Wingfoil Modular, innovation Made in France

ALPINE FOIL DW 1680 - TEST EN WINGFOIL DANS MOINS DE 10 NOEUDS

ALPINE FOIL - NOUVELLE GAMME DW ET TEST DE LA 1680 EN SUPFOIL / WINGFOIL

For the MODULAR we started from a blank sheet, and we decided to lay a whole new foundation for this foil.

The foil has revolutionized water sports, it has exploded in recent years with a multitude of practices: Wingfoil, kitefoil, Surf foil, SupFoil, Pumping, Wakefoil, ...

The observation is simple: most of us became multi-support, but our budget is not limitless.

So why not start with a blank sheet and design a modern, modular foil that would take all these practices into account, while laying new foundations for design?

• Mechanics
• Performance
• Weight
• Flow optimization
• Budget

Initially, Alpinefoil is a mechanical and composite design office with Alpine Design and DCE Engineering,
our specialty is to design, invent, innovate, find solutions and manufacture foils in France for everyone and for all as well as for other companies in the world of sailing.

Since 2007 Alpinefoil designs foils and the company has been awarded several times for its innovations: in 2013 with the ARTINOV prize, in 2014 with INOSPORT and in 2020 by ALPES IS HERE

In 2013 Alpinefoil designed the first standard Aluminium kitefoil in order to lower production costs and democratize the practice, 6 months later the first Titanium/Carbon mix kitefoil appeared solving corrosion problems, and mechanical resistance for the most demanding.
In 2016, Alpinefoil added to its aluminium foils a sacrificial anode that improves the corrosion resistance of aluminium foils. 2016-2017-2018 Alpinefoil is French kitefoil champion on the Engie Kite Tour.
In 2017 Alpinefoil developed a ROBOT head for sanding during foil production.
In 2018 the first Winfdoil A1 appeared with a new approach on the accessibility of the Windfoil
In 2021 Alpinefoil create the first kitefoil Pocket board built as a foil wing with a weight of only 1.9 kg and an outstanding stiffness.
Since 2007 we have acquired a thorough knowledge of Hydrofoil wing profiles, which allowed us to greatly extend the range of our foils.
2022 Version 3 of the ROBOTISED head is in production.

Our mastery of ECO Design is reflected on, the design and manufacture of our foils including our moulds and packaging, which allows us to guarantee a MADE IN FRANCE quality respectful of the environment.

Many of the AlpineFoil innovations were taken up and the foil was made accessible to as many people as possible.

Today with the MODULAR everything has been revised, only the orange color dear to Alpinefoil, the passion for efficiency and performance have been preserved.

The First point and one of the most important is the Mast, the current aluminum mats are very poorly suited for Wing/ Surf/ Sup ..
They are often too heavy, too flexible, too fragile, too inefficient, or penalized by the ventilation that throws us to the ground and prevents us from enjoying our foil serenely.

• The sensations

The second point is the Glide, a lot of people come from the Windsurf, the Windfoil, or the Kitefoil.
Currently the support that brings the most performance and glide is the kitefoil but today the wingfoil has totally mutated.
What we are looking for is to find the glide that we have in kitefoil but adapted to the Wing and has its constraints.
It was therefore logical that our experience in designing kitefoils is found in this new mat.
The goal for us is to find the gliding sensations of the Kitefoil and Windfoil but in Wingfoil.

• Evolutivity despite obsolescence

Moreover, aluminium mats are rarely scalable: it is impossible to replace the aluminium profile with a carbon profile, because the method of fixing a carbon profile must be different from that of an aluminium profile.

For this reason, in the foil market, in order to evolve its foil aluminium to a carbon foil, there are rarely other possibilities than to replace the mat, the plate and sometimes even the fuselage, This widens the financial gap of this development well above the 1000 euros. 
On the Modular to evolve its foil with a carbon mat costs only: 629 euros. 
When we know that 70% of practitioners want to eventually evolve towards a carbon mast, we think that this possibility is financially interesting.

Coming back to the Modular Carbon mast, we had several problems to solve during its design:

Problems of weight, stiffness (use of foil wing with large weights) and ventilation (sudden stall of the mast in navigation).

We had to draw a whole new profile.
This started with a flow study, then with RDM (Resistance of Materials) modelling to optimize the internal structure of the mast in order to obtain the best mechanical performance in torsion/bending

• Weight and Rigidity

On the carbon version: we used HR carbon, whose elongation module (stiffness level) of the fibers is much higher than standard carbon: 256 gpa against 160 gpa. We used different fiber crossings to get a high level of performance. Various technical tests were conducted

Accurate measurement on our test bench allows us to accurately quantify the performance gain of the mat.

Indeed, we sometimes hear that aluminum mats are more rigid than carbon masts.
This is the case when the carbon used or the amount of carbon does not achieve the performance of an aluminium mast. It was therefore very important to conduct these bending torsion tests in order to really make a noticeable difference with the carbon mast. The stiffness gain measured on the Modular of an Alu version has a carbon version is 27%, this difference is noticeable quite quickly as soon as we start using wings of large sizes. The gain is also marked in nervousness at firefighting or in curves. The carbon mast returns an energy that improves the take-off in the light and an additional efficiency in the pumping

The weight gain between the carbon mast and the aluminium mast is 30%.

Based on the experience gained in recent years, our fuselage incorporates the principles that made the success of foils with the first aluminum fuselages dating back to 2014, reliability, accessibility, efficiency, rigidity

Why an aluminium fuselage ?

For a manufacturer like Alpinefoil that controls carbon, why not use a carbon fuselage ?

There are several reasons :

The main reason is reliability.
A fuselage undergoes enormous efforts in all the axes X Y Z (torsion, flexion, etc ..) out of carbon is made of fibers that have the particularity of being very efficient, but only in the direction of the fiber.
It is very difficult to arrange the fibers to resume the efforts in all axes except by having a multitude of fibers that lead to a relatively thick and slippery fuselage.
In addition, the very high stiffness of the carbon penalizes the resilience on the fuselage, which is extremely stressed. Imagine that the fuselage is in one of the most stressed areas.
Imagine a log of wood in which you would plant a wood chisel on one side (the mast) and on the other a 1 meter board attached to the log (the wing) if you pull on the board and the wood chisel at the same time, the log explodes in its center, Because all the constraints are there.
Carbon does not like at all the repeated efforts in torsion, it will eventually fade as soon as the effort is a little too large or it will take play in the assembly. We have learned that in the past at our expense.

What is better? A carbon fuselage with a risk of breakage, or an aluminum fuselage, but whose oxidation can be controlled by regular maintenance? 

The second reason is : the respect of the connection planes of the foil wings, an offset of 0.1 degrees on the stabilizer or the front wing and the foil no longer works in the same way.
A carbon fuselage is moulded, it requires a finish, a trimming, a sanding. This implies a share of randomness, so it is almost impossible to respect this tolerance.
Aluminum and Carbon for a fuselage, it is like oak and reed, aluminum is resilient, it can take very strong constraints, deform slightly and return to its original form, because it is an isotropic material that can work uniformly on all axes.

The last point is located at the level of the inserts fixing the wings and the stabilizer, it is very difficult to have a durable bonding of the threaded inserts on a stress area so strong with a Carbon construction.

MANUFACTURING

The fuselage is machined in a rolled aviation aluminum block, the machining of the fuselage is carried out in the direction of the rolling of the material in order to bring even more bending resistance to the fuselage.
It is made on a machining center that allows an accuracy of one hundredth of mm.
It is then subjected to the same finish as the masts: polished for a better glide, then anodized for a better corrosion resistance.

TECHNICAL CHOICES

the fuselage mast connection is made by recessing and screwing by triple forged torx screws.
Experience since 2014 has shown us that this type of connection brings a very high level of reliability and rigidity. 
Not using an intermediate part between the mast and the fuselage eliminates the loss of rigidity associated with the assembly and the risk of play between these parts. 

The embedding of the mast directly into the fuselage makes it possible to resume the forces on the outside of the mast rather than the inside of the mast profile and further increases this rigidity.

The fuselage has a sacrificial anode that protects the foil from corrosion more efficiently (as on boats): this small detail impacts the cost of production of the fuselage, but is found on the durability of the foil

the profile of the fuselage is optimized for efficiency, torsional strength, bending and weight, this allows to obtain a light and rigid foil

the wing fuselage connection :

In 2010 Alpinefoil made a study to try to choose the connection that would bring the most portability (possibility devolution) and rigidity. At the time, we did not imagine that we could use foil wings of 1800 cm², but the study that was carried out proved us right. This connection system has made it possible to give the universal compatibility of all our foil wings on all our fuselages Whatever the practice: Kitefoil, Wingfoil, Windfoil, etc.

The fixing by 4 screws in quinconce (offset from the central axis) particularity of AlpineFoil brings 80% more torsional rigidity compared to a fixing by in-line screwdriving 

This universal attachment allows us today to offer you a foil that does not suffer from obsolescence, which allows you to use all types of Alpinefoil wings, even the one from 2010 and also to guarantee you the future of your foil.

By taking stock of the foils on the market, we realize that many brands have never anticipated these developments, and that some have changed systems several times to readjust by literally cutting all compatibility between their own foil range. 

The real strength of the MODULAR in addition to its technical characteristics is its MODULARITY

The Masts

Standar lenghts for carbon masts :

• 75 cm  (surf foil, sup foil, wingfoil)
• 83 cm  (Wingfoil, Kitefoil )
• 95 cm  (kitefoil / wingfoil)

Super rigid, very light and super resistant, a real upgrade for the aluminium version

The Boxes

• RAIL US board compatible with Wingfoil/Surfoil AlpineFoil boards and other brands equipped with a Rail US Standard enclosure
• KF BOX (Kitefoil box) compatible with AlpineFoil kitefoil boards and other brands equipped with a Kitefoil Box

The Stabilizers

• Standard (298 cm2 , 476 mm span)
  it is the stabilizer that allows to start, to have a maximum of stability as well as an excellent low range
   
• Performance (236 cm2, 405 mm span) 
  the foil becomes brighter, more manageable with a better glide, suitable for insiders + or experienced rider
   
• SHA239 (239 cm2, 443 mm wingspan)
  This new SHA (Super High Aspect) High Performance Stabilizer enhances the Alpinefoil HA (High Aspect) wing range like the Régatas (580, 850 & 1100) the DW1680, DW1370, DW980 or Cruises (1250 & 1450) pushing them to their maximum capacity in terms of top speed, efficiency and maneuverability it debride the foil while maintaining good stability and a very good low range
   
• SHA188 (188 cm2, 443 mm wingspan)
  The little brother of the SHA239, it pushes even further the top speed and maneuverability, it requires a little more technique on the supports in the waves and ground water. The course and speed are impressive.

To choose your wing, contact us by message, mail or phone!
we will guide you according to your level, your template, your desires

DW RANGE: Down Wind freeride, Wave surf, Cruising and pumping suitable for Wingfoil, Surf foil, SUP foil, Pumping and Windfoil

• DW1680 (1680 cm² - 109 cm wingspan) HA-High Aspect
  The Wingfoil Super light wind from 8 knots with a 6 m² is possible! The DW1680 is the INNOVATION Alpinefoil that revolutionizes the Wing in the light
  This is probably the first wing of Wingfoil specifically optimized for this practice. With its 109 cm wingspan, High Aspect and its new profile from the Alpinefoil research, it offers a high glide that allows to generate a lot of apparent wind and jibes/ transfer super easy. 
  Wingfoil navigation in the light wind becomes a pleasure! Ultra accessible, for both experts and beginners. It is also a great wing of Down Wind to connect all small swells or to try the SURF Foil, SUP Foil or PUMPING
   
• DW1370 (1370 cm² - 109 cm wingspan) HA-High Aspect
   From 10 knots of wind, it takes on the gliding concepts and profile of the DW1680 while maintaining the same span with a narrower rope and an even higher Aspect Ratio. Gliding is very important on this wing with an excellent lift/ drag ratio.  The wing starts super early in Wingfoil, and offers an exceptional glide. It works as well in light wind as very strong wind. The surf waves are fabulous and the wing keeps a very good handling. It allows to reconnect all small waves and reacts immediately to the slightest stress in pumping. Jibes and tacks are a formality, the wing slides and carries with virtually no traction in the wing.
   
• DW980 (980 cm² - 93 cm wingspan) HA-High Aspect
  This is the wing that perfectly complements a DW1680, a DW1370, a Cruise 1450/ 1250 or a Regatta 1100, we keep the fabulous profile of the DW, a profile that starts super early that slides and reacts immediately to the fireman. The DW980 has been optimized for maneuverability by reducing the span. The curves are tight and the wing has a superb glide. There is a lot of elongation in the jibe and excellent speed. The DW980 like its big sister starts very early from 13/14 knots with no real limit in the strong wind. The special feature of DW is their constant front foot supports that hardly vary Regardless of the strength of the wind and speed. Super reactive, it allows to surf, slow down, accelerate strongly. Jibes are easy and bank turns disconcerting for its surface. The wing continues to wear even if you slow down a little too much

REGATA RANGE: Performance, glide, and speed with good accessibility, very pleasant cruising and perfectly suited for Wingfoil and Windfoil 

• REGATA 1100 (1100 cm² - 100 cm wingspan) HA-High Aspect
  Its reputation is well established, an excellent glide, the wing is tolerant and accessible with a very low stall speed. On flat water the wing is a treat, it glides and lengthens, the wing is super stable, jibes and transfers are easy. Very little power is needed to maintain the flight. From 12-13 knots of wind and a 6 m² one can start to use it. The wing generates a lot of apparent wind and allows to pass the limps without incident. We find the sensations of speed that we have in kitefoil or windfoil but in Wing with great ease
   
• REGATA 850 (850 cm² - 86 cm wingspan) HA-High Aspect
  The 850 is a real toy, super handy, it allows Carver in Wingfoil and starts early for its size. At 14-15 knots have little to start to pull it out, this type of wing with high ratio requires a small take-off speed then, it starts, the jibe is easy and short, you just have to slip, it spins tight and it accelerates very easily and strongly. With a little experience, we manage to get it out almost all the time. It will be ideal for those who love speed, carving, and the gliding sensations we have in kitefoil. It ideally completes a Regatta 1100.
   
• REGATA 580 (580 cm² - 67 cm wingspan) HA-High Aspect
  The 580 is a pretty incredible wing, ultra maneuverable with a very low stall speed for its size. At 18-20 knots, it is extremely playful. It allows to send big jumps safely for the gear. It carves really hard and tight. You have to think about keeping a good jibe speed and it goes by itself. It is well adapted in moderate to strong wind and for riders. With a little experience, it’s a much more accessible wing than it seems.

CRUISE RANGE: Super accessibility, Freeride, Wave, Down Wind, Wave surf, Cruising. Suitable for Windfoil too

• CRUISE 1450 (1450 cm² - 91 cm wingspan) MHA-Medium High Aspect
  The Cruise is a super easy wing, very progressive and very manoeuvrable, perfectly adapted to the beginner or progressive rider, with a good glide for its surface. It allows to turn tight and allows to slow down easily to learn jibes. It is a wing in all softness and tolerance, it forgives a little all the faults of support. In the swell it is very playful and allows short turns, it is a pure freeride wing going everywhere that will forgive you everything. Its particularity is to be able to achieve a very good speed for its surface, because the profile has been optimized for this
   
• CRUISE 1250 (1249 cm² - 86 cm wingspan) MHA-Medium High Aspect
  We remain in the same line as the 1450, with great ease and tolerance, with even more glide, softness and maneuverability.

SURF RANGE: Super Accessibility, Initiation,  Freeride, Wave, Wave Surf .  Suitable for Wingfoil, Surf Foil, and SUP Foil

• SURF 1800 (1800 cm2 - 89 cm wingspan) LA-Low Aspect
  Early start and accessibility, designed for the Wingfoil, SUP foil and SUP this wing is reassuring, the wing takes off with very little speed and has a moderate speed. It will be very reassuring for beginners and will allow the surfer to settle in the wave. Very stable, it makes it easy to discover the wingfoil.