There was one more board that was on our wish list to test. We had high expectations about the Naish Hover with the Naish Trust windfoil. Finally a day with a moderate wind could try out the combi! Expectations were not fully fulfilled. Were our expectations too high or are there now combinations that are just as good or even better than the Naish? Read our report and judge yourself.
Naish Hover 142 wind foilboard
Length 236 cm| Width 77.5 cm | Volume 142| Weight of approximately 9 kg | Price 2,099,-
The board looks very bold. Metallic silver with pop orange. We’ve seen a lot of people drool ing at the board. The Naish Hover 142 is a specially developed wind foilboard, with a very wide back. Foot tires are far inside. As a result, you stand very upright and in the middle of the board. The nose is wide and very thin. The bottom has a flat shape, aimed at fast lift. While most manufacturers opt for a deep tuttle box for mounting the wind foil, Naish opts for a double vinbox. This also allows the foil to be pushed forward or backwards. This means that you always have to buy a complete set of board and wind foil. We only flew the combi with the position of the foil recommended by Naish: in the middle of the box. P.s. for 2019 there is also a version with a deep tuttle box on the program
Naish Trust WS1
Front wing 1220 cm2 | Mast 70 cm | Fuselage 64.2 cm | Price € 1,349,-
The Naish Trust WS1 has a very large front wing in the form of a V. The back wing is relatively small. This combination has an impact on the flight characteristics. More on that later. The mast is relatively short in proportion to the other known wind foils. The construction feels solid. The wings are made from a mix of carbon and glass fiber.
Fast up, but with dolphin behavior
Quickly get on the water with the set. What we hoped for happened, too. The Naish Hover with the Trust foil is going up very quickly with little wind. Once up we found it relatively difficult to keep the combi at stable altitude. For example, the Starboard Alu Freeride or the Fanatic windfoil shows the combination the so-called dolphin behaviour. Because of the relatively short mast you need to anticipate quickly so as not to hit the water with your board or risk a nose drop when the wings come out. Once accustomed to the behavior, the wind foil feels very stable.
Nose drop = catapult
Especially at first when we had to find our turn with this set we regularly had a nose drop. And time and time again, the nose popped up in the water, so we ended up in the water as well. An unexpected and unpleasant surprise. We really expected this board to catch nose drops nicely. And believe us when you fly off every time after a nose drop, it makes you insecure. Also as an experienced wind foiler. Even regular slalom boards with ready to foil box like the Fanatic Blast and Fanatic Gecko do them much better.
Easy Going Cruiser
The set is best in its element with a relatively small sail up to a maximum of 6.5 m2. You’re still right on the board, and we noticed we almost didn’t use the back foot strap. We stood with our back foot in the middle of the board, in front of the back foot tires. That flew most relaxed. If you hang out or have ambitions to go fast, the set gets nervous. No, this is really a set to cruise relaxed in your little-winded swimsuit, where you don’t actually need a trapeze. If the wind blows harder, the set feels less in its element
Playful and wave character
The set feels very playful and agile. It invites you to play with it and do tricks. The foil isn’t fast either. In fact, the combination is most reminiscent of a waveboard. Also focused on fast and maneuverability, without being super fast. And also a waveboard is not the most easy (for everyone) to sail with. Not surprising when you consider that these are also robby Naish’s roots.
Good in a different way than we expect
Beforehand we had the hope or expectation that this set would be the most easy combination to get. By way of: you get up and foil. Although the set rises very quickly, this is certainly not the easiest set to wind up. But in a completely different area, this combination is truly distinctive, much more of a playful and agile character. And there’s not much for sale in there. So if you’re a freestyler or wave surfer, this is clearly the wind foil set.