Foiling Knowledge, SUP foil, wing foil
F4 Foils Lightwind carbon/alloy wing/SUP foil review.
Pics: Oli Lane-Peirce.
Renowned for their fast windsurf foils F4 enter the market with a brand new range of products designed for wingsurfing, SUP foiling, surf foiling and a continuation of their original windsurfing programme.
The Lightwind Wing 2000cm2/2500cm2 option is the first bit of gear Foilshop managed to get their hands on from F4 and it’s a real winner for many different styles of riding and wing conditions. It also works great for SUP foiling.
Having the option for either the large 2000cm2 wing or whopper 2500cm2 we went for the former here. Mainly because we wanted to check out the low end wind range of a wing that the majority will probably choose. The bigger 2500cm2 would be the one if you live and ride in especially light breeze locations or if you’re a larger rider. Be under no illusion the 2000cm2 wing has oodles of early lift and gets a wet, rubbered up 90kg winger foiling in less than 12 knots with a powerful 6m wing!
F4 Foils Lightwind 2000cm2/2500cm2 wing/SUP foil with 85cm or 70cm alloy mast.
For those who follow windsurf foiling F4 Foils need no introduction having a long and fruitful career in the world of windfoiling. The brand’s race winning slalom/race windsurf foils have such esteemed riders as Antoine Albeau piloting them, which should tell you a thing or two.
As wingsurfing/foiling takes an even stronger hold on the watersports market F4 Foils cross over to wind winging with their Lightwind carbon/alloy hybrid foil set up that’ll get you flying in the lightest of breeze with the least amount of effort.
Scroll down for more info about F4 Foils’ Lightwind 2000cm2 or 2500cm2 wing foils.
All images/vid courtesy Oli Lane-Peirce.
Supplied as part of the package is an alloy fuselage, carbon tail wing and +3 degree shim for the tail stab. There’s then a choice of 85cm carbon mast or 70cm alloy. For winging we like foil masts around the 70cm mark (but that’s just personal preference). We also wanted to see how the more budget aluminium option stacked up.
F4 Foils’ Lightwind foil is bombproof construction. All the allotted parts have secure connections and the whole package is solid and trustworthy. It’s also not too bad in weight either.
The front 2000cm2 wing is a familiar low aspect shape with a fair amount of curve. It’s leading edge is moderately thick with a flatter angle of attack. At the back the F4’s tail wing is tips up with a wide surface area for leverage when pumping. If you know anything about foils you’ll note this could potentially be draggy for foil speed. But as its name suggests this is a foil for light wind where super early lift is key and blistering speed not the priority. That said it’s still got a pretty good amount of oomph.
On the water the F4 Lightwind delivers just what you need. It rises up with a few quick pumps of your wing. Multiple wing foiling sessions saw us riding in sub-12 knots and having no issues getting on foil and staying there, even with flukey light breeze, gliding through lulls effortlessly. And yes, there’s a decent amount of glide here for a low aspect foil design.
Round corners the F4 is a dependable carver. In fact, one of its fortes is turning making it especially applicable for wave riding. The one surprising element to this foil is its pop. You can jump most foils but for a big, low aspect design the F4’s spring is pretty good. And checking connections once back on land it was plain to see all fixings remain solid even having enjoyed considerable air time.
Conclusion
We love the F4 Foils Lightwind wing/SUP foil. Both the 2000cm2 and 2500cm2 have monster amounts of lift but remain manageable, agile and fun. It works great for stand up paddle foiling and delivers exactly what most wingers will need. Light air performance, wave riding agility, bigger boned rider functionality and carving maneuverability are what this foil’s all about. If you want some fun in light winds you need the F4 Foils Lightwind wing/SUP foil in your life.
Check out the F4 Foils Lightwind set up here. If you have any questions about it just shout.
For essential foiling knowledge have a look at FSUK’s Foiling Knowledge page via the link below –