Hi guys, I am having trouble going downwind fast. I ride all patrik gear, V2 100 board, foil + 9.0 sail and the patrik race foil 900 wing(not the new aeon). The problem I have is that I can find the sweet spot where you keep accelerating while having a good downwind angle but for a few moments only. Then out of nowhere I loose all power in the sail and have to go a bit upwind and start the process again. Also i cannot seem to go over 24 knots while going downwind. If you guys have any tips that can help me I'd be very greatful. I should also say I do a lot of course racing, not slalom, so deep upwind and downwind angles.
Thanks in advance
Select to expand quoteRodri240 said..
Hi guys, I am having trouble going downwind fast. I ride all patrik gear, V2 100 board, foil + 9.0 sail and the patrik race foil 900 wing(not the new aeon). The problem I have is that I can find the sweet spot where you keep accelerating while having a good downwind angle but for a few moments only. Then out of nowhere I loose all power in the sail and have to go a bit upwind and start the process again. Also i cannot seem to go over 24 knots while going downwind. If you guys have any tips that can help me I'd be very greatful. I should also say I do a lot of course racing, not slalom, so deep upwind and downwind angles.
Thanks in advance
The gear you're using is for course racing so you'll be able to run deep angles, but it sounds like you're diving too deep.
you can only dive as deep as the wind you're sailing in will allow for. Eventually you'll be pointing too low to be able to generate enough apparent wind speed to keep going. The sudden loss of power and having to swing upwind a bit again are the give away of that. If you're seeking speed, then try not to dive deep. Set up for control and don't dive offwind to deal with gusts. Suck them up and push harder (yep, scary). 24 knots is a fairly common "barrier" speed for us mortals on course race gear. It's certainly possible to go faster, but you've really got to push for it. Being heavier helps.
if you really want to go fast, start thinking about investing in a shorter fuse and smaller wings. That will improve control at speed and allow you to go faster again. You'll have to wait for a Patrik foil sailor to recommend what to get.
Reading your post again (properly this time) obviously you're not going to be investing in slalom foil gear, just chasing vmg on what you've got. What I said in post 1 still applies. Don't keep diving deep in gusts, use the gusts for acceleration. If you watch the top iq sailors, they don't really go for deep angles, nor do they really vary their angles much on the same run to deal with gusts. They stay on fairly set angles on each gybe.
I found reducing the trim on the stabiliser a little helped a great deal with control at higher speeds, it does cost bit of upwind downwind angle though.
Select to expand quoteSubsonic said..
Reading your post again (properly this time) obviously you're not going to be investing in slalom foil gear, just chasing vmg on what you've got. What I said in post 1 still applies. Don't keep diving deep in gusts, use the gusts for acceleration. If you watch the top iq sailors, they don't really go for deep angles, nor do they really vary their angles much on the same run to deal with gusts. They stay on fairly set angles on each gybe.
I found reducing the trim on the stabiliser a little helped a great deal with control at higher speeds, it does cost bit of upwind downwind angle though.
This was the same advice I got from a top level IQFoiler at an informal clinic - that I was going too deep - and the prescription was the same. Only drive off once you've come up to speed after rounding the mark (ie don't just round and then go deep before getting up to speed) and if you feel the speed dropping, head up a tad to keep up speed and then back down.
What may help is some phone speed apps (e.g Windsport Tracker for Android) have audible call outs for speed. Of course, the way my big wing whistles, I can use its pitch, too. 
Thanks guys I will try what you are saying the next time and get back. I will decrease the angle of the stabilizer and gain speed before going for the downwind angle.
What nobody has mentioned is the HUGE effect of adjustable outhaul (AO) for upwind/downwind course racing. Not only does AO adjust the overall draft of the sail, but--EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY--it adjusts the angle of the leading edge of the sail. The leading edge angle has a big effect on air drag.
You want a tight AO upwind. This gives you a small angle since the apparent wind is coming at you from the front.
You want a loose AO downwind. This gives you a large angle since the apparent wind is coming at you from the side. If your leading edge angle is small for downwind it will generate excessive turbulence off the front of the sail, and slow you down and make the sail difficult to control. You can go much deeper downwind with a loose AO.
Formula racers have been doing this for years. Yes, it is all about apparent wind angle. And yes, downwind the apparent wind comes at you from the side. You read that right: from the SIDE. We proved this once by mounting a yarn telltale onto a piece of batten fastened 2 feet forward of the sail mast in clean air. Upwind the yarn pointed straight back. Downwind the yarn pointed out to the side. Vector physics proves this, too.
Yes, while going downwind the first thing i do is to loose the outhaul tension. I leave it very loose, the boom hangs a bit down because it is so loose.
"Send It"
also if you haven't seen below threads.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Foiling/Foil-Racing-Index-of-All-Technique-Threads?page=1
