96 SPOTLIGHT
Fly toy
Duotone F-Type 5.8m foil specific sail
Info: https://www.duotonesports.com/windsurfing/sails/f-type/ Price: 5.8 £609; 6.8 £629
WORDS: WINDSURFING UK PICS: WSUK
THERE’S A LOT TO BE THANKFUL FOR IN TERMS OF DESIGN WITH
THE ARRIVAL OF WINDFOILING. WITH A NEW DISCIPLINE COMES ALL
MANNER OF OUT OF THE BOX IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT COULD
STRADDLE STANDARD WINDSURFING IN TIME. NOT LEAST A NEW
BRAND NAME DUOTONE’S SPANGLY FOIL SPECIFIC F-TYPE 5.8M IS A
CASE IN POINT.
Once unfurled it’s obvious the F-Type is
quite different to standard windy sails.
First off there’s a large surface area in
the main section of the sail topped off
with a long Dacron panel next to the
luff. The bottom two battens (total four)
are similar to old school webbing
pullers and connect to Duotone’s
innovative SOFT.CAMS (which can be
removed if preferred).
Rigging is super simple (especially with
the brand’s VTS system printed on the
sail) with us ready to fly super quick. To
begin with we used the F-Type 5.8m with
the SOFT.CAMS in place. The brand
state with cams included you get the
maximum wind range whilst without
manoeuvrability/handling is improved.
As a sail for beginner or progressing
foilers the F-Type is non-technical and
effortless to use. It’s very soft feeling
uk
WIND
SURFING
yet has plenty of bottom end to get
flying in low winds. In that it responds
well to pumping. After a few runs we
removed the SOFT.CAMS to see how
that felt. We actually preferred this, but
having the option to use with or without
is certainly welcome.
Gybes and manoeuvres on foil are
doable with the F-Type in hand. It’s a
reactive sail that responds to sheeting
angles. In fact, over time, we came to
think it felt very like an updated One
Design sail that incorporates modern
features to give more efficiency. Again,
it’s soft and easy going handling traits
are bliss.
After a few sessions we couldn’t help but
see what the 5.8m could REALLY do. We
started experimenting with a few foiling
forwards. Whilst the F-Type doesn’t have
the whip of some sails it has enough low
end grunt to pop boards and attached
foils up into the air in readiness for
trigger pulling. The rest is down to the
rider in question.
Conclusion
We weren’t entirely sure what to
expect with Duotone’s foil specific
F-Type 5.8m. Although billed as an
entry level sail there’s plenty of
performance to suit experience
riders. Its soft yet dependable feel
makes it a joy to use – even in
overpowered foiling conditions. And
there’s plenty of scope for
advanced foil moves if you have the
skills/balls. We also doff our caps to
features like Duotone’s SOFT.CAMS
which are super user friendly.