Help! I want to start ripping!

bmergen · Joined: 13 Jun 2000 Posts: 16

I started sailing last July. I got about 9 days in the gorge, only 4 of those outside of a controlled lesson environment (Rhondas). My second day sailing on the open water I was determined to learn how to waterstart so I rented a 278 and a 5.0 without an uphaul rope. It worked. I practiced a lot over three sessions and then bought my own equipment. I got a HiFly 275 because of price and durability. now Im trying to get a good grip on hooking in and using the foot straps. This has given me by far the most trouble. I think part of the problem is properly setting up my rig - boom height, mast base position, harness lines, etc. Is there any way to get all of this stuff to a good starting point on land so I have a good base to get comfortable with and work from? Any suggestions/recomendations greatly appreciated. It sounds like there are a lot of people here who really know what there talking about. Ive been seriously worked a lot so far, but Ive had the most fun Ive ever experienced in a sport. I cant wait to get passed this and really start ripping! I know you guys can help. Thanks a lot.

Ben (OR)

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 11471

Ben --

Instructional videos.
More lessons.
TOW (Time On the Water)
Books (from bookstore)
Your eager attitude.
rec.windsurfing newsgroup.
Magazine How-To Articles.

Mike \m/

artofwindsurfing · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 182

Before giving you any advices I would need to know more about you.

1- How old are you ?
2- Your weight ? Height ?
3- Time you have been windsurfing, in hours ( very important)

Looking forward to hear from you,

Sylvain Pilon, windsurf instructor,HI

artofwindsurfing · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 182

My E-Mail address is: artofwindsurfing@yahoo.com

bmergen · Joined: 13 Jun 2000 Posts: 16

Im very eager! Any video/book titles you would recommend? Ive read some mag how-tos and a well-known book by Ken Winner. Those are what helped me to get waterstarting.

Thanks Mike,
Ben

bmergen · Joined: 13 Jun 2000 Posts: 16

Mike, I saw that you mentioned some Jibe instructions that you have in another thread. I would like to see those for future reference. If you could email them to me I would appreciate it. bmergen@gundersoninc.com

Thanks,
Ben

joeyyyy · Joined: 18 Jul 2000 Posts: 162

Well If nobody else is telling you this then Im shocked!! you learned to water start? Cool good job!! Now lets set up your rig for max fun.
For Me, I like to possition My boom as low as I can on the mast (about chest high just above the nipples)(this is the height when mounted to board). My harness lines are set in leangth so that I can hook in and out quick and easily. There possition on the boom is set so that when I am fully powered up I can let go while hooked in and the rig stays ballanced in the wind and not falling off to the rear or front etc. How far apart the lines are tied are normaly just inside your grip (a wide loop will tend to feel more stable, and the smaller the loop the more quirky the sail feels).
as for down haul, you want the sail to take a shape simular to what it is when not rigged, in other words you want all the battens to rotate freely and equilly on the mast (too much down haul will make the bottom and top battens snap back and forth and the middle will be flat, the oppissit is true when you dont have enough down haul). the out haul is where we may want to deside on how baggy or flat the sail is.
now that thats done, get on the water and start hooking in and out. after your comfurtable hooking in and out, start getting in the straps. everyone has his or her way to do this, for me it depends on how much power is in my sail at the time, and what board im on as well (meaning that I may put back foot in first somtimes and other times the front goes in first). when or if your board start rounding into the wind when getting into the straps, just try to keep your board flat to the water and push off the wind a little....
and remember the most important rule!! Have fun! and let your own preferances dictate what works for you.
everyone has there own and thats why they just tell you to read and watch and they dont just say what works for them.

matth79 · Joined: 22 Jul 2000 Posts: 1

It is very imporant to have your harness lines set opposite the sails center of effort. To do this on land, make a ring with two fingers of front hand on the boom and fill the sail. If it sheets in and out staying balanced around a center point, that should be the center of where you set up your harness lines. If it stays sheeted out, you need to move it back. If the luff gets away and the sail wants to fall over, it needs to be moved forward.

After you have that set on land, worry about boom height and harness line length. I kept the boom at the same height as when I sail without a harness so it will feel right when I unhook. Get the lines as short as you can without making it too difficult to hook in. Tighter connection to the sail = better feel and more control.

I wouldnt worry about the straps until up on a real good plane. When the thing wants to turn downwind almost by itself even though you are way back on the board, thats the time to step into the straps. First get your feet right in front of them. Put your feet in one at a time and stay sheeted in. If you lose speed, the tail will sink, the board may round up, and you have to start again, so once you are in the straps try to hold your course and ride it out for all its worth. fun_factor *= 10;

Now if you feel way out of control, you may want to move the mast base forward. This is something that I dont really know a good way to judge on land, but you will get a feel for it. And thats what most of getting and keeping speed is about. Your body will learn. If it makes you go faster, keep doing it, and if it slows you down, change it.