Downwind

Foiling with the wind

A downwind course is a course that is foiled at an angle of less than 90 degrees to the wind. Your are foiling away from the wind a need to go upwind later to get back to the starting point.

When steering from a crosswind course (90° to the wind) to a downwind course (>90°), the power in the wing decreases. This is because you are moving away from the wind (i.e. more in the direction in which the wind is blowing).

Less power in the wing also means less propulsion. The body remains more central over the board and the wing is held flatter over the head. Otherwise, especially on a nearly dead downwind course, the wing can loose the airflow, flip downwards and block the view.

On a nearly dead downwind course (close to 180 degrees), the wing provides almost no propulsion, so you have to pump the foil. Alternatively, you can correct the course and steer a little more back into the wind to build up power in the wing again.

UPDATE
This video is no longer available. You can find a more up-to-date version here: Riding Downwind

Basics Riding Downwind Level ★★☆☆ Rider: Stefan Spiessberger Text: Jürgen Schall Photos/Videos: Duotone DE

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