Windsurf Foil
Angle Gauge

The Problem

The iQFOiL is an Olympic windsurfing discipline where athletes race on hydrofoils at speeds exceeding 30 knots. The wing angle of attack (AoA) — the angle of the front wing relative to the mast base — is a critical tuning parameter that affects lift, drag, and ride height.

Elite athletes set this angle during equipment preparation, but no purpose-built tool existed. Sailors were using improvised methods — phone inclinometers, homemade wooden jigs — none of which were repeatable, weather-resistant, or specific to the iQFOiL's geometry.

Design & Prototyping

Having competed at two ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships on the iQFOiL, I understood the problem firsthand. I used 3D scanning to capture the exact mast base and wing root geometry, then built the gauge around those surfaces so it locates repeatably without the user needing to align anything.

• 3D scanned the mast base fitting to capture the true locating surface geometry
• Designed a two-part gauge in Fusion 360 — reference body + rotating protractor arm
• FDM printed in PETG for durability and UV resistance on the water
• Integrated a bubble level vial for quick zero-reference verification
• Angular scale laser-engraved directly on the print — no stickers to peel

Iteration & Refinement

The first prototype was tested at a national training camp. Feedback from other athletes drove two major design revisions: a wider reference foot for stability on the angled mast base, and a detachable arm that folds flat for storage in a sail bag.

• V1 → V2: Wider contact foot, tighter fit tolerances
• V2 → V3: Foldable arm, lanyard attachment point, revised scale markings
• Print settings optimized for 0.2 mm layer height — readable scale detail without post-processing

To Market

After V3 was validated by several national-level athletes, I produced a small batch and sold units to the Canadian iQFOiL fleet and several international contacts made through the World Championship circuit. This was my first experience taking a product from an idea all the way to a paying customer.

Photos