Jan 18 – New wing, better control… and so close to flying

January 18th.
Another day at Enoshima Yacht Club with my instructor.

This session was special—I used a 6.0m² wing that my instructor had passed down to me. It’s newer than what I used before, and instead of handles, it has a boom-style bar, similar to windsurfing.

Honestly, I was really excited to try it and see how much of a difference it would make.

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Perfect morning conditions

The conditions were pretty solid in the morning.

Wind was around 4–5 m/s, which is just about ideal for my current level. Slight side-shore wind—great for practicing control and positioning.

As soon as I got on the water, I could feel it:

I’m definitely improving.

I was able to ride upwind consistently and cover long distances without losing control. Before, I’d lose balance or let the wind escape halfway through a run—but this time, it felt much more stable.

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The gear made a difference

The new wing clearly helped.

The boom-style setup makes power control easier, and you can adjust hand positions more freely. That makes fine tuning way smoother, and overall riding just feels more stable.

It was one of those days where you really feel how much equipment matters.

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So close to foiling

That said… I still didn’t fully get into foiling.

But I got really close.

I tried multiple times—building speed, bearing off, aiming for that lift moment.

And a few times, I definitely felt it:

That “almost flying” feeling.

The board getting lighter, starting to lift…

But every time, right at that critical moment, I lost balance and fell. Probably 4–5 wipeouts.

The closer I got to flying, the more unstable everything became.
That last bit of control—that’s the hard part.

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And then… the wind disappeared

As I kept trying, the wind gradually dropped.

Eventually, it just wasn’t enough to generate the speed needed for foiling anymore.

So I switched back to basics:

• Power control
• Arm positioning
• Downwind angle

Not flashy, but important work.

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Calling it a day

I thought about staying longer for some solo practice, but by then it was basically no wind.

I even considered switching to SUP surfing, but there were barely any waves, so that wasn’t an option either.

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Progress is real

I didn’t foil today.

But I got closer.

That “almost lift” feeling is becoming clearer and more repeatable.

And the fact that I can now ride long distances with stability—that’s a big step.

Next goal:

Hold that lift longer. Make it real.

I can feel it—it’s coming soon.