at +65kts. It's a foil craft. Hanging in between the foil and guessing kite is a aerodynamic shape pod. Imagine breaching and taking a flier.
AA's speed project will be interesting. Hopefully he will exceed 66kts over 500meters and 56 kts over a nautical mile. Become the fastest wind powered water craft.
