How to tack / perform a tack in Wingfoil?

First and foremost, here is the vocabulary you need to know to fully understand this article:

• Heelside: This is the "normal" riding position. The heels are oriented towards the wind and the toes are downwind of the board. The body weight is therefore oriented towards the wind.
• Toeside: This involves riding by switching the foot position with body weight on the toes. This position is often used to change direction or to ride upwind. The foot position is inverted compared to the normal riding position. The front foot becomes the back foot and vice versa.

This is the easiest technique. It involves approaching toeside, with the upper body oriented forward and the feet in an inverted position. To tack frontside, you need to switch your feet before starting the maneuver.

Step 1: The approach

To start your tack, you will need to arrive with maximum speed, across the wind.
Then you will need to go toeside, meaning, switch your feet on the board. To switch your feet, we advise you to start by flying low and pushing on your back foot to bring the board up. This will give you more flight time to switch feet, making the foot change easier without the board touching the water.

Step 2: Initiate the turn

Now that you are toeside, maintain maximum speed and initiate the turn by progressively and continuously pressing on your toes. The goal is to tighten the turn more and more without losing too much speed. Your turn will not only depend on your initial speed but also on the front wing of your foil. Indeed, a high aspect ratio wing will force you to make a slightly wider turn, while a fast and more compact wing will allow you to turn tighter.

Step 3: Pass the wing over your head

When you are close to the wind axis, or slightly before, push the wing over your head. This step is fundamental to guide the wing in the change of tack. It is important to position it as high as possible above your head.

In this step, you need to grab the front handle with your new front hand. If you don't lift the wing high enough, the wind might push it down and unbalance you. This is a common mistake.

• We advise you to start by practicing going toeside on the same tack. Repeat this training step several times to fully integrate foot coordination.
• Then, let yourself glide on the foil without leaning on the wing in the toeside position. To do this, place your wing well above your head and release your back hand. Then glide until you touch the water. We advise you to repeat this exercise several times to assimilate it well. The goal is to be well balanced on your supports and your board in the toeside position, without using the wing as a support or a "crutch". The body must remain straight above the foil's axis.
• Once you are comfortable with the first step, reposition yourself toeside and then press on your toes to move towards the wind axis. Your gaze should follow the movement. By looking in the direction you want to go, you will have more balance and the maneuver will seem easier. Repeat this third step until you pass the wind axis and manage to go in the other direction. By gaining a little more speed, you will be able to stay airborne and start doing 3/4 of your turn in the air.

With a little practice, these three points will seem easy to you and you will be able to start doing your tacks by following the four steps mentioned above.
To practice, you can also test all these maneuvers on the beach by walking or on a skateboard, for example. This will allow you to better understand the different hand positions and the actions to perform with your sail to tack in wingfoil.

The key to success? Riding speed, execution speed (especially in changing the wing's tack) and a constant curve.

This tack is a bit more technical because you have to twist your upper body while having excellent execution speed with good pressure precision. In this technique, you will start heelside, meaning with your good foot forward ("normal" riding). You will finish your tack toeside, with your body weight shifting to your front leg. It's a bit more complicated than a frontside tack, but with a little practice, anything is possible!

Step 1: The turn

You need to approach the turn with more speed compared to a frontside tack. This way you will maximize flight time and pass this maneuver more easily. If there isn't enough wind, you can bear away slightly to gain more speed to complete this first step and then quickly head back upwind.

The turn begins by pressing on your heels and leaning your body into the turn. You need to press on your heels for a large part of the curve, until you have passed the upwind position. Then, you will need to rebalance the pressure on your toes to stay balanced on the board, otherwise you risk falling backward.

• Advantages of a high aspect foil wing: A front wing with a high aspect ratio will have better glide efficiency, so you will fly longer once the sail is no longer pulling. This will give you more time to perform your maneuver.
• Advantages of mid and low aspect foil wings: A front wing like our classic foil range will be just as suitable for learning to tack. Indeed, their more compact shapes will offer more maneuverability. You will carve more easily.