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SABFoil’s new Blackbird line isn’t “just another foil system”. It’s a complete rethink of the whole concept of foiling: one where a full-carbon monobloc front wing merges seamlessly with a highly innovative aeronautics-inspired active fuselage. In fact, the big strength of the Blackbird lies in its unique fuselage concept. Its purpose-shaped fuselage works in synergy with the rest of the glider, supporting it and allowing it to perform at its very best in a fully integrated way.
In practice, what this does for the rider is to cut flex, clean up flow through the junctions, and turn the fuselage from dead weight into a lifting, trimming surface – yielding earlier takeoff, higher top speed stability, better glide and crisper feedback – turning every session into an effortless and highly performant experience. Such integration of the front wing with the fuselage, combined with the full-carbon monobloc construction, effectively minimizes unwanted flex, enhances stiffness, and reduces drag, improving control in rapid load changes (pumps, carves, etc.).
The Blackbird kit also comes with a new mast: an ultra-high modulus (UHM) carbon design with W-Core and a race-leaning profile with a slightly increased chord for stability at speed. A novel construction that integrates the extreme rigidity of ultra-high modulus carbon with the natural elasticity of wood for improved stability and dynamic response. SAB quotes a +20% torsional stiffness gain versus prior masts and better stability overall.
Out of the box, the Blackbird feels, as always with SABFoil, very nicely built: full-carbon monobloc construction up front, UHM mast with crisp tolerances and the usual Kraken base option. The lack of metal-to-metal stack between parts is an obvious advantage, while the mast’s increased chord and W-Core signal SAB’s stiffness-per-weight focus.
On the water, we were extremely impressed by the overall performance of the Blackbird. SAB markets the Blackbird for “early lift, high speed, razor-sharp control” – our sessions matched that brief. The Blackbird 905 mid-high AR produces clean and progressive lift. It builds pressure predictably through a couple of pumps. Compared with similarly sized front wings, the Blackbird – due to its active fuselage geometry – generates additional lift, enabling earlier takeoff and reducing pressure on the rear stabilizer. The result is a flatter, faster, more balanced ride – even at high speeds.
A notable characteristic of the monoblock full carbon construction is also the extreme structural stiffness that allows for sharper turns with better flow, smoothing out transitions, and rail-to-rail moves – actually accelerating through each turn. The 385 stabilizer has just enough span to lock the tail through high-bank turns without feeling keel-like.
SAB positions the Blackbird for technical riders who look for a more connected riding experience, freestylers chasing pop and control, and wave/downwind foilers who want speed with unmatched flow. Certainly an ambitious programme: our tests, however, confirmed that the Blackbird is truly a champion in riding as a natural extension of the rider’s body due to its incredible connected feel and unpaired flow capabilities.
In conclusion, SABFoil’s Blackbird isn’t a small iteration – it’s a system rethink that moves the needle much further in foiling efficiency. The 905/85/385 combo delivers a uniquely connected feel: crisp takeoff, high-confidence speed, and rail-to-rail precision that flatters aggressive riding. If you like your foil to answer immediately – and you’ve got the technique to keep it lit – the Blackbird is one of the most coherent, high-performance packages in the market right now.
