dealing with moving up in abality/wind

galeforce79 · Joined: 05 Apr 2001 Posts: 89

now that i am a stronger sailer i am going out in higher winds, one major thing that is hard for me to do, is use the foot straps. someone said to me put the back foot in first, when i do, (if i can find the strap) i push the board too far away and just slide out and smack down in the water, it is easyer for me to put the front in, any tips? i am kind of a short person, any suguestions to using the foot straps for the first time and finding a good position for them on the board?

spyder · Joined: 24 Sep 1996 Posts: 2790 Location: oahu

Sailors have different methods, so you will get different suggestions. Some people do back foot first, others do front first.

However, I learned front first, and always do that in light or strong wind. It gets kinda to the point you do both pretty fast.

Make sure your sail is balanced in the harness, the mast is set at the right position on the mast track, and your footstraps are easy to get in and out of (but not too loose).

The best way to get into the footstraps is to follow these steps:

1). get the board going, sheet in / pump the sail
(if you try to early with little speed, the board tends to stall and round up)

2). keep your knees bent in anticipation of sail pull, and hook in.

3). as the board gets onto a plane, walk back on the board until your front foot hits the footstrap. then slide it in.

4). get the back foot touching the back footstrap and when ready slide that in.

Important to keep your knees bent to absorb the chop, and anticipate any gusts.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

It was bound to happen: Spyder and I finally disagree on something. Im a very staunch believer in the back-foot-first school. Its much less critical in steady winds and on flat water, but why develop a bad (IMO) habit?

I wont list the 8-10 reasons this works better, but they include catapult protection, avoiding sinking the tail or rounding up, etc.

With your weight divided between harness and front foot (on the centerline in front of the front straps) while planing, slip he unweighted back foot back to and into the rear strap.

Youre in! You can no longer get catapulted in a gust, and can take your time getting in the front strap while foot-steering with the back foot as you gradually (to avoid sinking the tail if barely planing) shift your weight to the back foot and harness so you can unweight the front foot and strap it in.

You can plane all day with only the back foot strapped in; try that with only the front foot in and youre a catapult just waiting to happen.

OTOH, this may be tougher if your back straps are out on the rails, where weight will steer the board upwind. My boards all have single, center rear straps, and that does make my process easier.

Mike \m/

spyder · Joined: 24 Sep 1996 Posts: 2790 Location: oahu

I totally respect your opinions, and advice, its always top notch.

us85 · Joined: 29 Aug 1999 Posts: 47

I am really right-handed (and right-footed), so on one tack I go front foot first and on the other I go back foot first. Probably not a good idea, but it works for me.

On either tack, I try to put a lot of my weight in the harness before trying to put my foot in the strap. Having this weight on the mast foot helps counter the effect of suddenly having all that weight on the rail.

Also, if youre having no success, put the straps as far towards the front of the board as they will go and gradually move them back as you get more comfortable getting into them.

motogon · Joined: 19 Aug 2000 Posts: 376 Location: Philly

Mike,

You probably sailing on highwind short boards. (Which is narrow) What about modern lightwind widestyle boards? There is just not possible to sail with back foot on middle of board. I found front foot first a lot easer on such boards.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Right -- the biggest board I own is a 9-foot, 110-liter wave-slalom, and the biggest board Ive sailed in the past couple of years is an 83-liter 8-6. ALL my sailing is maneuver-oriented, hence the single rear straps on all my boards. Straps on the rails and maneuvering dont mix well.

But even the long boards I grew up on had single rear straps. In fact my first board came without any straps, so I added one -- a rear center strap to reduce catapults.

But thats why I added the escape clause about my advice being less appropriate on boards with straps out on the rails. Too much weight there and were looking the wind in the face. Some rail-riders do manage to get in the rear straps first, but Im guessing it takes lots of practice and lots of weight in the harness.

Mike \m/

bronson · Joined: 06 Mar 2001 Posts: 19

I have just learned to get into the straps and understand the difficulty of this milestone. I use a 310 cm. board and had to move all the straps forward. I also went from 2 straps in the back to one. I found that with the back straps too near the rail I kept getting my heel in the water and stalling out the board. I too agree that the back strap first works best for me.

Good luck!