Tested: F-One’s New IC6 Hydrofoil “Very Impressive”
Two of the industries top Kite Magazines have reviewed our new IC6 Hydrofoil! This NEW Technology enables us to mix carbon fibers with an injected base material to reach a unique blend of characteristics, combining the strength of carbon fibers with a bombproof base material. The IC6 Technology offers great resistance and stiffness with extreme durability.
Two of the industries top Kite Magazines have reviewed our new IC6 Hydrofoil! This NEW Technology enables us to mix carbon fibers with an injected base material to reach a unique blend of characteristics, combining the strength of carbon fibers with a bombproof base material. The IC6 Technology offers great resistance and stiffness with extreme durability.
A very user-friendly package with maximum fun potential…, retails at $899! Paired with a F-One 51 or 49 Foilboard, you can get a F-One foil package for $1599.
It’s an exciting time to be a kitesurfer if you’re embracing the brave new world of foiling… If you began a few years ago then life was a bit of a lottery in terms of knowing how something was going to ride and whether you had picked up the best new foil on the market, or you had gone for a foil that would end up on the big ‘not quite fit for purpose’ foil scrapheap. Nowadays there are a lot of decent foils on the market and – as with any quickly evolving technology – there is a lot of cross-pollination of ideas. There are some brands, however, who started early with the foil game and have a head start on the competition. One of those brands is F-ONE. They have had a comprehensive range for over three years now and with a solid R&D team headed up by Charles Bertrand they are very much at the cutting edge of foil technology. Their range, until now, had generally been at the mid-upper price point – but for 2018 there is a new foil arriving into the range… The IC6 has an aluminum mast and fuselage – with 65 and 90cm mast options – and then wings made using an Injected Carbon process (hence the IC). The result is a respectably light foil set up with very sturdy wings which are less brittle than carbon, and – most notably – the whole set up comes in at €849… Which is competitive to say the least. Assembly is straightforward using F-ONE’s patented system where one long bolt connects the wings, fuselage and mast together, and you’re good to go.
On the water and first impressions of the IC6 are: this is too easy! The foil comes up at a low speed and is then nicely balanced so doesn’t keep on coming up – a little front foot pressure gets you easily into the sweet spot. Then it’s a nice stable foil to cruise around on – you can inject some power into your kite and it responds to this giving either plenty of speed across the wind or some nice tight upwind angles. Then for us the most impressive feature was its performance when cruising off the wind. It’s not a huge foil but we found that you could smoothly glide around off the wind and the IC6 provided a stable and fun platform. Even riding from heel to toe was pretty straightforward and we found ourselves making a much higher percentage of gybes without ending up in the water…
In a sentence: The IC6 is an impressive foil from a price point perspective, but it is also a very impressive foil from a riding perspective – it’s not going to beat any speed records, but if you want mid-performance freeride fun then it’s a perfect package.
F-One just released a the IC6, a versatile new hydrofoil. The IC6 boasts great speed range, stability, amazing carving potential, and a smooth, easy take-off. Plus, IC6 is modular, incorporating the new assembly system that was developed and patented by F-One. Find out more by reading the details below, provided by F-One.
F-ONE’s unique experience in foiling has now been gathered into the most accessible and versatile package ever, combining early and super smooth take-off, impressive control and maneuverability along with the speed range that anyone should expect from a versatile foil.
– Available with a 90cm or 65cm mast, the IC6 850 foil will please beginners and experienced riders alike. Choose the 65cm for a faster learning curve or the 90cm version for maximum versatility.
– Besides early lift, the wing design offers a very smooth and predictable ride. The carving possibilities are endless on this very user-friendly package with maximum fun potential.
– The construction focuses on reliability with aluminium used for the mast, mast foot, fuselage and front wing connector. The wings built in iC6 injected carbon are extremely resistant while providing a smooth and comfortable ride.
Technology IC6 Injected Carbon
The IC6 technology mixes carbon fibers with an injected base material to reach a unique blend of characteristics, combining the strength of carbon fibers with a bombproof base material. The IC6 technology offers great resistance and stiffness with extreme durability.
IC6 Wing and Stabilizer
KF BOX
F-ONE kitefoils are equipped with the fully conical KF-BOX. Its shape makes it easy to connect and fits well with the thickness of the kiteboards due to its moderate height. The KF-BOX offers a perfect, tight support.
Aluminium 6061
This aluminium alloy boasts some very good mechanical properties and can be processed in many different ways while also offering a natural resistance to corrosion. Produced from an extrusion process, our aluminium profiles make the most of this homogeneous material to provide perfect stiffness both in torsion and bending. All areas in contact with other metals or carbon parts are duly isolated against galvanic reactions.
Assembly and Fast Connection Device Patent
We have developed and patented a brand new concept for the assembly of the mast, fuselage and wings because this is a critical aspect of the kitefoil. It drives the reliability and ease of use for assembling and taking the foil apart for transportation, as much as the repeatability of the trim between the front and rear wings. The bene t of the system is the one and only screw that maintains the main parts together:
– Mast
– Fuselage
– Front wing
IC6 Front View
This screw is placed longitudinally and is therefore only stressed in tension instead of shear or bending. The whole foil can be tightened up with everything working in a sound mechanical way. To gain some precision, robustness and packed-up volume, the screw is combined with a squared, conical assembling system, which has been proven as the best mechanical setup to lock any motion or degree of freedom between the parts, while also contributing greatly to tensional resistance.
It’s an exciting time to be a kitesurfer if you’re embracing the brave new world of foiling… If you began a few years ago then life was a bit of a lottery in terms of knowing how something was going to ride and whether you had picked up the best new foil on the market, or you had gone for a foil that would end up on the big ‘not quite fit for purpose’ foil scrapheap. Nowadays there are a lot of decent foils on the market and – as with any quickly evolving technology – there is a lot of cross-pollination of ideas. There are some brands, however, who started early with the foil game and have a head start on the competition. One of those brands is F-ONE. They have had a comprehensive range for over three years now and with a solid R&D team headed up by Charles Bertrand they are very much at the cutting edge of foil technology. Their range, until now, had generally been at the mid-upper price point – but for 2018 there is a new foil arriving into the range… The IC6 has an aluminum mast and fuselage – with 65 and 90cm mast options – and then wings made using an Injected Carbon process (hence the IC). The result is a respectably light foil set up with very sturdy wings which are less brittle than carbon, and – most notably – the whole set up comes in at €849… Which is competitive to say the least. Assembly is straightforward using F-ONE’s patented system where one long bolt connects the wings, fuselage and mast together, and you’re good to go.
