I can really see the value of gong’s race oriented dual skin PW and thing like this. We tend to think of PW as an extension of winging but framing this part of it as a more manageable version of kite racing makes a lot of sense. Kite racing is built off sailboat and windsurf racing in a lot of ways but race course difficulties of long lines is hard, massive pileups and kite-mares are the norm. Also the kite allows a real arms race in massive kites and the need for the physicality to drag them around the race course. This seems like the future of kite racing, but because it’s differentiating on convenience and ease of use instead of speed it’s not going to happen at race kite events - it will happen at wing events until they make their own.
But his DNA says Kiter…
This might have been suggested already, but it’s there a way to tune the trailing edge of the top of your mast so it deliberately whistles when you’re too low on the mast? Maybe some sort of 3D sticker?
Sandpaper and square it off so it’s not sharp. It will whistle. Interesting idea.
I thought of a bell or whistle for the same purpose. I’d imagine it would have to be pretty aggressive to whistle at slow speeds? Or not. Cool idea.
I think the difference between good and excellent riders is often the last 15cm of viable mast that isn’t used. The efficiency increase is crazy.
XL Tow boogie
Would be relatively simple to rig up a throttle puller
I remember this thing being marketed decades ago. Honestly all this stuff being electric seems so limiting. I still want to see a gas powered foil setup
Looking at that RIB though I’m honestly amazed more people aren’t just doing a two person tow setup for wake thieving and small waves. A small inflatible and 10 HP to get a single person on plane could tow up a foil no problem - depending on the market you could get ahold of that for $1500. The big power and weight of a real ski only really seems necessary for pounding theough heavy conditions.
Problem I see with gas is starting stopping the engine and or going into neutral automatically to prevent running yourself over.
Electric seems much simpler in that regard.
Ive been playing with this idea. You only need a 6hp so even lighter motor. I was thinking either cable controlled or remote with servos. The technical difficulty would be coordinating the throttle and gear selector. Needs to tgrottle down before shift to neutral. Needs to do this automatically when you fall. Could be simply a spring loaded with some sort of shifter cam lockout
I can imagine in 5 years we use a big drone that can pull you onto foil or at least give you a nice boost then just follows you and films etc. When you fall it drops the rope back to you for another boost. No paddles, no FD, no parawing, no giant boards.
Tow boogie is just too much of a liability to have around the lineup and can’t follow on downwinders, among it’s other obvious limitations. Drones are the future.
I think this scooter kid has the right idea, look at this step off
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm6zOVEq0Tv/
This is the future, getting paddled in by your valet.
Once you drop the rope it lands on the water and waits for you to summon it. Ha
I like this.
If AI doesn’t kill us all before then, in 5 years time we might have pocketable fusion drives or at least better, cheaper battery/motor tech to drag the rest of us into Nirvana without a second mortgage
Tiny propellers on the leading edge of your front wing for more lift at lower speeds.
Stumbled onto this morphing foil section wind tunnel test on Instagram : The Native Lab on Instagram: "Have you ever seen a morphing wing model? 🕵🏻♂️ In this video, posted by the Experimental Aeroscience Group at the National University of Singapore you can see the morphing wing in action! And it is dancing to Tchaikovsky music! 😅 If you still don’t know what is going on, here is more info: The shape of the upper and of the lower skin of the model is changed by macro fiber composite (MFC) actuators bonded to the skin’s inner side! 🤩 What do you think about this design? Do you see it being useful for the aerospace industry? Let us know in the comments! 👀 Source: Temasek Laboratories on YouTube"
Maybe a glimpse into the (far) future where the section of your high tech foil adapts to what you are doing and the conditions, ie a setting for takeoff, going full speed, extra low end or glide, etc …
Looks cool, I wonder if a simpler mechanical version might be more viable. Having a foil that could drop a big scoop for low end takeoff and then hide it seems inevitable
That was 2018. Actually surprises me that Grubb hasn’t done this for tow in foiling…
How about one of these electric winches but with 2 miles of line