symetry problem

[gui2]

Hi there,

I am starting to be really annoyed with this : basically when I go upwind I can jump fairly easy and do some basic trick hass tack backwinding...
but when I go downwind pretty much I dont feel that confortable and the tricks are not smooth anymore..especially for the jump ..I can barelly lift off my board on a downwind course..
Also I notice that my harness line are not exactly at the same position when I adjust them at the beginning of my session..I was wondering if my stand on the board is wrong...
basically when I learn a trick..I have to learn it on upwind/downwind...the transition between the two is absolutely not direct...
any recommendation and same experiences ??...I will be glad if you have some exercices that can fix this problem

Thanks for your help
guillaume

[Windlover]

Some of the problem you are experiencing is because of your body position at different points of sail. On an upwind tack, your body & sail are more forward. You are getting more lift and your body is more centered in relationship to the board. On an offwind reach, the sail is usually raked back and your body is usually back on the board, thus when you try the same trick, it doesnt feel right because your body postion is wrong at the initiation of the trick. So performing the trick will be different on a reach than on a tack. It will take time and practice to learn the different techniques. Also, some tricks are only meant to be done on a particular point of sail.

As for your harness lines. Once you dial them in to the CE of the sail, pull the straps really snug. You may need to twist the strap around the boom and pull it a bit to get them good and snug. If you are hooking in and putting plenty of weight on your harness, then they should be staying in place. They should be leaving imprints in the grip material of your boom. Keep an eye on them during your session and repostion them snugly as needed. If it is a continueing problem, consider replaceing them. They may just be a poor design.

Also check to see if you have put them on properly. The loop should be facing you when you are looking at the sail. This way, when you hook in, you are tightening the straps. If the loop is facing the sail, when you hook in, you are loosening the straps. Hope this will help.

Windlover

[gui2]

Thanks for your reply...

this is a good point about the body position..does it mean when I go upwind I should bear off..because this is what happen if I move my body/sail forward ??