Winging - very cold proof of concept!

I've never ventured out in 1c weather. But I was determined to see if the wing foiling was going to work for me. I'd used the wing in the winter on skis and skates, but how would it work in the water with a foil?

The 99cm slingshot foil was already on the board without any footstraps. I know many people are using dedicated wing foil boards but I figured that the 140 litre Fanatic Stingray would be a suitable board for winging too?

First though I needed to get psyched for the coldest gusty north wind I've ever been out in on the water (not ice). The hardest part was getting my 5 mil booties on. I wound up having to put a plastic bag on my heels to get in. So I was nice and warm as I headed out.

The wing felt pretty easy, but the gusty wind and very short fetch meant I was changing direction constantly. I don‘t know how people stay on the same stance, I definitely need my feet to switch each time I change direction. And I lost a lot of ground downwind during some very inelegant attempts at water starting the wing. That doesn‘t work. I could however easily stand on the board and eventually flip and orient the wing after falling.

Heading upwind nicely

Weird footwork when tacking.. the 140 l board works well though

Here is the video... (Thanks Jen for standing out in the cold!)

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Super cold outside! 1c

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Back and forth in the channel with the gusty north wind.
Lost some ground downwind but had a few
good foil runs (red) carving back upwind

Overall 2.5 km in 30 minutes plus a bit as my Vivoactive 3 watch stopped recording - maybe due to the 1c cold? Thankfully it missed the walk of shame I had to do as the wind then died off. The few times I got going, I did make great ground back upwind. I have a lot to learn about tacking and jibing. One time I did get most of the way through a tack at speed which felt very nice.

Wing fits in the Launch Pad locker

The wing fits nicely in the windsurf locker. It is also way easier to carry than a windsurf sail. The board however is really hard to carry without footstraps. Now I know why wing foil boards have handles built into the bottom! I may try a shorter leash, or attach it to a footstrap screw instead of the universal.

Post session warming coffee/fuel

My left shoulder is a bit sore after day 1, but overall a great if somewhat short introduction to wing foiling.