Weston Sailing Club hosts Starboard wingfoil demo day on May 9

Weston Sailing Club turned wingfoiling into a practical gear day on May 9, opening its club to members and visitors from 11 a.m. for a hands-on look at Starboard equipment. With Starboard UK brand manager Paul Simmons on site, the session gave local riders a direct way to inspect current foiling setups and try them in real conditions instead of judging them from a screen.

The timing mattered because the barrier to entry in wingfoiling is still often the same one: getting on the right board, wing and foil before committing serious money. Weston built the day around that problem, making the club more than a meeting point and turning it into a test venue where riders could compare equipment with guidance close at hand. That kind of access is especially useful for newcomers deciding whether the sport fits their size, skill level and learning pace.

Weston also leaned on Starboard’s wider reputation to frame the event. The club pointed to the brand’s roots in the mid-1990s and its track record in world-championship-winning windsurfing and paddleboarding designs before its move into wingfoiling. That history gave the demo day a business edge as well as a sporting one: this was not a generic product display, but a showcase from a company that has already helped shape modern board sports and is now pushing wingfoil development forward.

The kit list showed how broad the offering was. Weston said the demo included Above boards in 101L, 120L, 136L, 143L and 155L; Take Off boards in 70L and 95L; and Ace Lightning boards in 140L and 120L. Wing choices included Source in 3.5m, 5.0m and 6.0m, plus Viva in 3.5m, 4.5m, 5.0m, 5.5m and 6.0m. The foil lineup was just as deep, with S-Type 2200, Glider 1250 and 1050, Glider Pro 1260 and 1010, and Fusion 1100, 925, 825 and 725.

For riders curious about foiling but unwilling to buy blind, the club delivered exactly what matters most: a date, a place and a full range of equipment to compare in person. Weston’s demo day showed how clubs and brands are lowering the entry cost of experimentation, and in a sport where the wrong setup can slow progress fast, that kind of access is the difference between guessing and getting started.