Wind foiling is the new competition surfing!
Despite the fact that wind foiling only really broke through in 2018, it has drastically changed the windsurfing world. In the meantime, almost all competition surfers have switched to wind foiling. It goes much faster, wind foils run much higher on the wind and you can get much more spacious from the wind. Ideal for race discipline. This has contributed to windfoiling with the IQfoil class becoming the new Olympic format for windsurfing.
Wind foiling is spectacular with little wind and also with a lot of wind. For this reason, there is plenty of experimentation at the various levels with different types of courses, lengths of the courses and new forms of elimination to make wind foiling attractive to the largest possible audience. It is far from crystallized, but 1 thing is for sure the wind foiling has definitely changed the competition surfing.
Windfoil upwind & downwind faster than formulaboard
From their own experience and also those of other wind foilers it can be argued that a good high end wind foil upwind is faster than a formula board and can also sail just 10 degrees higher on the wind. In addition, a wind foil can easily maintain the upwind course in a windhole. Downwind can put a wind foil much deeper than a formulaboard. It is possible to completely foil wind with about 14-16 knots. This is less than the spacious course of a formulaboard, but tactically, the distance to be done in a downwind rak can be an advantage.
IQfoil the new one design class for adults and youth
Since it was decided that IQfoil is the new Olympic format, this competition unit class is very popular. Among seniors, there are approximately 200 to 250 participants at European and World Championships. It has given competitive windsurfing a huge boost. As a spin-off, Starboard/Severne has also launched a new youth unit class; Iqfoil class Youth and Junior. The material is clearly derived from the Olympic material, but is cheaper and more accessible for the youth, but also certainly for the more recreational wind foils. For youth events, the number of participants is even higher than for seniors. At a European or World Championship, there are around 300 participants. It is expected that this class will become much larger in the coming years and at the expense of the traditional Bic Techo class.
Do you want to know more about the IQfoil equipment or do you want to purchase it? Then view the overview of the sets and individual components in the article about the IQfoil one design class
IQfoil Games Cadiz 2025
IQfoil Youth World Championship Mallorca
Windfoil also competitive in slalom courses
The wind foil has also acquired its place in the PWA. In this circuit as well, the windfoil proves to be faster than the traditional fin board in almost all conditions. The profit is mainly in the hijacks and wind dips where the wind foil manages to maintain much more speed. This ensures that the average speed is relatively more stable compared to a traditional board with a fin.
Additionally, the top speed keeps increasing year after year. On the straight sections, PWA riders are foiling at speeds of up to 35 knots!