Board turning upwind on water start?

[gvogelsang]

When you get this straightened out, just be sure that you don't over do it when you are actually water starting. Otherwise, you may go flying over the nose of the board.

[AndreiA]

Spend an hour in waist-deep water turning your board and sail around you and getting it in a right (means balanced) position. The key is to do it with minimum effort - fingers touching the boom in the final position.

Yes, you may feel bad about this hour spent not windsurfing, but you need to develop muscle memory how to steer the board and the rig. It has to become full auto. Only then you can get to the next step - pulling the board under yourself using your back foot.

[ramps]

Also don't forget to practice swimming the rig and board around in shallow water to even get into waterstart position. You can lose a lot of ground while flailing around in deep water trying to get rig and board positioned correctly.

[isobars]

I almost never swim my gear around. I grab it with my hands, then windmill my extended legs in a BIG horizontal circle to reposition whatever I'm hanging on to. It is far more efficient, is quicker, and uses big muscles we don't wear out while sailing.

[ramps]

That ain't swimming?

[ascott72]

a couple of tips:

- You're starting position isn't the best. Easier to have the mast edge perpendicular to the wind. This helps wind get underneath the sail. If you give it a pull to windward, you can usually clear it from the water.
- in strong winds don't lift the front edge too high until the clew clears
- there are also advanced tricks about pulling the boom across the back of your board to get it to clear
- once the sail is out of the water, put two hands on the boom and steer the board downwind on to a beam or broad reach. (Sounds like you need some practice steering the board for this part.)
- with one or two feet on the board, extend arms up and proceed to waterstart
- it helps to hang your weight so that the pressure goes in to the mast foot
- once up on the board, be prepared to sheet out and get your balance if necessary

If you a) focus on steering the board on to a beam or broad reach and b) get the pressure in to the mast foot, you shouldn't round up.

[isobars]

[isobars]

[wynsurfer]

isobars wrote:

"I almost never swim my gear around. I grab it with my hands, then windmill my extended legs in a BIG horizontal circle to reposition whatever I'm hanging on to. It is far more efficient, is quicker, and uses big muscles we don't wear out while sailing."

I tried this yesterday for the first time. It works great and is far less tiring than swimming. Wish I knew about this years ago.

Thanks!

[isobars]

Glad it helped. Just watch that fin!

You'd have known about it years sooner if you read every word I post.