2 harness line scenarios

techno900 · Joined: 28 Mar 2001 Posts: 4161

My boom height (and the height of my harness lines) is somewhat dependent on the wind conditions. If the wind is strong or steady and I can be pretty sure I will be powered and planing 100% of the time, then the harness lines are a little higher than my hook and I must either be on my toes or I can lean the rig back and over with power to hook in. This way, the hook won't accidently hook in during a gybe.

When in marginal conditions (some planing and some slogging), the lines will be lower so that I can easily hook in while slow slogging, no "on the toes" needed. Saves strength for longer sessions.

cgoudie1 · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:48 am Post subject:

Yep I can always slog in my lines. I do it often when the wind dies
and I'm a mile from my launch point. Yep I would have to get up
on my toes to get in in zero wind. Yep it's operator error when you do
a jibe-ectomy. I've done plenty of them myself. Happens to me just as
discussed here. My arms (especially my front arm) aren't out and forward
away from my body, and I'm not bending at the knees enough. I might add
that bending forward at the waist (rather than driving your knees forward
into the jibe) also exacerbates the issue.

-Craig

p.s. I run my boom around neck high with 26" lines and I'm 6'3"
p.p.s I'm going to 28"s this year.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

I have not hooked into my lines jibing for over 20 year's now, and I sail about 100 days a year in planing conditions. OK, 30 year's.
I use short lines, 22-24", with 23 perfect for freeride and wave sailing, 26 for Formula. I have armspan shorter than my 5'10" height.
And on boards smaller than 100 liters, I do have to jump about 6" to hook IN when I'm slogging, ....or of course, I can lean back, pull back, and fall back into the water because I was slogging and there was no wind.

J64TWB · Joined: 24 Dec 2013 Posts: 1685

So I believe the re-hooking is when I sheet in at the very start of the gybe. Is where you guys are talking about front arm extension and the rig away? Maybe I should be laying it down more? I'll try and review Sam Ross or Jem Hall videos to see where the mistake is. Thanks.

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

I also suspect it's technique.
Forget me, I"m a lawn mower sailor.
I have at least 10 wave and freestyle sailing buds, and none have hooked in once they got past their 4th year of windsurfing. Talking hooking in during a jibe or trick attempt.
You set the lines about 9" to 18" away from your hook, then when you jibe, you bend your knees, allow the sail to pull away from your body, and you actually INCREASE the distance between your hook and your harness lines.
Now if you can hook in while slogging without any real effort, possibly something is WRONG with your setup.
If it works slogging, it works badly while you're planing.
If it works planing, it works badly while you're slogging.

alap · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 156

this year on my Formula I put a dedicated longer second line - for slogging only.
I was afraid they will interfere with each other, but it turned out to be non-issue.
It is much more comfortable to shlog in longer lines, and no need to jump out.
Mind you, both sets are adjustable - I find adjusting on the fly to be a big pain. But it is very nice to adjust in the beginning and forget.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

A well-known Gorge instructor years ago said that if you can see over your booms while jibing, your knees are not bent enough. Pretty tough to hook in accidentally while looking forward beneath our booms.