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Foil slalom?

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juandesooka
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Foil slalom?

Postby juandesooka » Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:08 pm

I had a fun session last night in some decent wind swell, zipping upwind then s-turning downwind in the swell trains for maybe 1km, then repeat. With repeated motion, it became a self-contest to see how tight a turn could be made without crashing and also trying to link the turns at speed.

Got me thinking that could be an interesting foil race event. Is there foil slalom racing? Seems it could be a fun alternative for racers and maybe more entertaining to watch? I've never actually watched a racing video (YAWN), but high speed carves with the inevitable crashes could hold some interest.

If already been discussed to death, apologies, as I don't follow racing threads at all. I did a search of the forum, didn't see it other than for twintips.

PS thinking of skiing, maybe I have in mind more a G-S than a real slalom....not banging down poles with elbows, long drawn out speed carves :thumb:

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flying grandpa
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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby flying grandpa » Wed Jul 19, 2017 9:39 pm

Since last year I'm thinking some kind of parallel slalom with buoys located similar way to waterski slalom.
3 rows of buoys should probably do the job. A heat every 5 min.
That may crate a spectacular show for beach public observing 2 riders at full speed,
carving tight turns with elbows touching the drink.

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juandesooka
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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby juandesooka » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:07 pm

yeah, that's what I had in mind. Last week I saw a waterski slalom course some guys set up in a cove in a lake, looked like maybe 5 or 6 rows of 3 buoys. I don't know anything about it, but imagine it's the way you describe. What wind angle would work best, straight downwind or 1/4 downwind maybe?

3InletsWindsports
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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:01 am


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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby windmaker » Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:15 am

Pretty sure I saw on You tube a downwind slalom race in Mauritius a couple of years ago.

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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby flying grandpa » Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:47 pm

juandesooka wrote:
Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:07 pm
What wind angle would work best, straight downwind or 1/4 downwind maybe?
Straight downwind should work the best. At least that is what I love to practice now, without buoys, of course. With a speed wing it's a bit easier above 14 kts.

Tadeusz

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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby BraCuru » Sun Jul 23, 2017 6:14 am

We did slalom figure "8" with very short 200m leg in Mielno during Polish Cup 2014 or 2015.
One foiler participated.
he did extremelly well.
Took second place among top Polish kiteracers.
It looked like great fun and there was no issue with jibing or collisions at the marks.

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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby Toby » Sun Jul 23, 2017 7:29 am

First thing coming to my mind would be safety here...close fights at buoys...high speed...so I wonder how safe it would be.

Formula boards have sharp fins. Twin tips have sharp edges....

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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:20 pm

Biggest crowd pleaser is blood and gore.

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Re: Foil slalom?

Postby Starsky » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:33 pm

The windsurfers have always had carnage at the marks, but now with windfoiling they are looking to avoid that kind of congestion and are looking at just a straight downwind sprint, no markers, jibe where and when you like.


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