myiW Current Conditions and Forecasts Community Forums Buy and Sell Services
 
Hi guest · myAccount · Log in
 SearchSearch   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   RegisterRegister 
The Short Board Tack
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    iWindsurf Community Forum Index -> Southwest USA, Hawaii, Mexico
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:47 pm    Post subject: The Short Board Tack Reply with quote

I started this post for debate on the merits of a short board tack and stop hijacking tstizzle's fine post on Lake Arenal.

Coachg


Last edited by coachg on Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:54 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:55 pm    Post subject: Re: The Short Board Tack Reply with quote

I like'm , I use'm, sometimes I even make'm on a short board,
but I'm definitely not as proficient at'm as jibes.
Since I sail mostly the Gorge, in mostly Westerlies, if I fall in,
I get even farther upwind ;*).

Just another item to have in your bag of tricks, but take care that the
surrounding sailors understand your intent to tack, because nothing puts
a damper on a good sesh like a tacker and a jiber in the same area not
knowing what's about to happen.

-Craig

coachg wrote:
I started this post for debate on the merits of a short board tack and stop hijacking tstizzle's fine post on Lake Arinel.

Coachg
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Getting washed down on a strong flood tide is almost so common place in the Sacramento Delta that it can no longer be called the “Walk of Shame” and perhaps should be called a “Rite of Passage” instead. Almost as sure as the sun rising you will see winsurfers in board shorts or wetsuits hoofing it back up to the County Park. Let’s not forget the large number of kiters packing their stuff up the road as well.

The number one cause of all this walking is inexperience with the delta. On a strong flood the current near shore will be much lighter, neutral or more likely flowing slightly up wind in what is called an eddy. This false current near shore entices people to rig improperly for what they will need out in the channel. This problem is magnified by Einstein’s theory of relativity. As the newbie heads out they start pointing upwind and they know they are sailing upwind in relation to the wind and water around them. But to the observer on shore the newbie is sailing sideways across the channel moving slightly down wind. So relative to the wind and the water the newbie is sailing upwind, but relative to the land he is going down wind. The problem here is the newbie rigged for the wind strength based on where he normally sails. What he should have rigged was as much as one size bigger board/sail/fin than he would have normally rigged for the wind.

The number 2 cause for the walk of shame is he can’t tack. No matter how tight, or how fast you can jibe, if you have not rigged big enough to overcome the flood to the point where you are making some progress down river (upwind) you will be walking up the road or sailing back towards you launch 4 hours later after the tide change.

If a couple of identical twins, on identical equipment with identical skills were racing upwind on a flood tide the twin that can do an average dry tack will always beat the twin that is tight jibing upwind. The better his tack, the more embarrassing his victory. In racing we call this VMG. The twin that is jibing will have greater exit speeds and make much greater progress east & west, but unfortunately for him the race is north & south and the tacking twin will win because he will be sailing a much shorter course.

Your location may provide you the ability to never need to tack, but on floods in the delta it’s tack or walk. Take an ABK camp or take a lesson from Jason Voss, practice in the Play Pen on your small board then go out and enjoy the flood.

Coachg
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Coach, I was starting to feel guilty about the Lake Arenal hijack.

Learning to tack reliably is what got me home many a time at the delta on strong flood tides. It just isn't the same as an easterly in the Gorge. Also learning to tack is what got me up past the playpen at the Delta when I launched outside the park. Then I had lots of time to work on other things.

As to sinkers, once I'm sailing at my normal skill (not the first day of the season) I'm 100% on my 115 and 100l boards and probably 90% on my 85l board. I've done some on my 76l board. As mentioned on the other thread I've managed to come close to planing out of one on my 107l skate with a 5.2 sail. I never stopped moving and just a pump of the sail had me going again. Much better than the 50+% who don't come close to planing out of a regular jibe.

Here is a picture of when I tried one on my new 80l Realwind board (I weigh 185). Note I did NOT come close to planing out of this one, and I was way late changing sides.....

Note: I'm not trying to pat myself on the back with the stats, just trying to cover future questions. And it isn't just me. Anybody can do this. It is just another skill to learn.



Rowena tack.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  140.17 KB
 Viewed:  21187 Time(s)

Rowena tack.jpg


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Youwindsurf posted this link on the other thread so I thought I would bring it over here.

Take a look at this and then tell me that this isn't "close to planing through the tack". Pretty much the way I remember a few of the ones I tried to plane through. As I said, as good or better than a lot of jibes I see out there Smile

Nice to have a video for all to see and understand......

http://boards.mpora.com/technique/carve-tack.html
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
U2U2U2



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado

PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice video, short and sweet
_________________
K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you

http://www.k4fins.com/fins.html
http://4boards.co.uk/
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 4:09 pm    Post subject: Re: The Short Board Tack Reply with quote

cgoudie1 wrote:
take care that the
surrounding sailors understand your intent to tack, because nothing puts
a damper on a good sesh like a tacker and a jiber in the same area not
knowing what's about to happen.

Remember Barbara Greene, whose life had to be saved three times the day she tacked at the Hatchery shoreline?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

johnl wrote:
I'm not trying to pat myself on the back with the stats, just trying to cover future questions. And it isn't just me. Anybody can do this. It is just another skill to learn.

Oh, but I suggest tighter jibes as another way to stay upwind in unspecified conditions and I AM patting myself on the back? Once, again, officer ... focusing on the windsurfing instead of the individual would sure help your image.

Even if "Anybody [could] do this", that doesn't mean everyone would want to. You're burning ATP at an insane rate and, if you were in a flood tide, headin' downwind rapidly. The hypothetical guy who jibed instead is upwind so far he's not even in the picture, and he didn't invest pasta in a full-effort isometric hula. Other than destroying a knee, I can think of nothing I'd less rather do than "stealth sailing", as we called knee-deep slogging in the '80s.

We get it: you enjoy it, as do the guys I've known who will deliberately slog on small boards, even sinkers, for literally hours. That's great; you guys learn faster. Many of us just aren't willing to pay those dues for what we regard as tricks; our loss, but also our choice.

Given a choice, I prefer to use finesse, thinking, planning, and position over brute force. They serve me very well almost every day I sail.

Except when they don't. Sad
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jumping is an unnecessary trick. Tacking, like water starting, is a skill that may or may not be required depending on where & what you sail. Obviously, if you can overcome the current by sailing upwind, you don’t need to tack, nor do you need a tight jibe. Heck, you don’t even need to plane out of your jibes because you are able to sail upwind.

John, the reason we go early & backwind the sail is to avoid becoming a German U-Boat commander as you are in that photo. Even though it is an impressive show of balance, such a tack would not get you upwind in a flood as Iso's stated. However, being able to tack such as you are is a great skill to have when the wind dies and saves you energy from having to swim. Backwind sailing through your tack also helps with the unnecessary trick called a carve jibe.

By the way Iso’s, didn’t you injure yourself attempting an unnecessary trick?
Laughing

Coachg
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
johnl



Joined: 05 Jun 1994
Posts: 1330
Location: Hood River OR

PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is a reason why under a heavy flood the ONLY way to get upwind is tacking. Yet you will argue against it till the cows come home......

Yet I can do both WHEN I want to, yet choose to tack under certain circumstances because it is the better tool. And sometimes I do it because it is FUN. Something you will never understand because you only have one tool. Maybe.......


Last edited by johnl on Sun Jan 19, 2014 11:31 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    iWindsurf Community Forum Index -> Southwest USA, Hawaii, Mexico All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9  Next
Page 1 of 9

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum

myiW | Weather | Community | Membership | Support | Log in
like us on facebook
© Copyright 1999-2007 WeatherFlow, Inc Contact Us Ad Marketplace

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group