Love this sport . . .

[acalhounguy]

. . . because so many years on I learn something new literally every time I go out. I've been able to sail the past few days in conditions ranging from 7.5 to 12M. As usual the 12 is a workout but it is remarkably stable even overpowered. However, it is a bear to uphaul overpowered, and I was tired, and I've been practicing my waterstarts, and I wondered if one could just waterstart it - well of course you can and it's exactly the same technique which is probably only a surprise to me but I was pretty proud of myself nonetheless.

Also, I have been working on jibing for years. It looks really easy on videos (Dasher etc.). I dry jibe 95% of the time but I only plane out about 5% of my jibes - I'm getting better finally 8 years into this sport. I discovered today a bad habit (I think) and wanted to know people's thoughts. My habit has been to get into the harness immediately when sailing in general, in part to minimize fatigue while slogging. I think it has held back my jibe progression because today after the sail flip I focused on catching the sail further toward the clew (which has really helped keep me from heading upswind and losing speed) and staying low and getting back on plane before 1-foot straps and 2-harness. In the past I would be going for the harness immediately after the sail flip which I think killed my speed. This is mostly a chance to share (and hopefully encourage slow progressors like me). Stoked after a few days of sailing.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

Human contrariness is inbuilt Aconhounguy, especially in 'driven' individuals. Contrariness can be applied in any sport, not to mention life itself!

Learning is obviously quicker and easier following accepted ways of doing things (though the so called need for lessons is a contentious subject) but with growing skill and experience over time, any driven person can break the so called rules, and develop their own style and mastery of the sport. (Who cares if the little finger of your leading hand is at slightly the wrong angle - it's your little finger, so do with it what you wish,)

I think the real point is that we all have ( or SHOULD have) a need to feel that we personally are a little unique, and a wish to develop our own style of windsurfing. (If you hook in and slog in the harness off the plane, so what! You'll soon learn how to control it - by trial and error.)

Think yourself lucky that you're not a dedicated cyclist, where if you wear the wrong colour or length of socks, or wrong kind of shorts, you will be vilified, if not crucified!! (Naturally, I do, out of contrariness!!)

[Arrgh]

If you hook in and slog in the harness off the plane...you might just be Matt Pritchard.

[dllee]

Contrariness....
I mostly hook in and slog my 85 liter boards, but I do have to jump about 6", my harness lines about 10" above my spreader bar.
And I ain't no Pritchard.
Our slogs at Berkeley can easily be 3 blocks distances.

[NOVAAN]

I hook in asap to save the hands. Kind of pulls a bit on the family jewels. My lines are short so i also must jump up to get out of the lines when slogging..

[westender]

You guys jump 6" above your board to hook in or out? Maybe on huge sails? The bigger the sail the higher the boom? The only time I jump off my board is to switch my feet.

[dllee]

"Huge sails"? On a 84 liter JPFSW? Maybe 5.0.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

For those of us who don't have the luxury of sailing in steady wind conditions, a quick instinctive jump to unhook when slogging small boards and sails, is much to be preferred to being yanked over off balance and face planting downwind over boom and sail.

It's difficult to be stylish when scrabbling face downward in the briny, struggling to lever yourself upwards and out of the damned lines. Almost as bad as toppling off the mountain bike, headfirst into a water filled ditch, with the confounded bike on top of you determined to drown you for treating it so badly!! Been there, done that!

[jingebritsen]

keys to successful planing gibe?

flip the sail earlier

keep it well in front of you

while flipping sail, don't forget to maintain the carve

crouch, hang off boom before and after sail flip.....

i have gotten teased by PWA types for my insistence of flipping sail first, then feet. worx for me.

[coachg]

The board doesn't care when you flip the sail or switch your feet as long as the carve is smooth & you keep the board flat you will plane out of your jibe. Anything you do to keep a smooth carve and the board flat will help you plane out of your jibe.

Coachg