iQFOiL CARE GUIDE
The iQFOiL is built to last. But there are steps you can take, to prolong its life, avoid breakage and any dangerous situations.
Any early signs of wear should be dealt with immediately. If you are in doubt, contact your local iQFOiL dealer/distributor. Do not put yourself at risk by not attending any breakage.
To keep your iQFOiL healthy over many years, follow these simple tips and tricks we recommend for you.
Starboard iQFOiL 95 Board
UV-DIRECT SUNLIGHT
Always keep your board protected from the sun when not in use. If left for too long under the sun, the colours of your board could fade over time and the structural performance of your board my degrade.
PARTS
Make sure you use the correct screws and tools which come with the board.
Make sure that the valve is always closed before going into the water.
Keep your footstraps screws tightened at all times. Check them regularly to make sure they haven’t worked themselves loose.
DAMAGE
Check your board for dings and damage regularly. If the board is damaged, then repair it before sailing on it.
RIGGING SURFACE AND HANDLING
Always try to set up your board on a non-abrasive surface to protect your board as much as possible. Use a board cover when the board is not in use.
Starboard Foils iQFOiL Carbon
Regularly check your FOIL for any signs of wear and tear, they are subject to extreme loads and forces.
UV – DIRECT SUNLIGHT
Always keep your foil protected from heat and sun when not in use. With long exposure to the sun, the structural performance of your foil my degrade.
USE THE RIGHT BOLTS PROVIDED
Your foil comes with a full set of screws and some spare ones. Make sure you check on the assembly guide and use the correct length for each part.
Always use the security lateral screws that go through the fuselage and mast.
WASH REGULARLY IN FRESHWATER
Rinsing and disassembling your foil every day helps to avoid corrosion and the bolts to seize and get stuck.
When not in use, and stored in a cool dry place.
WINGS
Take extra care of not hitting any hard surface or object, in and out of the water, this could damage the wings and slow you down.
KEEP CONNECTIONS CLEAN
Keep all connections points clean of sand or dust. Especially on the surface where the wings connect to the fuselage.
Make sure the holes of the fuselages where the bolts go in are clean without sand or dust.
Drake iQFOiL Fin
Regularly check your fin for any signs of wear and tear.
Take care not to hit any solid object or hard surface, this could seriously damage your fin.
Sail HGO and FGO
To keep your sail healthy for many years, follow these simple recommended tips and tricks.
RINSE YOUR SAIL REGULARLY
Washing the sand and salt off your sail will keep the panels, downhaul pulley and luff sleeve fresh. Especially if you are not sailing regularly.
FIND A GOOD RIGGING SPOT
Always strive to rig on grass or on a nonabrasive surface. This will keep your luff sleeve, batten pockets and the top of the sail in good shape. Always keep sand out of the inside of the luff sleeve.
UV – DIRECT SUNLIGHT
The rays of the sun will wear down monofilm over time. Therefore, if you are not sailing, you should move your sail out of the sun or de-rig it completely.
RIGGING AND DE-RIGGING
Don’t leave your sail rigged when not in use. It causes stress on your sail as well as your mast. De-rig it and store it safely in its bag. Avoid rolling up the sail with sand and dirt in it.
Don’t leave the sail half rigged, if you take the cambers off the mast, derig it completely if not the cams will damage the sleeve.
RECOMMENDED MAST
You should use the recommended SEVERNE Apex mast for your HGO sail. The sails and masts are designed to fit each other. The use of a different brand mast may cause unintended strain on your sail.
REGULAR CHECKS
Always keep an eye out for potential wear on any area of your sail. That way you can have it fixed before the damage gets worse.
TRANSPORTATION
When traveling with your sail, or packing it with other equipment, avoid packing your sail in the bottom as it can leave permanent fold marks when crushed.
Severne Apex Mast and RDM Blue line
A mast can break for several reasons, but apart from production defects, the most common reason for mast breakage is incorrect usage.
Always protect your mast from impact damage.
Here are a couple of tips on how to look after your mast and extend its lifetime.
BOOM HEAD – DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN
SLIP LOK Textured patterns in the boom area of our masts increase friction for less slippage. This eliminates the need to over-tighten the boom, decreasing stresses on the mast.
Using the SEVERNE boom with the Lockjaw front end, you only need to apply minimum force for it to sit perfectly stable on the mast without sliding.
You should not apply more than 10-15kg of pressure on the end of the lever for it to close. This can be done with two fingers.
Many over tighten their boom head and have to apply reasonable force to close the boom head. This can easily crack the mast and leads to permanent damage at the boom head.
OVEREXPOSURE OF UV AND HEAT
Leaving them under direct sunlight and heat may damage your mast, shorten their life-span, and the risk of breakage is heightened.
We recommend de-rigging your sail, move your rig outside of the sun in the shade or release downhaul tension.
UV is also very harmful to your sail – so best to de-rig it or move it out of the sun.
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SAIL RIGGED
Leaving a sail rigged with downhaul fully tensioned overnight or for several days will damage your mast.
We recommend you to de-rig the sail as soon as you finish your session.
BEFORE PUTTING THE MAST TOGETHER
Make sure the top section of the mast and the ferrule on the bottom section are completely clean before putting the mast together.
SHORE BREAKS
When launching in waves / shore breaks, keep your rig clear of the breaking wave. A wave breaking the sail may break the mast and/or sail.
When the top of the mast gets caught on the bottom and a wave hits the rig, the mast could break.
CAM USAGE
Improper use of cams can create wear on the mast and damage the mast permanently.
Make sure cams are placed well and rotate correctly. Especially when putting final downhaul tension the cams might move from the ideal angle.
ADJUSTABLE DOWNHAUL
The use of an adjustable downhaul system can cause stress and damage to your mast. At the point of attachment, the rope can cause compression onto the fibres of the mast. And while not immediately obvious, the compression on the mast weakens it over time, and causes breakage.
Severne Enigma Boom
To keep your boom healthy over many years, follow these simple recommended tips and tricks.
WASH REGULARLY IN FRESHWATER
Rinsing the sand and saltwater off your boom will keep it fresh for longer and free of potential corrosion.
AVOID ABRASIVE SURFACES
Rigging up on abrasive surfaces could cause damage to your boom.
BOOM HEAD – DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN
Using the SEVERNE boom with the Lockjaw front end, you only need to apply minimum force for it to sit perfectly stable on the mast without sliding.
You should not apply more than 10-15kg of pressure on the end of the lever for it to close. This can be done with two fingers.
Many over tighten their boom head and have to apply reasonable force to close the boom head. This can easily crack the mast and leads to permanent damage at the boom head.
KEEP BOOM CLIPS CLOSED
Unless while adjusting the boom size, always keep the clips closed. Having the clips open for a long time can stretch them.
BOOM CLIPS AND ADJUSTABLE OUTHAUL
While using an adjustable outhaul system remember to keep pins closed at all times, and check that they are properly in place. You can use velcro tape to keep clips from opening.
AVOID SAND IN THE TAIL
Keep the tail end free from sand and dirt before adjusting.
DON’T LEAVE BOOM IN THE WATER WHILE NOT SAILING
Don’t leave the boom lying in the water for an extended period of time while not sailing. (water might leak inside the arms)
Severne Alu GO BOOM and EXTENSIONS
Rinsing the sand and saltwater off your boom will keep it fresh for longer and free of potential corrosion.
Do not leave your extension inside your mast when not in use as it may corrode.
Severne base
The tendon joint should be checked for cracks regularly. The easiest way to do this is by bending it in several different directions. If any cracks appear, the joint should be replaced.