Kamikuza wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 12:38 pm
(...)
Being able to ride slower and lower with more glide is the attraction of bigger wings.
(...)
But then, there's a point where riding so slow is getting boring, and you hit diminishing returns. Too big of a foil, and you have to coerce it more into turning, into going faster than its slower natural cruising speed, need to be more careful about not ventilating a tip, and not hitting your lower legs. All other parameters being equal, there's always be more drag with a bigger foil. Going slow usually doesn't really go well with the dynamics of a kite, and it restricts the potential of the kite if it is always close to the window's edge.
A 1200cm2 foil can already be kited super slow (when needed), and can provide all the lift you'll ever need, so I don't see a reason to go any bigger, apart for novelty and experimentation.
Wingfoiling possibly has some different dynamics at play. The number one issue being to achieve liftoff early with limited available power, and no way to source a large spike of power through loops and window traverses. That's a good incentive for going big! Top speed takes a hit, but that's the price to pay.