Pedro Marcos wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:03 pm
Interesting, what about downwind? Are you able to hold some speed?
Pretty poor,
but enough to not be outdistanced by normal good freeride foiler to much. Top speeds are 38 km/h and 35 km/h on low and high AR wings and around 32 km/h mean for 1 km,
but If going downwind for some km I spend the time to improve my skills in stunt kiting ("It is realy possible to fly a high AR foil oversheeted, pointing backwards constantly" is one of the results
)
Also on half-wind, speed is similar poor, but enough for low level boosting all board offs, etc.
Just upwind I am on a VMG level of 13 knts and so competitive with amateur freeracers, but in contrast to stabifoils, best VMG of my monos is always close to the highest angle, as I always try to avoid the higher board speeds.
But while I think I can push the speeds another small step by around 3 km/h, it is not even the goal to go anything higher.
The Goal when changing from stabi to mono was always to avoid dangerous speeds of 50 - 60+ km/h and having a very compact well transportable, but in many aspects also very high performing toy. That this toy is maybe in some special diciplins, as low wind or upwind angle, able to set the mark or at least to be close to it, is just a part of the results. It has never been the goal to find a "one trick pony", but exactly the opposite:
One simple compact and not dangerous foil for most conditions and disciplins (wave, freestyle, freeride, upwind-freerace) with great low wind performance, for me = Monofoil
@Bracuru:
thanks for sharing, impressive values, especially for the Soul which I didn't expect
If I would go back to stabifoils Mike's Lab or comet could be also my choice
And yes, feeling especially in the tacks is impressive, as if the system just wants to pull you upwind upwind upwind all the time