Windsurf Formula Foil Europeans 2019: Ramon Pastor Maltas 1st
All images by Patrik Pollak, complete gallery at https://www.formulawindsurfing.org/gallery/555.
Formula Windsurf Foil Europeans 2019. Ramon Pastor Maltas ( Stabarboard / Loft Sails / Starboard Foil) was crowned 2019 European Champ.
Exploder yard (D3 A-Cat, Scorpion F18) , has launched a new Windsurfing Foil designed by Gonzalo Redondo / D3 and developed by Jakub Kopylowicz and a couple of Polish riders.
At Portimao Formula Foil Europeans Exploder foil did pretty well, 2nd place overall for Przemyslaw Miarczynski (Stardboard / Severne / Exploder Foil.)
The real tests will come on the Formula Europeans and on the PWA foil circuit this season. But a good start for Exploder. A couple of races held in the lower wind range, thus the foil seems to work well.
The Formula Class has always been a floating / planning class. With the new Foil devels the PWA has established a dedicated Foil Class, where Arg sailor Gonzalo Costa Hoevel was crowned first World Champ past year. The PWA Foil Class has some limitations like a 91cm width for the board.
The Formula windsurf Class has adopted a foil category, say a la A-Class Classic / Foiler divisions, and the great aspect of the Formula Foil division is that you can use your current Formula board without much issues. Formula boards are 100cm wide mostly , and there are plenty of them around. Also these boards a reinforced already to stand the floating 70cm fin and many use their older Formula board without modifications.
Here in Arg we are reinforcing the tuttle box to withstand the foil mast / wing leverage. Boards are holding well, but some are exploding on hard landings for instance.
Newer Formula boards on the market are being delivered reinforced from factory to foil too. So take note above if buying a WS foil to fit on your older F board.
re Sails devel, new WS Foil sails are featuring a lower foot a la F18/A-Class DS , there are two concept right now, one is a full length foot towards boom clew/outhaul almost at 90 deg (See Severne POL 126 above) and the other is a kinked diagonal (Loft Sails ESP 72) featuring a smaller foot lenght but a smoother shape in our view.
Back in 2018 we reviewed this design aspect with Marton Balazs from 1D and I suggested to go for the second option, mainly on how the hanging bottom of the sail holds a better shape with the kinked alternative. 1D will be launching a new WS Foil sail, which is being in the Testing stage right now.
More news when ready.
For results and more pics check Formula Windsurf Class Assoc web at formulawindsurfing.org/
Results formulawindsurfing.org/results/1153
Gallery formulawindsurfing.org/gallery/555
