Mistral Sultan

As part of their move into the wingfoil market, Mistral have collaborated with Sabfoil to bring out the Sultan foil. Aimed at the intermediate level rider looking to progress their riding, Mistral have utilized the modular Sabfoil system in turn giving their customers the opportunity to invest in a wider range of foils as they progress further without having to change to a new system down the line.

The Sultan is a 1100cm2 mid aspect foil (AR 5.8) supplied with a 703mm aluminum fuselage and paired with a 202cm2 stabilizer. The stab is quite thin and higher aspect (AR 7.7) giving the mid aspect front wing a bit more glide and is supplied with a range of shims that let you tune your ride for more or less front foot pressure. The front wing has a bit of anhedral before flattening out at the wing tips whilst not being too thick as to still give a good combination of speed and glide. Being a mid aspect foil, the span isn’t too wide at 799mm. An 83cm carbon mast completes the set and has the option to come with the Sabfoil Kraken system, if desired, for not only faster disassembly using a single screw but also the ability to be interchangeable with a host of other Sabfoil kit as part of the impressive Kraken modular system (the foil we tested was supplied with the Kraken mast). As a finishing touch, the foil is supplied in a sturdy padded bag that allows you to pack and travel with your foils keeping them safe from damage. The Sultan foil was tested with the 75L Mistral Skywave wing board and the Skywave wings.

The Sultan is a very intuitive foil to ride. Getting going is easy with a generous low end and low susceptibility to stall thanks to the lower aspect ratio. With the 5m Skywave wing we were easily able to get on foil in lower winds than expected (11 gusting to around 14 knots) despite the Skywave board only being 4 '11. The foil feels stable and has a decent amount of lift and front foot pressure even with a zero degree shim on the stab, so we rode it a bit further back in the box. For a mid aspect foil it has a good amount of glide thanks to the stab and its ability to handle speed, and it also pumps decently at speed allowing you to make it through flat spots or connect waves without over exerting yourself. The foil is really designed for higher winds and medium waves and this is where it comes to life. As expected, the smaller span lets the foil turn on a dime and it's extremely maneuverable. For foilers looking to ride waves from knee to shoulder high, this foil excels. As already mentioned, it can handle speed and doesn’t get locked in when going fast, leaving you free to carve on open faces.

Mistral's collaboration with Sabfoil has created a great value proposition for their clients who are looking looking for an all round foil to push their riding whilst also investing in a modular system with a wide range of offerings to cover all disciplines as they improve their skills and choose which direction they want to take their foiling in.