With foiling pricking so many interests currently we thought it an idea to spotlight one of the boutique brands out there producing flying gear. With UK slalom sailor Jason Clarke utilising kit from Slovenian brand Bug (check out the Q&A we did with Jason re his work with Bug here) we decided to get on the case and see what’s what with their carbon foils.
Note: Since this article the brand have developed a new generation of foils with slightly different performance characteristics. Stay tuned as we hope to bring you more details on this ASAP.
Bug’s foil came supplied in modular fashion which makes storage and transport easy – everything bolting together fairly swiftly and efficiently. It’s interesting to note how light Bug’s foil is with a fair degree of flex through both front and rear wing.
The main wing is 86cm tip to tip with a 77cm fuselage, 96cm high mast capped off with the rear wing measuring 52cm. This is the low wind speed wing with a medium wind option available coming in at 40cm. The shapes of both are compact which are said to give increased stability in flight whilst remaining composed through manoeuvres like gybes.
Once attached via standard deep tuttle fitting it’s obvious before even having lifted off the foil is very reactive. The foil’s spring can instantly be felt when leaving the beach. With solid breeze in the mix it’s a workable foil that generates a decent level of speed. Whilst not the earliest to take off once up and hovering Bug’s foil is composed and dependable. Riders need a touch more power to lift off efficiently but that extra oomph is much more controllable than some early take off foils available.
A pretty good indication of the above is just how raked back a rider’s rig can be. There still needs to be front foot bias but you can lock down (on wider boards) much more like in conventional slalom stance. And it’s a foil that will cope with slightly windier conditions even when being on a more powered up sail.
Speed is also efficient with top ends being admirable. As with many foils you’re not quite as quick as when windsurfing conventionally, but the Bug isn’t any slouch either, especially when bearing off for a bit of downwind gun running.
Conclusion
Bug’s foil is very much of the performance orientated type. Fast and able to cope with a bit more breeze, while keeping manners, it suits moderately wide boards best (too wide and lift suffers). Super light wind flying is possible (sub-10 knots) but we found the optimum sail range to be between 5.2m and 8m. It’s a well manufactured bespoke bit of kit that has a big tick in the box for its modular set up – having easily interchangeable wings is a plus. For anyone looking to get into jumping and manoeuvre orientated foiling it would also accommodate.
Price: Check website for details.
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