Learn how to foil tack

What is a tack?

In water sports that use wind as a form of propulsion, a “tack” refers to the direction in which someone is moving relative to the wind. When wingfoiling, the wind typically comes from one side of the board, and the board can move in two possible directions, known as “tacks”:

Port Tack: The wind is coming over the port (left) side of the board.
Starboard Tack: The wind is coming over the starboard (right) side of the board.

The act of changing the board’s direction from one tack to the other, by turning the bow of the board through the wind, is also referred to as “tacking.” During this manoeuvre, the wing is adjusted to catch the wind on the opposite side. Tacking is a useful technique in wingfoiling, especially when wanting to wingfoil upwind, as it allows the board to make progress in a zigzag pattern against the wind.

So, in summary, “tack” in wingfoiling can refer to both the direction relative to the wind and the manoeuvre of changing that direction. For our purpose, we’re referring to the change of direction.

Heelside Vs Toeside tacks

In wingfoiling, there are two types of tacks, the “heelside tack” and a “toeside tack”. These refer to how your body and feet are positioned on the board in reference to the wind direction.

A heelside tack is when you turn the board up into the wind by leaning on your heels and so your back is against the wind. During a heel side tack, you turn the board through the wind by putting pressure on the heels, making the board pivot in that direction.

A toeside tack is when you turn the board by leaning on your toes and you are riding in a switch stance with your chest facing up into the wind. During a toe side tack, you turn the board through the wind by putting pressure on your toes.

Generally speaking, most find it easier to learn the toeside tack first as you are facing up into the direction that you are turning towards. But this does mean that you are entering the turn riding switch. If you’re not comfortable riding switch, we’d recommend you spend time mastering this skill before trying to learn the heelside tack. In wingfoiling, being proficient in both heelside and toeside tacks is beneficial, as it allows for more versatility and control in various wind and water conditions, especially if you are looking to get into racing or wave foiling.

The toeside tack

The following sections will describe the toeside tack, which we believe is benefiical to learn first off. But head on down to the healside tack section if you’re ready for this technique.

Land based practice

As with all land based activity with your wing, find a safe and appropriate place to practise. You’ll want steady and light winds.

For the toeside tack we’ll start in a switch stance position with our chest pointing up into the wind and our wing on the other side of our body. First off we’ll look at just the movement of the wing from one side to another, in a stationary position.

The first movement we will act upon is moving the wing from the switch stance to up and above your head holding both the front and back handles. As the wing starts to lift above your head, you’ll then look to move the wing forward. Then once above your head, release the back hand. Upon release, you will want look under your armpit whilst keeping your hand high and forward.

Now we’ll look to move the back hand towards the front handle. Your shoulders and chest will rotate around, at the same time you can shuffle your feet around 180 degrees. At the same time as rotating the body, you can make the front hand switch – your back hand now takes the front handle. Once you have rotated your body around the 180, you can now take the back handle with your old front hand. Congrats, you’ve now completed a toeside tack on land, within a stationary location. Practice this a few times to become comfortable with the different sections.

Once you’re comfortable with the stationary wing change, we can begin by slowly walking through the actions above but in an arc of 180 degrees. This will give you more connection to what you will be doing on the water. Depending on your ability on a skateboard, some find it beneficial to try the above movements on a skateboard in a open and safe environment with a small amount of wind to give you movement.

Congratulations, you’ve just performed your first dry land wingfoil tack. Now, repeat over and over to get a feel of each section and teach your brain and body what it should be doing at each stage. Try even doing it with closed eyes, if you can with ease, you’re probably ready to take it to the water.

Taking it to the water

Now we will break it down to 3 transition sections and explain what to concentrate on for each when taking it to the water.

1. The approach and initiating the turn

• • To start the tack, begin by riding in a switch stance with a comfortable amount of speed. It’s important to have enough momentum to carry you through the tack, so as you approach to tack, you might want to head slightly downwind in order to increase your speed whilst riding switch. 
  • Keep your foot position within your regular stance, keeping pressure control through the movement of your body, rather than moving your feet.
  • To start the tack, look to initiate wing movement to above your head and at the same time moving the wing forward, as we practiced on dry land. At the same shift your weight slightly onto your toes to initiate the upwind curve, towards the windward rail (the side of the board closest to the wind). As you turn through the tack, you’ll want to look for a consistent angle of tilt all the way through. This is the most efficient way to allow the foil to glide, rather than erratic movements changing the tilt angle back and forth. 

2. Transition through the tack

• • As you start to head up into the wind, you’ll look to keep the wind high above your head and slightly in front of you and now transition it over to over the board on your toeside with your leading hand. By keeping it in front, it stops you leaning back and stalling the board. At this point, release your back hand and look underneath your armpit through to the direction in where you want to turn to.
  • Keeping your toeside pressure on the board will allow you to turn through the arc of 180 degrees.

3. Exiting the Tack

• • Reposition the Wing

    Once the board has turned through the wind and you’re in the new direction, reposition the wing to catch the wind on the opposite side. Lower the leading edge and sheet in to regain power. The wing should now be on the opposite side of your body from where you started and you’ll now in be in your comfortable regular stance.

  • Power Up

    As you complete the turn, shift your weight back onto your front foot to stabilise the board and maintain foil speed. Start to power up the wing by extending your back arm and sheeting in, allowing the wing to pull you in the new direction.

  • Regain Speed

    Focus on regaining speed by applying pressure evenly across the board and maintaining a good foil angle. This will help you rise back onto the foil if you momentarily drop off during the tack.

Fine Tuning

• • Practice Timing

    The timing of the wing transition and board turn is crucial. With practice, you’ll develop a feel for the right moment to perform each action, making your tacks smoother and more efficient.

Common Challenges

• • Stalling

    If you lose too much speed during the tack, you might stall or drop off the foil. To avoid this, ensure you enter the tack with sufficient speed and be quick with your transitions.

  • Balance

    Keeping your balance during the complete turn. Keep your knees slightly bent, keep your weight centred, and control your board tilt through body weight movement and flex within your feet and ankles.

  • Wing Control

    The wing can become difficult to control during the transition, especially in stronger winds. Practice controlling the wing with one hand as you switch, and work on smoothly moving the wing across your body.

Practice Tips

• • Repetition

    As with all wingfoiling techniques, tacking is a manoeuvre that improves with repetition.

  • Visualisation

    Visualise the entire process before attempting the tack. Mentally walk through each step to ensure you understand the sequence of actions.

  • Progressive Learning

    Break down the tack into smaller components, such as practising the wing movement on land before heading to the water.

Conclusion

Mastering the tack on a Wingfoil board is a significant achievement that opens up new possibilities for manoeuvring and exploring different conditions and opportunities. It requires a blend of technical skill, balance, and timing, all of which improve with consistent practice. As you refine your technique, you’ll find your tacks becoming smoother and more natural, allowing for seamless and efficient changes in direction while foiling.