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The Italian foil manufacturer SABFOIL continues to expand in the foiling world by adding a new line of front wings purely designed for pump foiling – the Leviathan series. As its name suggests, it is a line of massive, high-aspect front wings characterized by extreme efficiency at low speed. Lately there’s been quite a bit of hype surrounding these foils: much of this hype can be attributed to Balz Müller’s endeavors in flat water pumping – the latest one being a flatwater start with a SUP board with no paddle, only leg pumping.
We had the chance to test the second biggest of these new front wings, the Leviathan 1350 (that, as its name suggests, has a 1350mm span) and we’ve been impressed by their efficiency and overall by the clever design of the whole foil set.
We paired with the M73K – a 73cm-long carbon mast optimized to have maximum capabilities across different disciplines from wingfoil, to surffoil and kitefoil without compromising performance. It is important to note that SABFOIL also recently introduced a specific version of the carbon mast, that has been made to have the maximum performance during pumping and downwinding, with a much higher stiffness compared to the standard version (M73K), which we haven’t tried yet but we’re curious to test soon.
We then completed the foil set with the fuselage F703K – a 703mm aluminum fuselage, with a T8 front wing connection type (big chord and M8 screws) and the carbon stabilizer 380, a stabilizer with a high level of control and stability.
The Leviathan 1350 front wing has been purely designed for pumpfoil and downwind: with its 1950cm2 area, 17cm chord and an aspect ratio of 9.35, it is capable of incredibly early takeoffs with an impressive efficiency both in flat water as well as when downwinding. Its dedicated profile and design make it perfect for infinite gliding, a level of efficiency that honestly impressed us a lot.
We were also impressed by the ingenious modularity of the whole foil set. When talking about SABFOIL, in fact, it is imperative to mention their clever Kraken Modular System: a completely renewed modular platform introduced earlier this year that allows for infinite compatibility for masts, fuselages, plates and tuttles.
The Kraken Modular System allows you to connect any mast to any fuselage but more importantly to quickly switch the connection of your mast from plate to tuttle and vice versa in no time. In my opinion, the most useful part of the Kraken Modular System is the Quick Release System patented by SABFOIL which gives you the possibility to remove and mount your hydrofoil with a single screw, and, more importantly, without losing your settings when positioning your foil on the board. For our tests, we used the full carbon base plate that, with its 200 grams less weight compared to the aluminum version, delivers a top performing component for flat water pump foiling, where weight makes a lot of difference.
On the water the SABFOIL Leviathan set felt not only extremely efficient in pumping but also quite fast. Combining early take off capabilities with good speed is never an easy design task, but this foil successfully brings together both a great platform to develop both beginner and more advanced pump skills into one product.
The ride experience is very smooth and precise: when well understood, this foil allows for a minimalistic approach to pumping, helping develop the perfect pump technique. The foil seemed to like deeper, more gradual and longer pumps than a quicker pace. In fact, for each pump it was able to go for several meters.
Due to the shape of the wing that combines early flight, speed and a decent ability to redirect (good for its big span), it’s ideal to learn how to develop one’s skills in downwind too. With a span of 1350mm, it features a combination of speed and glide that is not easy to match and that makes the feeling of this foil so special.
The Leviathan 1350 caters to all levels of foilers looking to get into pumpfoil and to the more advanced pumpfoiler looking for one of the most efficient foils currently on the market. All in all, the Leviathan 1350 is a must-have foil for those who are looking to expand their foiling experience to flat water and downwind. FO
