HY-FOIL FR CARBON

Another foil to test, another experience.... so to speak, given our skills in this area! Joking aside, this time it was about the GunSails Carbon Foil for windsurfers, the Hy-Foil FR 900, a wing designed for all-round/performance windsurfing. To put it simply... on paper it is a foil suitable for all levels and intended for freerace use in at least medium wind conditions. In reality, we could classify it as a product for advanced or experienced foilers who want to use it with "big" sails, also because the solid construction (which is not very light, despite all the carbon, as the bridle shows well over 6.0 kg) makes it more suitable for this kind of use.

The Hy-Foil FR 900 was developed and designed by some of Germany's most experienced aeronautical engineers and consists of a combined carbon/aluminium construction. The 85 cm mast is made of a high modulus carbon pre-preg monocoque construction, while the 90 cm fuselage is made of CNC anodised aluminium. High modulus carbon construction is again used for the 900 sq cm front wing and 316 sq cm stabiliser rear wing. Despite the size of the 900 sq cm front wing, this foil is not only suitable for medium to strong winds, as the well thought out shape of the front wing provides lift comparable to that of a larger foil, such as a 1200 sq cm wing. We first tested the Hy-Foil FR 900 with the Tabou Magic Carpet 120 and the Patrik Wave 5.2. This combination turned out to be " trickier " than expected, because getting up and flying was more complicated than we expected. Honestly, I don't know if it was the board's fault or the foil's fault.... Probably on "hybrid" boards, small and compact like the Magic Carpet 120, foils that are a bit more beginner-friendly and lighter are better, like the Hy-foil Free 1050, also from GunSails, which we will test soon and which, weighing only 4.5 kg, could be the ideal combination.

Back to the Hy-foil FR 900: it ran much, much better on the Techno Wind 130 and with foil freeride sails with two cammers, like the Raise 7.0 or the Tahe TWF 7.0, which were "supplied" with the board (see test on the previous page). With the "special" 130-litre foil board and the 7.0 with camber, the Hy-Foil FR 900 was much easier to fly, even for "beginner pilots" like us, due to the simplicity of control and flight behaviour. This foil, made available to the more experienced foilers, allows for a quick launch by minimising drag on the wing at rest, accelerating and keeping the flight in full control. The well-designed and well-built front and rear wings allow you to manage the ride even in strong winds, also thanks to the 90cm aluminium fuselage that guarantees the right stability.

At the end of the story, we are dealing with a foil intended for a slightly more experienced audience who want to use it with slightly bigger sails or in slightly stronger wind conditions... and which is offered at a more than interesting price considering its construction and general performance.