light-wind water start

cgoudie1 · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 6:13 am Post subject:

Hey Steve,

It is very lonely out there praying for that one more puff to get you up on
your board while lying in the water holding your sail in waterstart position
with a foot up on your sinker and one leg kicking the water in zero wind.
Almost everybody experiences it if their sailing career lasts long enough.
I've had the pleasure (and I've also swum in from a relatively safe
mid river). It's got to be really really lonely with Whitey on your mind.
Also amazing how much farther the distance is swimming vs even a slow slog.

I know that light wind water start miracle well. It's good to be able
to waterstart in very light wind.

-Craig

p.s. for the OP, there's a slight advantage to one perfectly timed sail pump
in getting you up on your board. This can sometimes save you the effort of
starting with one hand on the mast and one on the foot of the sail.

LUCARO · Joined: 07 Dec 1997 Posts: 661

manuel · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1158

Think shark, giant octopus, stone fish, sharp reef, massive oncoming curly swell, any of those should help speed up your water start, wind or not. Worked for me Very Happy

!

westender · Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 1288 Location: Portland / Gorge

It's a miracle that anyone learned how to do anything without the internets. I admit I spend a lot of time looking for info online.

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

I guess that the internet today makes it a lot easier for old men like me to tell their old stories.

The internet wasn't something that existed when I started windsurfing, so my learning was limited to what I was seeing at the beach, or what I could figure out on my own. I have to admit though, windsurfing was still a big fad in the mid 80s, and a lot of interested folks made it a great overall experience.

ss59 · Joined: 10 Nov 2016 Posts: 104

manuel · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Posts: 1158

Maybe your board is heading downwind because of water movement too, there's little forward drive when getting up, really just about that V balance with the sail and body as counter weights of each other.

Heading back in, the swell pushes me here, makes it easier to both get up and move forward. Going out it works against me pulling and pushing against my board, more challenging and tiring.

I did notice that my back foot was beyond the front straps yesterday when in the water with the back hand still on the boom. It wasn't truly ultralight but it's really pretty rare that I step in front of the straps. The reason is I like to use each ounce of wind drive and having the rear foot beyond the front straps makes it easier to swing my weight back and thrust forward with the front foot. It also reducing the risk of losing the balance when having the switch back and forth between in front of and behind the straps. Sometimes I wish I could place my rear foot right over the straps, haha!

EDIT: To confirm when holding the foot of the sail to get up on the board, yes I tilt the board towards me with both feet on either side of the mast base. Then the momentum of the sail lets me roll over onto the board.